• Recently, a new fire-resistant plant species, has been discovered in the Western Ghats.
  • This species, discovered by a team from the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune and was named Dicliptera polymorpha to reflect its varied morphological traits.
  • This plant grows on slopes in open grasslands of the northern Western Ghats and this area effected by extreme climatic conditions such as summer droughts and frequent human-induced fires.
  • It is unique for its ability to bloom twice a year—once after the monsoon and again in response to grassland fires.
  • The first flowering phase occurs from post-monsoon (November to March/April), while the second, triggered by fires in May and June, produces dwarf flowering shoots for a shorter but more intense bloom.
  • Dicliptera polymorpha has a rare inflorescence structure not seen in any other Indian species.
  • Its flowers grow in spicate clusters, a feature most closely related to species found in Africa.
  • Its adaptation to fire—while also dependent on careful fire management highlights the need to balance fire practices to protect its habitat.

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