A khatta-meetha take on life around me through my presbiopic eyes!
Author: Archana
Once a Physiotherapist now a Wordsmith. Field Botanist. Bonsai. Proud Indian. Fauji Wife. Doting Mother and Mother-in-law. Devoted Grandmother. Reluctant Cook. Happiest on a road less travelled. 60s are the new 40s ;-)
Todays tree is unusal species in Pune .. TheFicus natalensiswhich is a non native and lives in a public park. It has triangular leaves with a typical forked vein.
This tree seems to be dancing.. either it has multiple branches right from the base or more than one sapling was planted together.
Either way, it has a dramatic effect!
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!
Moha aka Madhuca longifolia of the Sapotaceae family is an economically important tree . An indigenous species that provides sustenance to many especially those living in forests.
Here are a few images of the dry flowers and those growing on the tree.
This year I managed to source dry flowers and used them to make salads and Puran Poli.
I had a different tree in mind for todays post but I just read Parul’s TTL 132 post and decided to share some plants from my home balcony garden.
To be more specific, three plants that are so called ‘cousins’.
They belong to the same Genus of Malpighia but the specific epithet is different. Hence they are different species. I am growing them to be Bonsai and they do grow as trees in Nature.
They all belong to the family Malpighiaceae and you can see the distinct flower similarity. The frilly flowers are very pretty but not fragrant. The three plants I am sharing all have simple opposite leaves.
I spied this tree (trees) as we were leaving a parking space. The Neem tree had a Peepal growing on it and the two seemed very happy together.. But will the Ficus eventually overpower the Neem?
As the mango season ends, its time for yet another fruit to capture our food senses! The Jamun or Syzygium cumini of the Myrtaceae family is available in plenty in June-July as the Alphonso harvest comes to an end.
The tree has just finished flowering and that is how it finds a place in my TTL post. The unique flowers are hidden among the glossy green leaves.
Jamun fruits are typically sold on hand carts in Pune
The fruit is delicate and crushes easily. Monsoon showers bring down some fruit that then colours it purple. Expert tree climbers are required to pluck the fruit from the trees. The fruit has a sharp taste and stains the mouth when eaten. It will also stain clothes if one is clumsy when eating!
Jamun is not among my favourite fruit but those who do like it are its dedicated fans!
Have you seen the Jamun tree? Do you like Jamuns?
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over for some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!
Despite my best efforts at trying to resolve commenting issues on this blog, some of you, dear readers, may find it difficult to share your thoughts. Please click here to leave your comments . I would love to hear from you. Thank you for your patience!
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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!
The Zoological Survey of India was set up in 1916 and India Post issued a commemorative stamp to celebrate its centenary year. With a denomination of 25 INR, it depicts a dense forest and wildlife therein. It may not strictly match my theme, but then, today is the last post, and Z is a difficult alphabet … I am sure you will love this stamp and accept my choice! 🙂
In the same vein, here is a 1990- issued stamp of denomination 2 INR about the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It shows blades of Wheat. Wheat is an important crop in the country and our diet. Wheat is Triticum aestivumof the Poaceae family.
In 2002, on the occasion of the “8th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, New Delhi: Mangroves” four stamps with images of four different Magrove species were issued. And I do find a couple of Z there!
😉
Jokes apart, I thought it is important to include Mangroves considering the threats they currently face. The four species are Brugeria gymnorrhiza, Sonneratia alba, Nypa fruiticans and Rhizophora mucronata.
Brugueria gymnorhizaRhizophora mucronata
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.
This is the last post of the 2022 April AtoZ. Its been great having you here. Thank you one and all for your support and encouragement! I will post details in the Reflections post in a couple of days. Do keep visiting this space. It will be wonderful to hear your thoughts. Stay Happy! Stay Healthy!
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