Rainy Day Flowers

Lutki. Photo: Ihtisham Kabir

The other day I was in the Botanical Garden in Mirpur. I wandered looking for birds to photograph, but the rainy season had put a damper on their activities. As I walked under some tall casuarinas trees thinking what a fruitless day it had been, a man approached me.
He was hesitant. “Excuse me, may I say something?” he said. I nodded. “It would be a shame if you did not photograph the lotuses. They love the rain and are blooming all over the lotus pond.”
The lotus pond was out of the way, so I made a detour to see it. Indeed, there were dozens of lotuses with large pink petals abloom on the pond. As I took photographs, the sky darkened and a wind blew twisting the petals into unexpected patterns. It was a memorable scene; I mentally thanked the stranger.
Most of the colourful and showy flowers of our country arrive during spring and early summer. I imagine the timing has to do with the seeds being ready for the rainy season. By the time monsoon arrives, summer's florid spectacle has all but disappeared. Occasionally, late blooming sonalu and krishnachura endure through the torrents, but they are the exception not the rule.
We think of the rainy season in terms of green. However, it brings its own bounty of flowers, including the lotus as well as some favourite flowers of my childhood.
One such flower is the lowly lutki. A small and fairly useless shrub, lutki grows in small numbers year-round on edges of paddy fields and unused land. But during the rains they grow tall and spread and the flowers blossom in profusion. Their combination of purple petals and bright yellow stamens is stunning. To spend a few minutes in a field of lutki surrounded by colour is a magical experience.
Lutki is sometimes called “Blue Tongue” because the fruit of the plant contains a bluish-purple dye. After eating the edible fruit one's tongue turns a deep blue.
Many aquatic plants which persevere patiently through the year find new life with the rains. I see shapla or water lilies in many places. They come in several colours including purple, pink and white (our national flower.) Some confuse shapla with lotus – however, the latter usually has wider and larger petals with a central pod.
A smaller aquatic flower, called chandmala, or water snowflake, also blooms in the rain and often sprinkles the surface of ponds and lakes like snowflakes.
The much-maligned kochuripana (water hyacinth) flourishes at this time. It is a South American native that was introduced here (and elsewhere) for ornamental reasons. It is known to grow quickly, harbour mosquitoes and clog waterways. Compared to my childhood, I don't see much water hyacinth today. I have noticed farmers using the plant for compost and mulch which may explain their reduction.
Many other flowers – including madhobilata, rongon and cherry flower – also love the rains. The ever popular hibiscus blooms year-round, but does particularly well this season.
So when you are out enjoying the green beauty of this season, check out the flowers, too.

www.facebook.com/tangents.ikabir