Floral Biology Of Strobilanthes Callosus (Nees) Bremek.: An Underutilized Plant Species Of The Western Ghats

Strobilanthes callosus, a member of the Acanthaceae family, is native to the open hill slopes and valleys of the Western Ghats, particularly in the Nasik region and other areas of Maharashtra and Peninsular India. While the genus Strobilanthes is found globally, S. callosus is primarily confined to specific hilly locations, notably at Anjaneri within the Trimbakeshwar tehsil of Nasik district. This species is known for its extraordinary mass flowering event, which occurs once every eight years. The earlier studies can collectively enhance understanding of Strobilanthes callosus; particularly in terms of its ethno-medicinal potential and phytochemical properties. However, specific research focusing solely on its floral biology remained limited, indicating a valuable opportunity for further investigation in this area. The current study has uncovered few fascinating aspects of the floral morphology, phenology, anther dehiscence, pollen viability including germination under controlled conditions, fruit, Seed characteristics, floral visitors of S. callosus etc. The Pollen viability was observed at 80%; however, a significant number of these pollen grains did not germinate under laboratory conditions due to the absence of the necessary microclimate and incubation period. Also, fieldwork highlighted few anthropogenic threats including grazing, tourism, and wildfire exposure which emphasized the need for further developmental biological studies to ensure its conservation in vivo.