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Rudraksha Tree Found only in the Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu Face Extinction

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Rudraksha Tree species ‘Elaeocarpus Blascoi Weibel’ is confined to the Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu and is now facing extinction. Currently only one tree group survive in Palani Hills which is the abode of Lord Muruga and is also home to numerous rare herbs and trees.
The New Indian Express reports
In a study published in the "Journal of Threatened Taxa," in the October 26 issue, the authors Dr Raju Ramasubbu and Felix Irudhayaraj with Gandhigram Rural University say that "if urgent conservation measures are not undertaken, the species could become extinct due to threats and unknown limiting factors."
They warned that the conservation status indicates that it is critically endangered and not just endangered as the assessment showed. 
The study on the rudraksha tree species of E blascoi was conducted by the Dindigul based varsity's researchers throughout Palni Hills from July 2012 to May 2014.
The results from the study confirmed that there was "only one mature tree" at present in the wild at Vattakanal Shola at an altitude of 2,011 meters in the Palani hill ranges. 
"Elaeocarpus blascoi has a very slow growth rate. It takes more than 15 years to start flowering," the study said.