Thursday, 28 June 2018

Brahma Kamal- A Smart Plant

How does a plant know the lunar calendar a year in advance?
Sometimes three years in advance?
How does it work out the full moon in a monsoon month?
How does it know it is midnight?

These mysteries and many more are Nature's preserve. The more you observe the more you are baffled. Brahma Kamal ब्रह्म कमल is one such plant which has the answers to all the above questions. It bloomed last night in our garden after three years. On dot- on a full moon night in June, the monsoon month! Amazing isn't it?



You may browse our earlier story on Brahma Kamal- Queen of the Night posted three years ago. It has all the details about the plant, its shape, growth, climate for cultivation etc. In appearance, it resembles a rose when in bloom (for layered petals) as well as a lotus as a bud (for its conical shape). Its botanical name is Epiphyllum oxypetallum. In this story we bring you snapshots of the flower taken through the night till it folds itself again next morning. Enjoy the spectacle as it unfolds. 





As it blooms, the fragrance attracts bats and moths who help the plant in pollination.





We sign off with a hope that Brahma Kamal will keep its date with us next year. Or will it be after three years? Who knows!

Wouldn't you call Brahma Kamal a 'Smart' plant for possessing the intelligence? Like smart phones, smart TVs and even smart cities- Brahma Kamal beats them all! Its intelligence is natural and not man-made.

Thanks for browsing.

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 28th June 2018, Full Moon

Postscript:
30th June 2018: Dinesh Sharma a buddy and Nature lover, has sent a picture of another Brahma Kamal which bloomed the same full moon night in Pune on 28th June. The plant is reared by a BITSian Prabha Iyer Shankar in a shaded area. See the picture below. Thanks Dinesh.



It validates our observation of Brahma Kamal blooming at night around a full moon!

Another postscript: 2nd July 2018 from Miraj in Maharashtra. A reader and nature lover K Aishwarya sent us pictures of multiple blooms on 2nd July, few days after the full moon. Thanks Aishwarya.


Yet another Postscript: On 7th July, another nature lover and Naval buddy Lalit Khanna shared his experience of growing the Brahmakamal in his garden. Detailed observations by him are given in the comments section. He has also sent the following picture of pink flower of same cactus family. Thanks much Lalit.


#BrahmaKamal #Flowers #MarvelsOfNature #MidnightBloom #PlantWithIntelligence #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB

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