The incredibly rare Arisaema translucens, more commonly remembered as the cobra lily, was recently rediscovered in the western Nilgiris after 84 years. It was last collected in 1932.
cobra lily
What you need to know about cobra lily?
Barely a few hundred cobra lily plants are left in the wild and they can be found only in a small area measuring less than 10 square kilometres in the Nilgiris.
This is probably the only member of the Arisaema family to have a translucent spathe.
The Toda tribals of the Nilgiris have an embroidery motif known as the ‘podwarshk’, which resembles it.
Threats:
Likely to have been quite common once, cobra lilies have vanished in the past decades along with the disappearance of the shola tree patches in which they were found. Prized for their beauty around the world, cobra lilies are at even greater risk of extinction from the commercial trade in exotic plants.
cobra lily
What you need to know about cobra lily?
Barely a few hundred cobra lily plants are left in the wild and they can be found only in a small area measuring less than 10 square kilometres in the Nilgiris.
This is probably the only member of the Arisaema family to have a translucent spathe.
The Toda tribals of the Nilgiris have an embroidery motif known as the ‘podwarshk’, which resembles it.
Threats:
Likely to have been quite common once, cobra lilies have vanished in the past decades along with the disappearance of the shola tree patches in which they were found. Prized for their beauty around the world, cobra lilies are at even greater risk of extinction from the commercial trade in exotic plants.