The butterfly Pea, Clitoria ternatea, is a wild flower which one encounters on walks in the woods. It has two colours, white and blue. There is a single and a double variety too. It is called Shankha Pushpa ( conch flower) in Sanskrit and Kannada.
The roots of the butterfly pea are used for curing whooping cough in children. The blue flowers are used as a food dye. The extract from plant is known to have anti oxidant properties. The flowers are used in Ayurveda to enhance memory and sharpen the intelligence.
The Shankha Pushpa is the favourite flower of Ganesha, the Hindu god of success.
Hello lotus leaf, I think we have this plant here too. I have seen them in bushes before... the blue one and snapped a photo. I have to dig my album to have a look later. But, I don't remember the white one. Also, good to know that the blue one is used as a food dye ;-) Next time I see the flower, I would be thinking of you.
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