"Masterclass In Patience": Anand Mahindra Spotlights Rare 'Sikkim Sundari'

Industrialist Anand Mahindra has drawn attention to one of the Himalayas' most extraordinary plants - the Sikkim Sundari - prompting a conversation online about India's natural heritage. Found in the remote alpine zones of the Eastern Himalayas at altitudes between 4,000 and 4,800 metres, the plant - botanical name Rheum nobile - thrives where few others can. Locally known as Chuka, it is a giant herbaceous species related to rhubarb, distinguished by its towering, translucent bracts that give rise to its evocative nickname, the "Glasshouse Plant" - a natural adaptation that traps light while blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation at high elevations.

Mahindra described the Sikkim Sundari's life cycle as a "masterclass in patience". For years, sometimes decades, the plant remains a modest rosette of leaves, quietly accumulating energy in one of the world's harshest environments. Then, in a single dramatic act, it shoots up to nearly two metres tall, forms a striking, pagoda-like inflorescence, releases its seeds and then dies - a biological strategy known as monocarpy.

I knew nothing about this extraordinary marvel: the ‘Sikkim Sundari'

Thriving at staggering altitudes of 4,000–4,800 meters, this "Glasshouse Plant" stands like a glowing tower against the mountains.

Its life is a masterclass in patience.

It is monocarpic, which means that… pic.twitter.com/keoMSmGcUl

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 21, 2025

"It's the stuff of poetry, yet my school biology textbooks (from ages ago, of course!) never mentioned it, even while describing flora from halfway across the world. I wonder if current Indian school curricula finally reference this local legend?" the industrialist said in a post on X.

His post started a debate with experts also weighing in.

"This flower is also used in medicine, it proves effective in digestion, swelling, liver and pain," commented Dr Sheetal Yadav, whose X account describes her as a teacher.

"In Malayalam, sundari means "beautiful lady". Sikkim Sundari is sundari indeed," said another user. "It immediately reminded me of Brahma kamal from Uttarakhand, which is of a different shape but is found at similar altitudes, and the colours are also almost identical," a third user said.

According to botanical sources like Flowrrs of India, the plant's translucent, straw-coloured bracts with pink-tinted edges stand like a glowing beacon against rugged mountain slopes, visible from afar across valleys. Beyond its poetic life history, Rheum nobile holds cultural value in local communities and features in traditional uses: its stems are sometimes eaten, and its large, bright yellow roots have roles in local medicine.