I was told this is Brahmakamal (Saussurea obvallata) – a rare flowering plant, found in the Himalayas.
Night Blooming Cereus
Photographer: My camera phone
So yesterday night we had gathered around the white magnificent flower and enjoyed its full bloom and its heady fragrance for few hours.
We are supposed to get rich!!
We are supposed to have a shower of blessings!!
To find out all the myths and lores I went to surf the net and found that it is not Brahmakamal but Queen of the Night – cactus – Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum). In Maharashtra at least there is misconception about this plant being Brahmakamal.
But it is not that rare plant and flowers once a year(?) unlike Brahmakamal which is said to flower once in 14 years!
Looks are indeed deceptive here!
Does this flower belongs to waterlily family? No, not.
The inmates inside the flower’s own design cave kingdom!
The small plant in a pot
Now after busting the myth of Brahmakamal the million dollor question is: Am I still going to be rich?
But I did feel blessed by its serene white beauty!
(If you want to know more about flowers of India I strongly recommend this site.)
This is not Brahma Kamal this is Epiphyllum oxypetalum, a kind of succulent commonly known as Dutchman’s pipe. You can read about it here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyllum_oxypetalum.
Brahma Kamal’s scientific name is Saussurea obvallata you can read about it here: http://www.flowersofindia.in/catalog/slides/Brahma%20Kamal.html
This is not Brahmakamal. It is ” Nishagandhi” and is common in Kerala too.
hi this is ajit i have 2 Bramakamal flower once a week in rainy season this year…
Regards
Ajit
i am deepak I had 2 Brahma Kamal flowers blooming will be soon in my house and it was magnificent to watch them blooming and felt blessed.
It’s been take 2 years now first time i see these flowers blooming.so iam very happy
hi
this is anand frm banglore n today bhrama kamal flower has blossomed and i look great… n i felt like wow….
Last night, on the 4th of August, 2011, me and my family devoured the splendour of this gorgeous flower. What a sight! The pictures now adorn my facebook wall 🙂 Bramhakamal or not, it was a memorable experience 🙂
yesterday 5.8.2011… at my place 20 flower bloomed and it was awesome to watch it was so beautiful that have no words to say……. just great
This flower bloomed in my house on 1st August 2011, though I missed seeing it as I was away, my wife and daughter saw it and they were so mismerised with what they saw,my wife says it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, and its fragrance was lovely. They say it is a lucky flower,naturally because it is a rare flower and blooms rarely, and also it seems it brings in lot of luck. But i thank God, that it gave my family a blissful sighting of a rare and lucky flower.
yes!!!!!!!!!!!two flowers bloomed at my place on 29.7 and 1 on 30.07. & really it was very pleasant for our eyes and heart, very touching and the happiness which our fly experienced i can not express it in words. it has to be experienced by oneself. The fragrance jo dilko choo gayi. Hum to saathve asmaan par the.
It was my bday yesterday (30.7.2011)…….when i realized the flower had bloomed……..It was the best site to see and the feeling of havn it on my bday was like being gifted my lord bhrama……….Feeling very lucky