Tag: Nature’s delights

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Lagerstroemia speciosa


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

Lagerstromia speciosa or Tamhan (aka Jarul) of the Lythraceae family is the state flower of Maharashtra. This native tree is now seen often in gardens and roadsides. The flowers look spectacular with their frilly petals and are a pleasure to watch in the blazing summer. It is the state flower of my state Maharashtra. Its leaves turn a beautiful red before they fall.

Here is the Tamhan from my image collection.

Leaves turn red before they fall

This is  the stamp issued in 1993 is of denomination of 1 INR.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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.  

You can catch up with my previous posts on my 2022AtoZ here.

In addition to the AtoZ, with this post, I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in! I think I am over the commenting issues but if you still face difficulties in sharing your thoughts, please click here to do so. Thanks!!

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!

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Kadamb


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

Kadamb or Neolamarkia cadamba of the Rubiaceae family is a handsome native tree that is said to be Krishna’s favourite. It is often seen in gardens or even planted by the roadsides in Pune. Its branches typically grow in tiers which helps to identify the tree easily. The flowers are unique and resemble furry orange balls.

India Post has issued a commemorative stamp in 1977 of denomination 1INR.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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. 

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!

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Jasmine


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

Jawahar is a hybrid rose variety raised at IARI . Roses belong to the Rosa genus of Rosaceae family and there are many many cultivated varieties. They can be climbers or shrubs and are usually armed. The fruit of the Rose is called Rose Hip but I have never seen it develop here. Rose hips are used to make jams, jellies. In India we use rose petals to make a kind of jam called ‘Gulkand’.

India Post released a postage stamp of the Jawahar rose on Fragrance of Roses in 2007. This is of denomination 5INR. 

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

Jasmine is among my favourite flowers and a huge favourite in India. It will be difficult to find some one who does not like these beautiful fragrant summer blooms. They are used in worship and also strung into small garlands called ‘Gajra’ which women wear in hair. It is but natural to have a stamp of this flower. Jasmine belongs to the Jasminum genus of the Oleaceae family.

India Post has released 2 stamps in 2008 of denomination 15INR and 5INR depicting the Jasmine.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons
Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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.  

You can catch up with my previous posts here.

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!

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Iris – Himalayan Iris


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

The gorgeous Himalayan Iris finds itself on a India Post stamp issued in 2003 of denomination 5INR. It is a native herb of the Iridaceae family and blooms in June, July. Flowers are blue and or violet. 

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

Inula grandiflora of the Asteraceae family with its showy yellow flowers also a commemorative stamp of Himalayan flowers issued in 1982 with denomination of 1INR

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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. 

You can catch up with my previous posts here.

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!

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Haridra


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

Haridra is known to all of us possibly by another name which is Haldi or Turmeric which comes from the Curcuma longa plant of the Zingerberacae family. Its tuber is dried and then processed to make the turmeric powder that is an all-important spice in Indian cuisine. It also has tremendous medicinal value. 

Turmeric leaves are used to wrap various foods like fish, coconut etc and then steamed .This is quite a delicacy and I heavily recommend tasting a turmeric leaf wrapped dish whenever you get the opportunity. Patoli is a sweet dish prepared using these leaves.

India Post released a stamp featuring Turmeric in 1997 of denomination of 5INR. 

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

Here is another beautiful one of the Himalayan Mini Sunflower of denomination 5INR.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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. 

We come on the second weekend of the challenge. So we meet again on Monday 11th April for some more beautiful plants on stamps. 

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Ficus religiosa


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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!





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. 

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Dillenia indica

  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. 

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!

D has a unique flower namely Dillenia indica of the Dilleniaceae family. It is a native tree and the large downward facing fragrant flowers are quite uniquely shaped. Its leaves are very beautiful being dark green, with a serrate margin and deeply impressed veins. While earlier, it is was not very common in Pune, now I see is very often in gardens and even roadsides. 

Here is an image of its leaf and flower from my collection.

Leaf
Flower

Here is the stamp with the lovely Dillenia flower on it. It was issued in 2005 and its denomination is 5 INR. Category: Commemorative (Flora and Fauna of North East India)

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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!

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Bougainvillea

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. 

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!

B was an easy alphabet and India Post has stamps depicting the Butea monosperma, Bauhinia variegata and Bougainvillea glabra. Bougainvillea belong to the Nyctanginaceae family and are climbers. However they can be grown as a hedge and also in pots. In fact, Bougainvillea make excellent Bonsai. 

The species is named after Louis de Bougainvillea, an explorer and Admiral from France who brought this plant to Europe from Brazil. 

1985 had two different stamps commemorative stamps of the Bougainvillea denomination of 50np and 1 INR. Here is one of them.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

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. 

We come up to the first weekend of the blogging challenge. 

See you all on Monday for the alphabet C.

Till then, Take care and Stay Happy!

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Arisaema nepenthoides

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. 

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, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

Without much ado, lets begin.

Arisaema nepenthoides belongs to the Araceae family and grows from tubers. Its flower or Inflorescence is a Spathe that looks like the hood of a cobra. This species grows at 2000-3000m altitude in eastern part of the Himalayan range. It blooms from April -June. 

Other Arisaema varieties grow elsewhere in the country so you may have seen a variety of this plant.

Here is an image of the stamp 

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

India Post has issued a Commemorative stamp under the Theme  Flowers -Plants (Flora) of denomination 5 INR.

Yet another beautiful stamp is of Anacardium occidentale which is Cashew of the Anacardiaceae family.

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

Here is an image of Cashew flowers from my collection

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!

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Fragrance Overload (ThursdayTreeLove)

As the heat increases at this time of the year, our trees and plants burst into new leaves and flowers. This makes every Nature Walk a magical experience for the splendid colours that it dons. Fragrant flowers and the crunch of dry leaves under our feet, add to this multi sensory joyous experience! After the glorious red leaves of Kusumb, the haunting sweet fragrance of Shirish flowers announce the trees’ celebration of a season change. It beckons you to stand below the tree and drown yourself in its sweetness.

In March, on the tekdi, Shirish is among the few trees sprouting green and stands out from a distance
The Flower Up Close.. Pretty and Light and Fragrant!

Shirish goes by the botanical name Albizia lebbeck of the Mimosaceae family. The flowers are curiously shaped and look like a bunch of delicate strands that would wilt if we touch. Greenish white in colour, each ‘flower’ is actually an inflorescence. These turn into broad green fruit that dries to white over the year. At any time, the Shirish always bears these white pods which rattle in the breeze.

Standing under this row of Shirish is a heavenly experince.
Another view of a flower

As luck will have it, I am unable to locate the image of the pods but I will get a new one and upload it here. 🙁

This species grows to a fairly large size and is common as an avenue tree in Pune. At times, it is confused with the Rain Tree (Samanea saman) also of the same family but the flower colour, pods are some of the distinguishing features.

This is the flower of the Rain Tree

Shirish is among my favourite species and in bloom right now. I am sure many of you would have seen it. Enjoy it’s flowering as the tree celebrates a season change.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in.

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