Queen Flower Of Konkan
<p>Endemic to the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa, India, Konkan dipcadi <em>Dipcadi concanense</em> was first described by Nicol Dalzell in the year 1850 from the Malvan region of Sindhudurg district. It was considered ‘possibly extinct in the wild’ until it was rediscovered in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, by Mistry and Almeida after a lapse of 123 years. Since then it has been reported from sporadic locations up to Goa. It grows in shallow soils on moist lateritic plateau in the monsoon. The flowers are collected and made into garlands that are sold locally. Seas of white flowers are a sight to behold on some plateaux. Mega-development plans for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg region are likely to threaten the extant habitats of this endangered species. In 2022, local organisations in Devrukh organised a Dipcadi festival to sensitise local communities about this ‘Queen flower of Konkan’.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Photo: Manali Rane/Bombay Environmental Action Group</strong></span></p>
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