Cassia fistula

 I am participating in the April AtoZ Blogging challenge and my theme is Plants featured on Indian Stamps. This is my eight attempt at the AtoZ and the focus is on plants.

My theme is inspired by an online talk by Daniel L Nikrent of Cornell University, USA held by Maharashtra Vriksha Samvardhini about Parasitic Flowering Plants featured on Stamps. 

I am not a stamp collector nor a fan of stamps. Hence almost all my posts are purely based on research on the internet. I have tried to cross check the info before posting here. Please do share correct info and links to the same in case of discrepancy. 

India Post has a very strong network reaching deep deep into the interiors of the country and I depended on it for news from home when we were posted in far away places.  In this age of smartphones, Internet, how many of us really write letters – snail mail as they are now called? Despite this , I find that new stamps are being issued and we have stamps on diverse topics including Armed Forces, Films, Personalities, Wildlife, Handlooms, Handicrafts and so on.. It is amazing!

Cassia fistula is also called Golden Shower/ Amaltas/Bahava and is a native species. Its wood is useful but the main attraction are the glorious flowers that hang down in beautiful yellow racemes. The name Golden Shower is most apt. They lead to long green cylindrical pods that turn dark over time. Amalatas are widely planted in gardens and on roadsides. 

C has two very beautiful trees on the stamps. Cassia fistula of the Caesalpiniaceae family and Crateva adansonii of the Capparaceae family.  Here are the two stamps issued in 1981 of denomination 1INR and 50np

The India Postage Stamps website  has a complete catalogue of stamps. Please click the link to see many many wonderful stamps.

Colnect is a comprehensive portal for Stamp collectors. It gives detailed information about every listed stamp.  Click here for detailed info about Stamps – what is a stamp, types, formats, water marks, perforations and much more. 

Do visit tomorrow for some more beautiful plants on stamps. 

Till then, Take Care and Stay Happy!