Flowers of Maldives

*Flowers of Maldives*
V.K. Sushanth Kumar

Pink rose is the national flower of Maldives. With its sweet and delicate smell and soft petals, rose reigns as the queen of flowers. It has always been a symbol of love, beauty, purity and all that is good.

Frangipani, Temple flower Plumeria sp. Apocynaceae Boalha kinkiri maa, Gul champa

On some islands people flavour their tea by keeping these flowers in the dust tea containers

These flowers bloom soon after the first shower of the season. It sprouts up from no where after the first rain and thunder and hence they are known as Rain lily or Thunder lily

Ball lily, Thunder lily

Sea shore lily, Spider lily, Grand Crinum Crinum asiaticum Amaryllidaceae Kandholu

Oleander Nerium oleander Apocynaceae Kaneerumaa

Fan flower - fruit

Black elder- black juicy berries

Flame lily is a highly poisonous plant. It is widely used in the preparation of certain medicines and it is facing threat in some countries because of over exploitation.

Glory lily - seed

This pretty flower got its funny name, goats foot, from its leaves which look like the hoof of a goats foot. It is morning glory as it blossoms in the morning and wilts away before noon.

A closer look at the flower shows that it is aptly called Octopus bush- it resembles the tentacles of an octopus!

Uni maa is one of the sweet scented flowers of Maldives. It is said that in olden times people used to hang their clothes over these trees at night so that by morning the clothes will absorb the fragrance of the flowers!

Fruit

Tender leaves of bilimbi

Purple Allamanda

Iron wood is hard and strong enough to be called so. Long nails are made out of this wood and used to join planks of wood in boat building

Neem fruit

Neem fruit

Jamaica cherry edible fruit

Curry leaf berries

Curry leaf flowers

Coconut palm, the tree of life, the tree that figures in the national emblem, the tree that sustains life from cradle to grave. Every part of the tree is used in one way or other.

The flower changes its colour and falls, decorating the ground below

The colour changes before it wilts

Bud

Fruit

Mihiri maa

Flower and fruit

Flowers of Maldives