Saturday, October 22, 2011

Thai clay flower-Gladiolus


    Hi everyone,   
        Another quick post,

            Gladiolus is also commonly referred to by the name of its genus - Gladiolus, the plural form of which can be Gladiole, Gladioluses or Gladioli. Gladiolus is also known as the Sword Lily, due to its sword shaped leaves, or Corn Lily.The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species, 250 of which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia.
         The impressive flower spikes of Gladioli come in a wide array of beautiful colors.The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance. It also expresses infatuation, telling the receiver that he or she pierces the heart. 
It also stands for strength of character, faithfulness and honor.
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Thai clay lotus flower


Hello everyone,

Today i am sharing thai clay lotus flower,THE NATIONAL FLOWER OF OUR COUNTRY-LOTUS


        Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus,is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae Native to Tropical Asia and Queensland, Australia,[2][3] it is commonly cultivated in water gardens.The white and pink lotuses are national flowers of India and Vietnam, respectively.The roots of Nelumbo nucifera are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves.The plant normally grows up to a height of about 150 cm and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters, but some unverified reports place the height as high as over 5 meters. The leaves may be as large as 60 cm in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter.

Cultural significance
         From ancient times the lotus has been a divine symbol in Asian traditions representing the virtues of sexual purity and non-attachment.Hindus revere it with the divinities Vishnu and Lakshmi often portrayed on a pink lotus in iconography. In the representation of Vishnu as Padmanabha (Lotus navel), a lotus issues from his navel with Brahma on it. Goddess Sarasvati is portrayed on a white-colored lotus.Often used as an example of divine beauty, Vishnu is often described as the 'Lotus-Eyed One'.Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. In Hindu iconography, other deities, like Ganga and Ganesha are often depicted with lotus flowers as their seats.The lotus plant is cited extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature, for example:
One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water.—Bhagavad Gita 
          Most deities of Asian religions are depicted as seated on a lotus flower. In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. According to legend,Gautama Buddha was born with the ability to walk, and lotus flowers bloomed everywhere he stepped.In the classical written and oral literature of many Asian cultures the lotus is present in figurative form, representing elegance, beauty, perfection, purity and grace, 
being often used in poems and songs as an allegory for ideal feminine attributes. In Sanskrit the word lotus (padma पद्म) has many synonyms. Since the lotus thrives in water, ja (denoting birth) is added to synonyms of water to derive some synonyms for the lotus, like ambuja (ambu= water + ja=born of), neeraj (neera=water + ja= born of), pankaj, pankaja, kamal, kamala, kunala, aravind, arvind, nalin,nalini and saroja and names derived from the lotus, like padmavati (possessing lotuses) or padmini (full of lotuses).These names and derived versions are often used to name girls, and to a lesser extent boys, in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, as well as in many other countries influenced by Indic culture, like Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos.

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