Amla for health

The Indian gooseberry, Amla Emblica officinalis is one of the important ingredients of Chyavan prash, a health giving tonic of Ayurveda. The fruit is loaded with vitamin C. The fruit are somewhat sour to bitter, but their health giving properties make them a perpetual favourite in India. The fruit ripen in winter. Pickle, jam, and morabba are made from them. They are good for the skin, hair and eyes, besides being a powerful anti oxidant.

Green wild flowers

 I came across these wild flowers in the IIT campus in Mumbai. They are greenish in colour, papery to the touch and grow on a wild vine. There were abundant flowers on the vine.
I would like to know the name of this wild flower of the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats- a World Heritage Site

 The Western Ghats are a series of heavily wooded mountain ranges along the west coast of India. They are one of the 18 bio-diversity hot spots on earth. Besides being home to tigers, leopards, elephants, bison and different birds and insects, this region is also  home to thousands of plants some of which grow nowhere else,

 This giant Barleria flowers once in eight years.

Older than the Himalayas, the Western Ghats are the fountain of life for the Indian peninsula. They control the weather pattern, the rainfall in the subcontinent. Many of the life giving rivers of India begin their journey here. Recently, the Western Ghats were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was welcomed by naturalists, environmentalists and nature lovers, but vehemently opposed by the mining lobby and other vested interests. I hope these beautiful cloud forests will thrive.

Pineapple Orchid

One of the most spectacular orchids that grow in the wild is the Pineapple orchid Dendrobium multiflorum. It is a native of Meghalaya, a state in the Northeast. The plant has pseudo bulbs. The flowers bloom in April-May, clinging to tall woodland trees. The flowers are golden yellow , with orange-yellow centres.These orchids need a cool and humid climate to flourish.

Guava- the Health giver.

 The guava flower looks  delicate and beautiful.

The guava fruit is rich in vitamin C and fibre, besides having many other health giving qualities. The seeds of the guava fruit can cause stomach problems.
Although the guava is a native of the Americas, it has naturalised itself in India, so that it is hard to believe that it is not a native plant. Its fruit is used to make jellies and jams and juices. Its leaves are used in folk medicine to get rid of head lice.

Wood Rose

The Wood Rose Argyreia nervosa is a native of India, although it is commonly called Hawaiian Baby Wood Rose. The plant is a cousin of the Morning glory, and its flowers resemble the morning glory flowers. It is only when they are fertilized, that they form the beautiful rose-like seed pods.
I found the vine growing wild on my walk recently. I was enchanted by the woody, rose shaped seed pods.
The flower itself is not as attractive as its cousin the ipomea.

The roots of this plant are used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Green Ice Crossandra

The rare aquamarine flowers of the Green Ice Crossandra Ecbolium ligustrium are called Neelambari in Kannada. It is also known as the Green Shrimp Plant. This wild flower is found in the slopes of the Western Ghats. I found this rare plant in the Campus of IIT Bombay, in Mumbai, which still boasts of some wild patches of forestland.

Tribal medicine men use theleaves of this plant to make a decoction for alleviating fever. The root is used in rheumatism.