Brahma Kamal Sixteen and Counting

Brahma Kamal flower continues to amaze us.

Year after year, as the monsoon sets in it starts flowering. 

This July is special because the Brahma Kamal in our yard decided to delight us with a bumper crop of more than twenty flowers!

Sixteen of them flowering together! Video coming up to count the buds. Before that, how many buds do you see in the picture below?

Did you spot all thirteen in the picture? If not, count again and don't miss the edges of the picture!

Here is a 1:30 minute video counting the buds during the day time.

Same buds as seen as flowers at night around 9.30 pm. What a grand spectacle! See the short video clip.

Buds sprout from the edge of its long sturdy leaves and take few days to form. The stem curves itself in 'S' shape to hold the flower horizontal. See the picture.

As the sun goes down, the buds prepare to open. The show begins past 8.30 pm. More pictures follow.

By the time dawn breaks, the flowers start folding up. You can see early morning pictures in our earlier story.

Those who want to know how to plant a Brahma Kamal in your yard or a pot, do browse our previous stories listed below. These stories are based on our observations over last five years.

Plant with Intelligence- Brahma Kamal

Brahma Kamal- Queen of the Night 

Brahma Kamal- The Magic Continues

Those in Hyderabad/Secunderabad can reach us to get a sapling free of cost. The only condition is that you will share the pictures of first blooming! You can leave your mail ID in the comments. 

You will need filtered sunlight to grow the plant. Otherwise in hot months you have to protect the plant with a sunscreen. This summer, with a spate of showers and humidity, the buds sprang up suddenly. See the picture below taken in May 20. 

Hope we took your mind off Covid lockdown at least for a short while.

Relax. Admire Nature. Even if you don't have a garden of your own!

Stay safe, stay healthy. Thanks for browsing.

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/29th July 2020

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#BrahmaKamal #Flowers #MarvelsOfNature #MidnightBloom #PlantWithIntelligence #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB  #Bloomsonceayear #bloomsatnight #queenofnight #synchronisationbynature 

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