THE last few weeks have been replete with so much jungle-walking that my city-locked soul is on a green high
THE last few weeks have been replete with so much jungle-walking that my city-locked soul is on a green high. A virtual friend from Nagpur, Dr Abheek Ghosh, who shares my craze for wildlife, decided that it was time we met and stepped into the jungle for an early monsoon hike. The same week, my interns and I had an opportunity to lead a bunch of 20 enthusiastic adults and children on a nature trail. On both occasions, we headed to my favourite green haven, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The Crinum latifolium, also known as the Milk and Wine Lily
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It goes without saying that on both occasions our visitors were awestruck by the variety of taxon groups (creatures) we sighted and documented in this city forest. The list included rare and common members of plants, insects, reptiles and birds. There were lush leaves on almost every tree, which less than a month ago, were dry and barren. The dry leaves, strewn all over the place, were now mulch. While the ants, crabs, grasshoppers, dragonflies and butterflies were ensuring that the visitors were amazed with their antics, the real star of both the walks was the fresh monsoon flora. There was grasses, herbs, climbers and seasonal plants en masse. For the writer in me, basically, they were stories waiting to be written.
Even among all the diverse plants that popped their heads out, the highlight was the mildly fragrant Milk and Wine Lily (Crinum latifolium). The sighting took me back to my early student days in the mid 1980s, when a young college lecturer, (Late) Dr Bina Vithalani, had introduced me to this early monsoon emergent. But this time, I was literally jumping with joy when I saw their lush, strappy, ribbon-like leaves and the dainty buds and flowers in various states of blossom. A little up the path there were around 30-40 lily plants turning the rocky, leaf-strewn slope into an aesthetic canvas. Although I am generally averse to poetry, the first reference that crossed my mind was that of Daffodils by William Wordsworth.
The participants were infected by my excitement and their curiosity about the Crinum Lily was reflected by the large number of digital photos everyone clicked. I elucidated that for a true forest lover, the Crinum Lily cannot escape anyone’s bucket list. Belonging to the Family Amaryllidaceae (lilies), Crinum is a genus with over 180 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps and along streams and lakes. Due to their perennial nature, development from bulbs, large showy flowers emerging on leafless stems and tolerance to water, they grow extensively in gardens and aquariums.
The alternate wine pink and white stripes on the Crinum Lily flowers give it the apt common name, Milk and Wine lily. The Crinum Latifolium is one of the earliest plants that pops its head out with the first few showers and grow in a rosette pattern. The five or more flowers are borne above the strappy foliage on a metre-long stalk. The mildly fragrant flowers are visited by honey and carpenter bees and the petals are relished by Blister beetles. Besides its ecological and aesthetic beauty, the milk and wine lily is sought for its wide-ranging medical applications, viz. strengthening our immune system, and used to protect against urinary tract infections. Traditionally, Crinum latifolium bulbs were used to treat rheumatism, fistulas, tumours, tubercles and whitlow, and the juice extracted from leaves used for treating earache.
The blossoms of the Crinum latifolium subside sooner than they arrive, but their beauty lingers in your inner-eye to relish in solitude. But, rest assured, from July to September, half a dozen lily species will compete to replace the wild lunacy the Milk and Wine Lily may have caused.
Write in to Anand at sproutsenvttrust@gmail.com
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