Manipuri Iris ‘Kombirei’, new additon to Indian Flora

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Imphal: Manipur’s indigenous flower Kombirei or Manipuri Iris, the blue-coloured religiously associated flower, has been officially identified as Iris laevigata Fisch and has been newly added to the Indian flora, according to the latest edition of the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge.

According to the January edition of the journal, due to the wrong identification as Iris bakeri Wall (Iridaceae), Kombirei was considered endemic to Manipur as per the Flora of Manipur (2000), but has long been misidentified (misnomer) as Iris bakeri Wall (Iridaceae). 

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However, after thorough investigation the botanical identity of this plant has been established as Iris laevigata Fisch. In India, Iris laevigata Fisch has not been reported earlier and this being the first record from Manipur, it is a new addition to the Indian Flora, said chief scientist Dr Huidrom Birkumar of CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, branch laboratory in Imphal, the key author of the journal. The other author was Ashiho A Mao of the Botanical Survey of India.

“During the 1960’s, the Kombirei plant was naturally growing in two wetlands of Manipur namely, Lamphelpat and Yaralpat but now it has completely vanished from its natural habitat due to various factors like habitat loss and invasion by weeds but a few hundred plants are maintained in a captive farm at the periphery of Lamphelpat by a private cultural society viz., Ipathoukok,” says Dr Birkumar.

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Currently, some plants are also recorded in small pockets from two wetlands of Manipur namely, Maibam Phumlou and Ikkop Pat which is believed to have been established later by being brought down by the upstream rivers falling into the lakes.

As narrated by elders it is believed that the word ‘Kombirei’ is derived from the words Kum-pi-lei (kum = season; pi = dominant; lei = flower), the most beautiful flower, dominant and full bloom during the early season (Manipuri New Year which generally falls during the month of April). The flower of this plant is used as a symbol of the Manipuri New Year called ‘Sajibu Cheiraoba’ (Sajibu is the first month of Manipuri calendar; Cheiraoba is celebration of new year on the first day of the Sajibu month by counting of sticks).

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Another Manipuri legend narrates that ‘Kombirei’ is the name of a lower caste girl who fell in love with a higher caste boy but the parents and society went against them. Society did not allow them to marry and the girl committed suicide to save the disgrace. It is believed that the beautiful Kombirei plant grew up from the wetlands where her dead body was disposed. The tragic end of the story made the human society to realize the stigma of caste system. Hence, the flower of this plant is offered to the local deity during Manipuri New Year viz., Sajibu Cheiraoba as a symbol of eliminating the caste system. 

It is also informed by elders that the blue colour obtained from the flowers was used in expensive paintings especially in royal paintings.

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Due to its habitat sensitivity, conservation of this plant should be prioritised, otherwise loss of this species from Manipur may lead to loss of a species from the Indian flora, says Dr Birkumar.

It was also mentioned that the flower species is endangered regionally and needs to be conserved. If no proper conservation measures are taken up urgently, the species may completely be vanished from the state and from India as well, maintained the expert.

The collected flowering plant samples, as mentioned in the journal, were used to prepare herbarium specimen(s) following standard methodology. The herbarium specimens are preserved at CSIR-NEIST, Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat, Imphal, Manipur and one specimen has been deposited in the ‘ASSAM’ Herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Shillong. 

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Due to anthropogenic pressure, a good number of plants once abundant in the wild habitats have now almost vanished from their natural habitat such as eryngo or Eryngium foetidum, added Dr Birkumar.

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