SHIRUI HILLS lie east of Shirui village, about 15 km from Ukhrul and 105 km from Imphal. The hills comprised of three peaks, ranging from 2000 m to 2590 m in altitude. It falls under Group 11 (Sub-group 11BCI) of Eastern Himalayan Wet Temperate Forests (Champion & Seth, 1968). The Shirui Lily thrives on the third peak, which micro climate, soil, and topography are conducive to its growth. Its shoots emerge in mid April from rhizomes (bulbs) and seeds. Flowering begins in May and lasts until August. Seed formation follows in August–September, after which the aerial parts dry up.
A total of 85 lily species have been reported in the world, out of which 11 species are present in India mostly confined to the Himalayan region. Lilium mackliniae (Sealy) is one of the endemic and threatened species growing naturally in the third peak of Shirui hills and DzukouValley (*Singhetal. 1993). F Kingdon Ward discovered the Shirui lily in 1946 during a plant collection on behalf of the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew England. The botanical name of Shirui lily was Lilium mackliniae (Sealy). It belonged to the family Liliaceae .J.R. Sealy named the plant Lilium mackliniae in honour of F Kingdon Ward’s wife, Jean Macklinia. It was declared Manipur’s state flower on March 21, 1998. The plant has slender, delicate pink, bell-shaped flowers that point downward. The life form of Lilium mackliniae is geophyte, as the bulb remains dormant under the soil until shoot emergence in April.
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All the three peaks of Shirui Hills are fully covered by different varieties of perennial grass species instead of forest covering due to its transition zone between wet temperate and sub-alpine zone climate (Cold-habitat). However, the downward portion of the three peaks are fully covered by thick forests. The Shirui lilies growing in the burned portion are dwarf with 10 cm to 30 cm height and those growing in the unburned patches are not dwarf and healthy with 50 cm to 60 cm height on average. The lilies of the unburned patches bloom with two to six flowers whereas in the burned portion, one to two 2 flowers bloom.
The dominant associated plants with Shirui lily are Aconitamnegarum, Agapterusbuxifolia, Anemonrivularis (Summer Flower) Arundinellanepalensis (tall grass) Arundinellatrichata (Small bamboo), Cnicusinvolucratus, Eulalia palms, Holcus lanatum, Iris wattii (Kombilei),Liucusciliata, Miscanthus nepalensis, Paris hexaphylla, Polygonum opposit and Potentialasps.
When I was conducting research under the Himalayan Eco-Development Research Project Sponsored by the Department of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, at Life Sciences Department, Manipur University, Shirui Hills was selected as my research site from 1982 to 1986. The climate of Shirui Hills was normal up to 1982. After 1984 and 1986, many issues arise due to climate change in the Shirui Hills. The entire Shirui Hill ranges are serpentine terrain (Rock, with Chromium deposits).
In 1984, a road of 5 km long was constructed along the foothill of the Shirui Hill Ranges for transportation of chromium stones to the Bokaro Steel factory with the permission of the Manipur Government. In the construction process, many virgin forests were destroyed. Shirui people then banned the work plan of transportation of chromium stones to the steel factory.
In 1986, when Rishang Keishing was the then chief minister of Manipur, another road was constructed from the foothill of the first peak to the rest house of the second peak for the convenience of tourists. Many virgin forests were destroyed in the construction process and all the forest owners got opportunity for harvesting many timber wood varieties of more than hundred years old such as Michelia champaka (Leihao), Michelia excelsa (LiehaoLeirel), Phoebe hainesiana (Uning-thou State tree of Manipur) and Quercus lamilosa (Uyung mana Ashangba) and other non-timber fuel wood trees. Therefore, the availability of transport facilities to the newly constructed roads encouraged forest owners to harvest all the forest resources to improve the economy of their forest-based livelihood.
