/ Vivek Kale Nature Photography
 

 

 

 




Treasures of Nature
Wildflowers - September 2008
This area of western ghats is distinct as compared to the northern and sourthern ghats. The region has many flat table top mountains, with lateritic platues on top. From the distance these mountains look so flat at the top, that they look artificially flattened. Lateritic platue of Kaas is one of such many platues in the region.


On the way to Kaas

The volcanic rock at the top has been eroded over the years due to heavy rains. The soft portions of the rock are eroded leaving behind the porous rock with hard elements. The thin layer of sandy soil over such rock does not have much nutritions. Due to this reason, at Kaas, the soil has many unique wildflower plants blooming in Mansoon, some of them being insectivorous plants. Though many flowers are very tiny, this platue offers great opertunity for those who are intersted in Nature, Landscape photography, flowers and botany. The area is very scenic with beautiful views, Koyna backwaters on the other side of the Kaas hill. The winding ghat road offers pleasure while driving, with occasional crested Buntings and crested larks welcoming you, to the hill. The best duration for visit to this place is in September. However the Nature and fury of Mansoon in the area is sometimes very severe. Hence it is wise to visit this place at the end of Mansoon, after confirming clear weather from some local person. As the platue is at the top of the hill with wide region open on either sides, the wind velocity here is very high and addequate measures are required while taking photographs, to counter the wind. I went there in quite adverse weather, and hence had to adject myself with rains and wind to get some images.


Fields and Village on the lower platue.


Purple Flowers of Pleocaulus ritchiei (Topli-Karvi/Mal-Karvi) which mass blooms once in seven years. These flowers are speciality of the lateritic platues at higher elevation.


Pink white paperlike flower of Celosia argentea (Kurdu/Kombda) seen in the dry grass on the hill slope.


Purple Flowers of Pleocaulus ritchiei (Topli-Karvi/Mal-Karvi).


Violet Purple flowers of Impatiens Lawii (Jambhala-Terda). These flowers also mass bloom on the platue.


Tiny Cynotis tuberosa (Abhali) flowers.


Lateritic Rock Surface


Purple Flower of Pleocaulus ritchiei (Topli-Karvi/Mal-Karvi)


Peach colored small Murdannia Lanuginosa (Abolima) flower.


Utricularia purpurascens (Seetechi Aswe) flower. This is insectivorous aqutic herb.


Violet Purple flowers of Impatiens Lawii (Jambhala-Terda). These flowers also mass bloom on the platue.


Pogostemon deccanensis (Jambhali Manjiri) mass blooming near water stream.


Bright White Pinda concanensis (Panda) flowers seen near Kaas main lake.


Peach colored small Murdannia Lanuginosa (Abolima) flower. These flowers are seen occasionally.


Eriocaulon tuberiferum Tiny (Pan gend) flowers bloom all around the water streams.


Bluish Purple Utricularia purpurascens (Seetechi Aswe) flower. These flowers are fragrant and insectivorous.


Tiny pink flowers.


Cynotis fasciculata (Nilwanti) flowers.


Abolima flower


Abolima flower


Terda flower.


Cyanotis tuberosa (Abhali) flowers with bluish purple corolla.


Cyanotis tuberosa (Abhali) flowers with bluish purple corolla.


Cyanotis tuberosa (Abhali) flowers with bluish purple corolla.


Abolima flower


Jambhala Terda flowers with small blue chirayat flower


Nisurdi flowers


Cyanotis tuberosa (Abhali)


Red plant in green grass.


Nymphoides indicum (Kumund) flowers in the small lake on Kaas platue. The flowers are white with yellow center.


Nymphoides indicum (Kumund) flowers in the small lake on Kaas platue. The plant has basal leaves. This is aquatic floating herb.


Russell's Viper snake at Kaas platue with yellow Senecio bombayensis (sonki) flowers.


Russell's Viper snake at Kaas platue.


Unkown flower


Unkown flower


Inside the Carvia Callosa (Karwi) flower.


Rhamphicara longiflora (Tutari) flower.


Sonki flower and the bee with yellow pollen trousers.


On the way backhome


Contact me at kale_v@rediffmail.com for any queries and suggestions.