Sign up for a summer flower trail with a botanist this weekend in Mumbai

Summer is the perfect time to witness several blooming and pollinating flowers that may wither away or evolve into fruits by the next season Kiran Thumma botanist and education officer at Bombay Natural History Society BNHS tells us in a conversationLeading a summer flower trail this weekend at BNHS CEC Thumma will educate participants about native flowering plants that are ecologically and historically important to Indian soil ldquoWe will teach them everything right from the flower structure and the pollination process to dispersal Cool anecdotes about mythological stories attached to some of the flowers and their medicinal and edible purposes will also be discussedrdquo she explainsHerersquos a look at some of the flowers that will be a part of this extensive trailPalas Butea monospermaThis native flower is popular as a colouring ingredient during Holi Not only is it naturally bright orange in colour but it also offers medicinal benefits to the skin Tribal communities in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh drink it as a sherbet duringthe summerKala kuda Wrightia tinctoriaAlso known as pale indigo because of the blue colour yielded by its leaves the latex of this plant is believed to have preservative qualities A few drops of the latex in milk supposedly enhances its shelf life The famous Channapatana wooden toys are made using kala kuda woodKaushi Firmiana colorataThese scarletcoloured dropping flowers are a favourite of sun birds They are great sites to spot the bird collecting nectar from the flowerPiluki Combretum ovalifoliumThis large climber has winged fruits that help to disperse them to some distance or away from the mother plant The plant is useful to treat peptic ulcers diarrhoea and dysenteryUkshi Getonia floribundaIt is a climber plant that is known for storing water in its veins people often use it to quench their thirst The leaves and fruits of this flowering plant are also used for treating jaundice leprosy stomach worms and moreIndrajao Holarrhena pubescensThis plant has edible flowers which are consumed as a vegetable by the tribal folk The bark of the tree is also useful in the treatment of piles constipation skin diseases and dysenteryKakad Garuga pinnataThese unripe fruits are round sour like gooseberries and are eaten raw or pickled They are used as medicines for their antiinflammatory antioxidant anticancer wound healing and antidiabetic propertiesSearch for the nativeParticipants walk in the CEC forest during a tree walk conducted earlier this yearThumma notes that although there are many gardens and parks across the city exotic flora can be spotted in quite a few places These plants do not have much purpose apart from being ornamentals ldquoThere may be one or two native species but otherwise local plants cannot be found widely in the cityrdquo she sighsThe botanist lists a few places where residents can head to this summer Sanjay Gandhi National Park Borivali East Sagar Upvan Garden Cuffe Parade Maharashtra Nature Park Dharavi Rani Baug BycullaOn April 2 8 am to 10 amAt Conservation Education Centre near Film City General Arunkumar Vaidya Road Goregaon EastLog on to formsglenE1skAQnuMgH86Xk8Call 8591318027 or 9594953425Cost Rs 450 for members Rs 550 for others