Saussurea obvallata (Candolle) Schultz Bipontinus, Linnaea. 19: 331. 1846
FAMILY:Asteraceae
NAME: Brahmakamal
DESCRIPTION:A small perennial herb growing up to 60 cm high. Stems erect, ribbed, hollow, usually purplish to reddish brown. Leaves are both basal and cauline; basal leaves are rosulate, petiolate, elliptic-spathulate or lanceolate, 10 – 25 × 1 – 5.5 cm, sightly broadened and sheathing at base, denticulate- cuspidate and scarious at margins, acute to obtuse or cuspidate at apex. Inflorescences with 2 to many discoid capitula, terminal, enclosed by creamy white or pale yellow involucriform bracts. Florets are bisexual. Corolla is tubular with linear-lanceolate lobes, bluish purple or violet. Cypselae are oblong or obovoid with white pappus, pale creamy, brown or greyish.
Phenology(Fl & Frt.): July – September.
Saussurea obvallata by Schultz Bipontinus precedes the currently accepted Saussurea obvallata Edgeworth (Trans. Linn. Soc. London 20: 76. Aug 1846) by one month and hence is used as correct name
Saussurea obvallata, Brahmakamal, Captured at Hemkund sahib
DISTRIBUTION *
Saussurea (BrahmaKamal) is the state flower of Uttarakhand. It is an endemic herb of the Himalayan region sporadically found from Pakistan To Bhutan at an altitude range of 3000–4800m. In Uttarakhand, BrahmaKamal is found in the regions of Kedarnath, the Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib and Tungnath. It can be seen in its full glory at the Valley of flowers/ Hemkund Sahib during mid-monsoon (July– August) when flowers bloom amongst the rocks and grasses of the hillside. Flower heads are purple, hidden from view in layers of yellowish- green papery bracts, which provide protection from the cold mountain environment. The flowers can be seen till mid-October, after which the plant perishes, becoming visible again in April.
Brahmakamal plant holds immense sacred value in the Himalayan region of Uttarkhand where it is mostly found . Due to its spiritual significance it is offered to Lord Vishnu at Badrinath shrine and Lord Shiva at Kedarnath shrine. In September/October, during the festival of Nanda Ashtami, Brahma Kamal is offered in temples and also distributed as ‘prasada’.
[Section contains excerpts from research article by Manu Pant and Prabhakar Semwal. Entire aticle can be accessed here]
IDENTITY ARGUMENTS
Brahma Kamal is a plant of mythological importance.Though no direct references to it are seen in the Vedas, there is legendary and spiritual folk associated with it. Brahma Kamal in brief refers to Kamal (lotus) of Brahma. Regarding this legend there are two possibilities.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum plant is native to Sri lanka (Kaduphul), and is distributed through India from low lands of Maharashtra to Uttarakhand. Its a cactus which is supposed to bloom rarely at night (hence also known as orchid cactus, since orchids bloom at night) and its this rare property which has associated with the legendary Brahmakamal.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, false BrahmaKamal, leaves (src: wikipedia)
MEDICINAL USES
S.obovallata is useful medicine to treat fevers. The entire plant is crushed and juice is given in dose of 50ml 2 times a day Due to its bitter nature it is an excellent liver tonic and great appetiser. Soup made from this plant help cut down liver inflammations and also increase blood. Plant juice is useful to treat urinary disorders. It clears recurrent urinary tract infections and an excellent medicine for sexually transmitted diseases. The flowers, rhizomes and leaves are used for treatment of bone ache, intestinal ailments, cough/cold and urinary tract problems. The rhizomes in particular are used as antiseptic and for healing cuts and bruises. In the Tibetan system of medicine, the plant is used in the treatment of paralysis of limbs and cerebral ischaema.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Due to its mythological importance & legend associated with fulfillment of wished , this rare plant is injudiciously picked by travellers and locals which has made its numbers decline at alarming late to such an extent that once abundant in Valley of flowers now hardly any plants can be seen. People uproot the entire plant and take it to their homes in a hope that it will flower completely disregarding common sense that a high altitude plant like Sassurea would never survive at the plains. Due to such illicit means of picking, constraints in conservation due to uncontrolled construction of settlements in ecosensitive area, an unchecked booming tourism with complete lack of planning and management has made this plant “critically endangered” and is deemed as prone to extinction which means in coming years we may not see this elusive plant in the wild.
FAMILY:Asteraceae
NAME: Brahmakamal
DESCRIPTION:A small perennial herb growing up to 60 cm high. Stems erect, ribbed, hollow, usually purplish to reddish brown. Leaves are both basal and cauline; basal leaves are rosulate, petiolate, elliptic-spathulate or lanceolate, 10 – 25 × 1 – 5.5 cm, sightly broadened and sheathing at base, denticulate- cuspidate and scarious at margins, acute to obtuse or cuspidate at apex. Inflorescences with 2 to many discoid capitula, terminal, enclosed by creamy white or pale yellow involucriform bracts. Florets are bisexual. Corolla is tubular with linear-lanceolate lobes, bluish purple or violet. Cypselae are oblong or obovoid with white pappus, pale creamy, brown or greyish.
