Cannonball Tree & Flowers

by Hem Bhandari
(Mumbai , India)

As usual,once again I came across a huge tree with some peculiar type of flowers,with lovely aroma in close vicinity of the tree.Its flowers,the way hanging from the tree-trunk,was very unusual.All these were good enough for me to make my pictorial article on this creation of the nature,which by and large is available in olny hot/humid environment.Its particularity & charming looks,are illustrated in the manner,below;

Commonly called as "Cannon ball Tree" or "Ayahuma",the botanical nomenclatre for it is "Couroupita guiansis",which is given to it by the French botanist J.F.Aublet in 1753.

Flowers and Pollination:

Cannonball flowers do not have nectar,so these flowers are mainly visited by by beas,in search of Pollen. Outside the native range of habitat,carpenter beas are considered to be the principal pollunators.Both the fruits & flowers grow from the stack of the tree.These
flowers are found on thick tangled extrusions that grow on the trunk of the tree.The flowers have 6 large petals,in orange and red colors,strongly perfumed.The tree gets the common name"Cannonball" from the large ,spherical fruits it produces.Fruit when mature,falls from the tree and cracks,often with a sound.Like coconut palms,this tree should not be planted near paths or traffic filled ares,as the heavy matured fruitCannonball is known to fall without notice.

Religious significance in Asia:

These trees are grown extensively in "Lord SHIVA"
temples in India.In Hindi this flower is called
' Shiv-kamal',also known as 'Kailashpati'. Hindus rever it as sacred tree because the petals of the flower resemble the hood of the cobraNaag in Hindi, a sacred snake protecting the "Shiv-kamal" Lotus of the Lord
Shiva,in Hindu mythology.

In srilanka,Thailand and other Buddhist countries,this tree is often planted at Buddhist temples.

Medical Uses:

This tree possesses antibiotic,antiseptic and analgesic qualities.The tree is used to cure colds and
stomach aches.Juice made from its leaves is used to cure skin diseases. The inside of the fruit can disinfect wounds and young leaves ease toothaches.

Friends,I had really to slog to get the English name for this wonderful Tree/plant.The moment , I succeeded,I an sharing it with all my International reader-friend. Hope you like it.

Best Wishes