7 Unusual Flower Species in India!

There is no limit in describing the varieties found in trees, plants, flowers, creatures, etc. for a specific country, as there are unlimited wonders all around the world! 

But being an Indian, all the unique and rare varieties of natural elements around me had always made my mind curious. It seems like as I love to explore, nature helps me in my journey by providing more and more topics to scout!

 As it's found that around 6% of all flower species are present in India. So, I have shortlisted some of the unique blossoms from all over India and here is a list of 7 unusual flower species found in India:

1. PURPLE PASSION

Purple Passion flowers are called Passiflora Incarnata by scientists. The other common names for this unusual flower are maypop, true passion flower, wild passion vine and wild apricot.

The exotic flower species has various medicinal uses and were used as herbal medicines by the Europeans, in the past plus are believed to help in insomnia, hypertension and anxiety too. The flowers were also used for the cure of neuralgia, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, burns and dysmenorrhoea. The passion flower fruits have a pleasant smell and are used in making desserts, jams and jellies. Moreover, fruits are also used as essential flavouring agents in various drinks. Hummingbirds, carpenter bees and bumblebees are the common pollinators.

2. JADE VINE

Jade Vine is scientifically named Strongylodon macrobotrys, also called emerald vine or turquoise jade vine. This unique flower species looks amazing and is always a sort of attraction for flower lovers and nature lovers out there! 

The flower plants are generally used as ornamentals and are planted in gardens just because of their showy flowers. The shiny turquoise colour and the unusual claw-shaped flowers hung in a bunch( it appears like a pendent) looks stunning! There are around 75 flowers in a single pendant and reaches up to 3 m in length. The flowers can be sighted at the Cubbon Park (Bengaluru, Karnataka), Tukai Exotics and the Enchanted Gardens ( Pune, Maharashtra).

3. LONG FLOWERED SPIDER LILY

Long Flowered Spider Lilies are scientifically named Hymenocallis littoralis. As it's clear from their appearance, they are called spider lilies because of the long tentacle-like parts which make them look like a spider. The large white coloured Spider Lilies are vanilla scented and look extremely exotic!

Spider lilies come under the category of rare flower species and are native to Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras and Colombia. The blossoms are found in Hawaii, Mauritius, Zambia, The Philippines, Angola, India, Sri Lanka and some other parts of the world.

4. WOODROW'S CRINUM LILY

Woodrow's Crinum Lily is scientifically called Crinum Woodrowii, but it wasn't called by this name at once!

There is an interesting story behind the discovery of this unique flower species. In 2004, in Vasai, Maharashtra, the Crinum Lilies were rediscovered (as they were thought to be extinct) and shot on camera by Dinesh Valke. Some buds as samples were plucked by botanist G.M.Woodrow in Mahabaleshwar. He sent them to Kew, England, where it was recognized as a new species and was named Crinum Brachynema. But soon the blooms were renamed as the Crinum Woodrowii. The flowers are native to Kate's Point, Satara District, Mahabaleshwar in India.

The large white coloured flowers with long and striped petals are basically used as ornamentals. The scented and attractive Crinum lilies are also used for commercial purposes like in perfume and pharmaceutical companies.

5. KAKABEAK

This flower species with an extremely rare look is scientifically known as the Clianthus. It's commonly called Kakabeak and other popular names are parrot's beak, parrot's bill and the lobster claw. 

Now you might be wondering why this flower is named after parrots! Let's find out the reason behind: 

The Kakabeaks are originally native to New Zealand. The bunch of striking red flowers closely resembles the beak of a New Zealand's parrot, Kaka. If you find a Kakabeak in a forest then undoubtedly you will sight a Kaka, parrot too, as they live in the same forests. It is found that the beautiful flowers were used for gifting and trading purposes in the past. The flowers produce an ample amount of nectar and are the favourite of the nectar loving birds like tui and others. Bees and butterflies are attracted towards the flowers and are the major known pollinators of Kakabeaks. 

6. TITAN ARUM

The Titan Arum flowers are scientifically entitled the Amorphophallus titanum. It's considered the largest unbranched blossom in the whole world! The flower is also known as the corpse flower or corpse plant because of its bad odour. The Titan Arum flowers smell like rotten meat that attracts insects that feed on dead animals or rotten meat. The meaty smell and the red petals in bloomed flowers which gives them a look of a piece of meat, result in attracting flesh flies, carrion-eating beetles and other similar insects.

As it's evident from the image the blossoms reach up to giant- sizes. In May 2013, at the Botanical Gardens Bonn, Germany, the tallest Titan Arum flower was recorded as 3.20 metres in height, that's incredible!

7. Flame Lily

The stunning blossoms with flamy petals are commonly known as the Flame Lilies. Native to tropical and southern Africa and Asia, the lilies are found in the Pacific and Australia as well. In India, the Flame Lilies are found in the Western Ghats. It's also popular with other names such as fire lily, glory lily, superb lily, gloriosa lily and creeping lily. 

Flame lilies are the national flower of Zimbabwe! The flower looks so stunning that a diamond brooch in the shape of fire lily was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II (crown princess of that time) when she visited Zimbabwe in 1947! The flower is also the state flower of Tamil Nadu (the state in India). It's also considered the state flower of Eelam which is the Tamil- dominant region of Sri Lanka.

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Flowers always make us happy and sometimes amazed too! It's said that they make sad ones happy and happy ones happier. Blossoms are one of the most beautiful gifts of mother nature to us! I think it's well said that

"Open the bloom of your heart and become a gift of beauty to the world."

– Bryant McGill

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