Shoe flower:

The versatile flower

Manoj DISSANAYEKE

Shoe flower is popularly known as Vada or Sapattu Mala in Sinhala. Vada was defined as 'punishment (execution of head)

 given for criminals' in ancient Sri Lankan administration. The flower was used to be worn by criminals on their way to the execution. Apart from this ancient system, the flower has no known bad botanical or biological effect on environment.

Shoe flower, in its English or European context, is used to make shoe polish. Various types of painting colours can also be created by shoe flower. It is used for background colours on many purposes due to its vast colour range.

Some people have a tendency to rub the flower petals on the shoe to get it polished. Hawaiians use this flower to colour hair. This plant is used for many other alternative products too.

It was first grown in Asia, and was spread vast throughout Europe. It is also used to decorate the gardens of luxurious

 residencies. Countries such as England, America, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, and Hawaii are engaged in shoe flower plantation. Although it is not used as a cut flower, it is widely used as a garden beautifier. Plantation is not much difficult, but graphing is best advised. It is observed everywhere except in cold climates.

Hibiscus is another name for the shoe flower; they are mainly seen in China. The Chinese hibiscus is an evergreen shrub native to East Asia.

It is also known as China rose. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics.

The flowers are large, red, firm, but lack any scent. Numerous varieties, cultivars and hybrids are available, with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals.

Despite their size and red hues attractive to hectar-feeding birds, they are not visited regularly by hummingbirds when grown in the Neotropics. Generalist (like Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Amazilia lactea) or long-billed species (like Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Heliomaster squamosus) may occasionally be seen to visit it however. In the subtropical and temperate Americas, hummingbirds are attracted to them on a regular basis.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia, called Bunga Raya in Malay, sembaruthi in Tamil and mamdaram in Telugu. The flowers are used to shine shoes in parts of India, as well as for the worship of Devi.

The writer is an Agriculture instructor at Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.

Bio Data

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: Rosidae

(unranked) Eurosids II

Order: Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Genus: Hibiscus

Species: H. rosa-sinensis

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A poster on the Butterflies of Sri Lanka and South India

Janath BALASOORIYA

Jetwing Eco Holidays, one of the leading wildlife tour operators in Sri Lanka, has recently published another addition under its 'Publishing for Conservation' banner, an A1 size poster on the Butterflies of Sri Lanka and South India. This poster illustrates in colour 132 of the 243 species of Butterflies and Skippers in Sri Lanka. It has names in all three languages, making it an easy to use reference guide for those interested in butterflies.

Jet wing Eco Holidays has published many books and posters in an effort to make it possible for a wider audience to learn about wildlife at a 'species level'. This poster complements a series of posters and booklets on the Butterflies of Sri Lanka, and is complete with beautiful colour images of the different species, with names given in Latin, English, Sinhala and Tamil. The photographs are by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, the CEO of Jetwing Eco Holidays, who along with Jetwing and the tourism industry is on a mission to create one million wildlife enthusiasts in Sri Lanka by the year 2025. Free downloads of the poster in a pdf format is available at www.jetwingeco.com. The poster is useful for school children as it will be an easy way of introducing them to the many different varieties of butterflies in their surroundings. Its captivating and attractive colours make it ideal for use as a wall poster.

The poster comes pre-folded in an A4 size so that it can easily be added to a book collection on the shelf or carried around in a backpack. However, it opens up into an A1 size (equal to eight sheets of A4) and so can easily be used in the field to identify the different species of butterflies and skippers. This poster will help in butterfly conservation, as the more educated the public is about butterflies, the more they will realize their importance. Children can hang the poster in their bedrooms, and it can even be displayed in an office environment. It shows in beautiful detail the variety and abundance of wildlife in the country.

The printed edition of the poster is available at Barefoot, ODEL, Vijitha Yapa Bookshop - Kohuwala, Lake House Bookshop - Hyde Park Corner, and M.D. Gunasena - Pettah, Rohans Bookshop - Liberty Plaza, Kiyavana Nuwana - Nugegoda and Sarasavi Bookshop - Nugegoda.

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Green fingers:

Childhood friend

Ravindu MAHENDRA

Once upon a time in my childhood, I remember me running around and playing hide and seek with my cousins in my grand mother's coconut estate. I was hiding by the fence and waiting for others to find me, all of a sudden my eyes stopped in front of a magnificent bunch of flowers. They took my mind off the game I was playing and I became completely lost in the beauty. Strikingly beautiful brilliant yellow wavy- edge and crimson flame-like petals were basking in the glory of mellow morning sunshine.

Not only flowers, but there were a few immature buds also awaiting to open up on an unusual twining vine that had tendrils formed at the tips of mild green leaves. In bud it held pale green petals hanging downwards.

It felt pointless showing these staggeringly beautiful angels to my cousins as they were still in 'hide and seek' mood so I called my mother. I knew for sure that she would be the first person on this earth to understand my insanity about plants and flowers so I was expecting her to feel the same as I did.

It didn't surprise me at all when she knew the name of the flower.

"That is 'Niyagala'! There are lots of legends about this flower. It is absolutely beautiful but the tubers underneath the ground are deadly poisonous. In the past, even now, people eat them when they want to commit suicide. Please keep away from it."

"Why are they poisonous?" I asked.

"That's how mother nature looks after and protects them," she said. I felt a bit down but didn't want to give up. "But don't you think these flowers are also innocent as any other flower?" I cried.

"Well ..... They are magnificent with no doubt. I used to paint them when I was a school girl. They are irresistibly beautiful and I know how you feel. Please be aware, ok?" My mother said in a sharp tone.

"Ok Amma .... I'll be extra careful, but don't you think they would look great among the other flowers in our front garden? Shall we take a little plant home?"

"It would look great but you don't seem to understand what I'm saying. Why take a chance? We've got lots of other plants and flowers to appreciate."

I realised that there was no way of convincing her to fall in love with Niyagala flower the way I had. (I knew she loved it but was careful about me dealing with a well known poisonous plant). However, I managed to take a little plantlet home and looked after it carefully. Unluckily it didn't grow well. Perhaps it didn't like my fussing.

From time to time, when we were visiting grandmother, I made a habit of going and visiting where the Niyagala used to grow. As I grew older the Niyagala population started to disappear in front of my eyes and I found out that village people kept destroying the 'evil' wild monster despite the fact of its beauty. "Why and how could they do that... Those plants would not walk in to people's tummies. Even cows avoid eating them when they eat grass, so what is the big deal?" My little mind kept questioning me.

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Shoot for fun 'n' fame

"Hmm... Very interesting reading material. These reading glasses that I borrowed not only look good on a cool dude like me but are useful when one becomes a bit short sighted - not that age has anything to do with it. All the better to see you with my dear..."

Engaged in higher studies! Sources revealed that Smokey the German shepherd is going to sit for his PhD soon, specialising on '101 methods to chase cats'.

Sent by Shari Atukorala

Words by Ruwini J.