Unique Flowers from Malaysia

Hi ! This month is going to be wonderful month for Indian stamp lovers. Three different set of stamps and Minature sheets have been issued in last fifteen days. Besides the beautiful stamps India Post & PCI have jointly issued a quarterly journal 'Phila Post" on philately which will be available at different Philatelic Bureaues.Here are miniature sheets issued on 12 th & 13th October.Besides these beautiful miniature sheets I have some recently issued nice stamps from Malaysia. Malaysia too have very beautiful & bright colored stamps.There are many varieties of flowers found in Malaysia and there are some species that are attractive and unique due to their special shape or rare fragrance. Most traditional Malay landscape comprise of plants with fragrant flowers, leaves and wood.Have a look to these beautiful unique flowers from Malaysia. Today's Post is going to be very Botancial and taking me back to my subject which I studied in detail during my College days and reminding me of all these terms which we used to study with various kinds of flowers in our Botany Lab. Just don't bother about the botanical terms mentioned in the details given about these lovely flowers just see their beauty and experience its philatelic fragrance.Our sincere thanks to Mr. Shrikant Parikh and V.K. Sabharwal for their contribution. In our regular series 3 nice FDCs of se-tenant stamps from the collection of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for today......Have a Great Time.....!

Gooseneck Cactus Date of Issue : 9 October 2008

Gooseneck Cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) - RM5 (Miniature sheet)

A slender herb under the family of cactaceae grows up to 1 to 3 metre. It has a short main stem and long irregular branches that are flat and look like leaves that are jointed with edges that are scalloped , green or slightly brownish, about 6 to 10 cm with 20 to 25 cm long. The large white flowers are nocturnal, very fragrant with slender curved red tubes and red to yellow sepals and numerous white linear or ovate petals. The white stamens are numerous and the style is yellowish white or red and tipped with a lobed stigma.The Chinese believe that Keng Hwa brings luck and used to grow them in big pots and placed them in front of their houses. It is associated with the belief that when the flowers open at midnight, fairies come out and bring luck.

Date of issue : 9 October 2008

Kenerak (Goniothalamus tapis) - 30 sen

Kenerak is a shrub or small tree up to 3 metres high with ascending branches and short twigs forming conical or uneven crown. Leaves are oblong in shape, widest near apex and bluntly tipped, 12 to 24 cm long, 6 to 11 cm wide, dull yellow green. Flowers grow solitary on leaf twigs hanging from short stalks. Calyx is green in colour, and outer petals are cream white or pale yellowish and very fragrant. The fruits are ellipsoid, 1.2cm long, red in colour and turn purplish black as it ripens.Kenerak is often planted in Malay villages, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu. The flowers are often sold in the markets.

Climbing Lily (Gloriosa superba) - 30 sen

This plant is a species of lily that climbs up to 2.5 metres in height, aided by tendril-like tips at its narrow lance-shaped leaves. The flowers are attractive and unique with narrow yellow and red curly edged petals. When it blooms, the flower turns inside out and points upwards with the stamens and pistil more or less horizontal. The plant has underground bulb which is poisonous.The plant is cultivated in Malaysian gardens for its unique and attractive flowers. Malays call it Bunga Kembang Songsang because when the flowers are fully bloomed the petals are inverted.

Rangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica) - 50 sen

Rangoon Creeper is a climbing shrub and planted as ornamental plant because of its unique flowers. It can also be found growing wild, escaped from cultivation. The flowers are very attractive and borne in short clusters. the flower tube is 5 cm long and the petals are white but turn red when matured. The flower blooms at bight and very fragrant.The plant is often planted as climber on fences, on specially prepared pergola or left to climb on big trees.

Banana Shrub (Michelia figo) - 50 sen

The shrub is about 1 to 2 metres high, branched to form bush-shaped canopy. The leaves are elliptical in shape, 5 to 10 cm long, 2 to 6 cm wide with short petiole and dark green in colour. The flowers are about 3 to 4 cm in diameter when fully opened, the bracts are brownish and hairy and the petals are yellowish white with slightly purplish base. The flowers are fragrant reminiscent of banana. In Malaysia the plants seldom bear fruits.The Chinese community use the flowers to fragrant tea and the Malays use the flowers in aromatic bath and potpourri.

Phila Post a New Quarterly Journal released on 13 October 2008 by India Post( jointly issued with Philatelic Congress of India)

Recently Issued Minature Sheets by India Post

III Commonwealth Youth Games 2008, Pune - 12 Oct. 2008

Rabindranath Tagore's Dakghar (Post Office) - 13 Oct.2008


A Journey to Indian Stamps - FDCs of Se-tenant Stamps

From Collection of Shrikant Parikh

Freedom Forty-Swaraj - 16 August 2008

Freedom Forty-Swaraj - VIP FDC on Khadi paper

Indo-Soviet Friendship - 16 August 1990