VIBGYOR Series - 'O' for 'Orange' - The Flame of the forest

This post is part of the Chennai Bloggers Club's CBC VIBGYOR BLOG TAG where some
of us will write a post on the colours of VIBGYOR each day starting 1st of September to 
the 7th of September. The colour theme for today's post is ORANGE.

The color orange is believed to emit warmth and happiness, stimulates enthusiasm and creativity and it is also said to be one of the healing color.

As we saw the golden shower tree in the previous post, here we gonna see yet another native tree of India which is popularly known as 'Flame of the forest'. As like the name describes the bright orange colored flowers of this tree looks like a flame of fire when seen in clusters. As like the Golden shower tree, this 'flame of the forest tree' has also been given a commemoration by the Indian Postal Department by issuing a postal stamp after it.

Nomenclature :

Botanical Name     :    Butea monosperma

Common Name     :    Flame of the forest / Palash / Dhak / Palah / Parrot tree /Keshu (Punjabi) /                                           Kesudo (Gujarati) / Modugu chettu (Andhra Pradesh) / Palas,Palashi (Bengali)

Tamil Name          :     Parasu / Porasum / Parasa

Hindi Name           :    Chichra tesu / Kankrei

Butea monosperma/ Flame of the forest is a tree that comes under the family of Fabaceae and it is native tree of India and Southeast Asia. They are also called as parrot tree. This tree is of 6 to 12 m height. This tree has irregular branches with gray bark. The flower of this tree are bright orange colored and said to be in full bloom from January to March. The flowers are said to have five petals that constitutes of either one standard wing or two smaller wings. The flower is also believed to have a curved keel (prow/bow-shaped pair of petals) and this is the reason why this tree is also called as the parrot tree due to its curved keel. It is said that this tree kills mosquitoes. As the vibrant color and smell of the flowers attracts them, they get caught in the fluid gum of this tree, so that they can't escape. It is also said that the eggs laid in this tree never gets hatched.

Flower of the 'Flame of the forest tree'

Images Source : Internet 

The leaves of this tree are dark green in color. This tree is also known as a sacred tree since the leaves has the trifoliate pattern. Ancient people believed that those three leaflets represents Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The flame of the forest tree is said to be associated with the spring season in West Bengal and it was associated by none other than the great poet Rabindranath Tagore in his poems. He felt that these bright orange color flowers of this trees resembles the fire.

Another interesting fact about this tree is, the infusion of flowers of this tree gives us a wonderful coloring substance which are said to be used in water-paint and for making dyes. In ancient days, it is believed to be used for making color for the Holi festival.

Health benefits, medicinal and other uses :

           ~*  I read somewhere in the web that a good charcoal can be obtained form this tree.

           ~* The gum from this tree is said to be a powerful astringent which are used for treating hemorrhage from stomach, diarrhea and dysentery.
                 
           ~* The bark of this tree is believed to possess astringent bitter and pungent properties.

           ~* It is used for curing tumors and ulcers.

           ~* It is used in the treatment of spleen disorders and digestive disorders.

           ~* The decoction is used for the treatment of cold, cough and fever.

           ~* Even the leaves of this tree is said to possess the astringent property as like the bark. They are used to cure boils and pimples.

           ~* The root part is used for treating elephantiasis, night blindness and for other eyesight defects.

           ~* The flower part is used in the treatment of leprosy and to reduce swellings.

           ~* The powder made from this flower is used for healing fractured bones and used for healthy bones.

            ~* Since the leaves of this tree are strong , they are also used as wrapping papers

Note : Strictly consult your physician before using it.

References :

http://www.worldagroforestry.org
http://www.indianetzone.com
http://www.flowersofindia.net
http://www.la-medicca.com


Hope these orange flowers would have brighten up your day ! Have a nice day :) 

VIBGYOR Series - 'Y' for 'Yellow' - The Golden shower tree

This post is part of the Chennai Bloggers Club's CBC VIBGYOR BLOG TAG where some
of us will write a post on the colours of VIBGYOR each day starting 1st of September to 
the 7th of September. The colour theme for today's post is YELLOW.

Yellow is often related to original thought, optimistic, cheer, intellect and inquisitiveness.

Today my post for yellow is about a tree that can be seen around India which invites us with its vibrant yellow color flowers and it is 'The golden shower tree'.

Cassia fistula aka Golden shower tree is a plant that comes under the family of Fabaceae. This tree is native to India and it is the state flower of Kerala. Outside India, this tree is a national tree of Thailand and its flower is a national flower of Thailand. This tree comes under the category of ornamental plants. The Golden shower tree can be widely seen in the regions of Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka. It is said to be a semi-deciduous(shedding leaves annually) tree. The flowers of this tree were used in rituals during the Vishu festival especially in Kerala and in other parts of India. And another notable feature of this tree is , the Indian Postal Department have issued a postal stamp to commemorate this tree. The Laburnum road in Mumbai is said to be named after this tree.

The Indian postal stamp
featuring Golden shower tree

Images Source : Internet


Nomenclature :

Botanical Name :  Cassia fistula

Common Name :  Golden shower tree  / Indian laburnum

Tamil Name      :  Konrai ( கொன்றை)

Hindi Name       :  Amaltas / Bendra lathi/ dhanbaher / girimaloah

English Name    :  Golden shower cassia

Image Source : Internet

The Golden shower tree is said to be in a height of 10 to 20 meters. The flowers are yellow in color. The flowers are set to bloom from the late spring season upto summer. It is said that the tree can withstand high temperature and it is a drought-tolerant tree. It can be grown at any well-drained soil and it was said that they are also slightly salt tolerant. Flowers can be found in abundance in this tree and sometimes they also hide the presence of leaves with its flowers. The whole tree is believed to grow well at adverse situations. To outshine well in adverse conditions is one of the best feature of this tree and it shows us how well we can manage our life during  adverse situations in our life. It helps us to grow personally :) As I read somewhere in the web, it is said that the flowers bloom more when there is more heat and direct sunlight. Since this tree is well adapted to dry conditions, it is said that they can be damaged during cold conditions. The stalks of the tree which is said to be upto 30 cm in length holds the dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers in clusters. The flowers of this tree are seen like hanging downwards. These bright flowers attracts bees, butterflies and insects.


The fruits of this tree are dark-brown pods which comes under legume (leguminous plant that has long seed pod) category. They have many seeds in it. It is said that even after the pod gets dried, the seeds are not dispersed naturally. Instead, as per researchers perspective, the seeds were believed to be dispersed by some animals like bear and jackals in the forest which feeds on the fruits of this tree.

Medicinal values and health benefits :

               * The pulp of this fruit is used as a laxative and the bark is used for treating skin infections.

               * It is believed that it is also used for relieving asthma, heart related diseases and fever.

               * In Ayurveda medical system, this tree is called as 'aragvadha' which means 'disease killer'.

               * The fruit is said to be rich in vitamin K. It is a good source of iron and manganese.

               * The root of this tree is said to be used in the treatment of cold and cough.

               * The bark of the tree helps in cleansing the blood and is used to eradicate inflammations.
             
Sources of information :

ayurvedicnaturalhomeremedies.com
wikipedia
rajanjolly.hubpages.com


 
Since these bright yellow flowers are just lifting up the energies, it would be a delight to see such trees on the streets of our country. This tree not just provide beauty to the place it is planted, but also provides some valuable uses.