Phenology(Fl & Frt.): July – September.
Saussurea obvallata by Schultz Bipontinus precedes the currently accepted Saussurea obvallata Edgeworth (Trans. Linn. Soc. London 20: 76. Aug 1846) by one month and hence is used as correct name
DISTRIBUTION *
Saussurea (BrahmaKamal) is the state flower of Uttarakhand. It is an endemic herb of the Himalayan region sporadically found from Pakistan To Bhutan at an altitude range of 3000–4800m. In Uttarakhand, BrahmaKamal is found in the regions of Kedarnath, the Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib and Tungnath. It can be seen in its full glory at the Valley of flowers/ Hemkund Sahib during mid-monsoon (July– August) when flowers bloom amongst the rocks and grasses of the hillside. Flower heads are purple, hidden from view in layers of yellowish- green papery bracts, which provide protection from the cold mountain environment. The flowers can be seen till mid-October, after which the plant perishes, becoming visible again in April.
Brahmakamal plant holds immense sacred value in the Himalayan region of Uttarkhand where it is mostly found . Due to its spiritual significance it is offered to Lord Vishnu at Badrinath shrine and Lord Shiva at Kedarnath shrine. In September/October, during the festival of Nanda Ashtami, Brahma Kamal is offered in temples and also distributed as ‘prasada’.
[Section contains excerpts from research article by Manu Pant and Prabhakar Semwal. Entire aticle can be accessed here]
IDENTITY ARGUMENTS
Brahma Kamal is a plant of mythological importance.Though no direct references to it are seen in the Vedas, there is legendary and spiritual folk associated with it. Brahma Kamal in brief refers to Kamal (lotus) of Brahma. Regarding this legend there are two possibilities.
- Brahma is represented in drawings as been sitting on a pink flower resembling lotus , the national flower of India. Hence many claim Lotus to be Brahma kamal. Lotus is identified botanically as Nelumbo nucifera. This theory s often discarded as the lotus plant on which Lord Brahma is supposed to be sitting is sprouted from belly of Lord Vishnu and hence cannot be associated with Lord Brahma.
- Lord Brahma himself is represented as holding a flower in one of his four hands. This flower is colored white and is taken as the true BrahmaKamal. However the picture does not depict which associative species the flower may belong to.
- The rare Himalayan plant, Saussurea obvallata (Candolle) Schultz
- Night blooming Epiphyllum oxypetalum (DC.) Haworth .
- The Mahabharata gives a reference to Draupadi who sent Bhima in quest to find an evening blooming lotus , a sight of which made her forget her immense grief of insult at the court of Kauravas. Bhima while on his quest met Hanumana who guided him towards this plant in highland Himalayas.
- The legend of birth of Lord Ganesha depicts that as soon as the elephant head was transplanted by Lord Shiva ,Lord Ganesha was bathed with the water sprinkled from BrahmaKamal, the plant given to Lord Shiva by Lord Brahma himself to bestow life on Lord Ganesha.
- It is also believed that on the revival of Lakshmana using Sanjeevani, the Gods showered BrahmaKamal from heaven in celebration near the area from where Hanumana lifted the sacred mountain , an area currently associated with the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand state of India.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum plant is native to Sri lanka (Kaduphul), and is distributed through India from low lands of Maharashtra to Uttarakhand. Its a cactus which is supposed to bloom rarely at night (hence also known as orchid cactus, since orchids bloom at night) and its this rare property which has associated with the legendary Brahmakamal.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, false BrahmaKamal, Flower (src: wikipedia)
MEDICINAL USES
S.obovallata is useful medicine to treat fevers. The entire plant is crushed and juice is given in dose of 50ml 2 times a day Due to its bitter nature it is an excellent liver tonic and great appetiser. Soup made from this plant help cut down liver inflammations and also increase blood. Plant juice is useful to treat urinary disorders. It clears recurrent urinary tract infections and an excellent medicine for sexually transmitted diseases. The flowers, rhizomes and leaves are used for treatment of bone ache, intestinal ailments, cough/cold and urinary tract problems. The rhizomes in particular are used as antiseptic and for healing cuts and bruises. In the Tibetan system of medicine, the plant is used in the treatment of paralysis of limbs and cerebral ischaema.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Due to its mythological importance & legend associated with fulfillment of wished , this rare plant is injudiciously picked by travellers and locals which has made its numbers decline at alarming late to such an extent that once abundant in Valley of flowers now hardly any plants can be seen. People uproot the entire plant and take it to their homes in a hope that it will flower completely disregarding common sense that a high altitude plant like Sassurea would never survive at the plains. Due to such illicit means of picking, constraints in conservation due to uncontrolled construction of settlements in ecosensitive area, an unchecked booming tourism with complete lack of planning and management has made this plant “critically endangered” and is deemed as prone to extinction which means in coming years we may not see this elusive plant in the wild.
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