The Shirui forests are important stopover of Siri, the migratory bird from Siberia, in the winter season. The matured Seeds of Michelia champaka and M. excelsa in the winter season (November to January) are the favourite food for Siri bird and inflow rate of such migratory birds are reducing due to the shortage of foods and habitat modification caused by the construction of roads. The main ecological role of migratory birds for regeneration of Michelia species during their feeding period in the Shirui forest ranges stopped. Many epiphytic rare orchids were also exploited due to the destruction of virgin forests. Therefore, the work plan for construction of roads in 1984 and 1986 for exportation of chromium stones and convenience of tourists may be the major ecological crisis of climate change in the Shirui Hills.
Lily population was observed with seven to eight plants per metre square before 1986. The plant population, after 1986, has been found reducing. It may be due to change of microclimate in the Shirui Hills following the destruction of virgin forests. However, the roads constructed in 1984 and 1986 are not easily tracible due to plants succession after 40 years.
The habitat of L. mackliniae is threatened due to the following various reasons.
Thus, Lilium mackliniae (Sealy) is restricted to the third peak of Shirui Hills and adapted for growing naturally with the following various factors
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In the Shirui Lily habitat, except small bamboos, other associated plants do not affect the growth of the flower species. Therefore, harvesting of small bamboos by using machine in coordination with the Manipur government and Shirui village authority, instead of burning forest land may be the positive solution for sustainable management and saving of Lilium mackliniae.
November 29, 2023 Meeting for Protection of Shirui Lily Habitat
A joint meeting was conducted on November 29, 2023 at the Conference Hall, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Porompat, Imphal, regarding massive invasion of bamboos to the Shirui Lily habitat (Shirui third peak). In the meeting, Dr. T Brajakumar Singh (Director), member Secretary State Level Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Dr Elangbam Jadu Singh (writer), Chairman, (SEIAA), Dr. Th. Binoy Singh member (SEIAA)Dr. Elangbam Bijoykumar Singh, Chairman, State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), SEAC expert members, Headman, Shirui Village and Shirui club members attended. The meeting resolved to harvest small bamboos instead of burning to bring permanent solution of sustainable management in the Shirui peak (Habitat of lily).
Cutting of small bamboos under the leadership of Headman and Secretary of Shirui club started in the winter season of 2023 with the objectives of mass awareness for protection of Shirui Lily habitat. In 2024, high number of lilies blooming in the harvested habitat compared to the previous burned habitat was reported by the Shirui village authority but scientific experiment of population density of Lilium mackliniae could not be conducted in the habitat due to the present conflict situation in the state. It has been observed that annual harvesting may be the first step to check habitat disturbance by invasive bamboos instead of burning.
Secondly, restoration of forest vegetation through conservation and reforestation strategies towards conducive climate condition of the previous years. Besides Lilium mackliniea (State Flower), Phoebe hainesiana (uning-thou, state tree) and Syrmaticushumiae (Nongin – State bird), Shirui hill ranges has unique ecosystem as it harbours many indigenous plants, animals, and orchids.
Some of the indigenous plants are Switariachiralata (yenakhatChiralata), Aconitum nagaram (Aconitum), Panax psendoginseng (Ginseng), Amomum cardamomum (Lam Alaichi) and indigenous birds found in the dense forest of Shirui hills are Tragopan blithii (Lamyen) and Siri (migratory bird).
In addition to 72 orchids reported by Mukerjee from Ukhrul district in 1953, another nine rare orchids were found growing in the Shirui hills. They are 1. Arachnanthe clarkei 2. Bulbophyllumwallichii 3. Cybidium tigrinum 4. Dendrobium remosum 5. D. Walliamsonii 6. Habenariageniculata 7 H. Sussanae 8. Sarcanthuspalliolus 9. Taina latifolia.
In view of biodiversity conservation, the Manipur Government should focus on proper functioning of existing Shirui National Park in coordination with Shirui village authority and take up several initiatives to save such unique ecosystem as well as for conserving Shirui Lily and to promote natural based eco-tourism.
*Singh E. J, Yadava P.S and Singh, T. B. 1993. A contribution to the flora of shiroy hills, ukhrul, Mampur, Bull Surv. India 1-4,99-105.
The author is Dr. ELangbam Jadu Singh, Retired Principal, D.M. College of Science, Imphal, Manipur. He can be reached at jaduelangbam1956@gmail.com.
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