Saussurea obvallata

Nice story associated with a prized catch. I have added this to Flora Picture 2012

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Asteraceae Week (Part II – Discoid heads) :: Saussurea obvallata at Hemkund Sahib :: 03 AUG 12 :: DV22 : 3 images. 7 posts by 5 authors.
Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew.
so-SUR-ree-a — named for Nicolas-Theodore de Saussure, Swiss chemist and … Dave’s Botanary
ob-val-LAY-ta or ob-val-LAH-ta — surrounded; guarded or enclosed … Dave’s Botanary
commonly known as: brahmakamal • Bhotia: assolone • Hindi: ब्रह्मकमल Brahmakamal, kapfu, kon
Native to: s-w China, India (Himalaya), n Myanmar
References: Flowers of India • Wikipedia • ENVIS – FRLHT
along Hemkund Sahib – Ghangaria trail on 03 AUG 12

Many thanks … Indeed the photos remind me of the pure and pleasant air of Hemkund Sahib.

Nice pictures from high alpine zone of Hemkund. A beautiful area to explore alpine plants. This photo reminds me its specific aroma.
S.obvallata or “Brahm Kamal” is state flower of Uttarakhand.

Asteraceae Week (Part II – Discoid heads) :: Saussurea obvallata (Bramhakamal) at Hemkund Saheb :: PKA20:: : Attachments (6).  4 posts by 4 authors.
Sharing few photographs of Saussurea obvallata commonly known as Bramhakamal.
Location: Hemkund Saheb.

While typing the characters, you must have missed one character “virama”

id pl. – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Epiphyllum oxypetalum – efloraofindia | Google Groups
one more photo Brahma-kamal – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Which Bramha-Kamal? – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Brahmakamal – indiantreepix | Google Groups
Bramah Kamal ? – indiantreepix | Google Groups
State flower of uttaranchal – indiantreepix | Google Groups

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    One is the cabbage like flower which is the real Brahmakamal found in the Himalayas and in Valley of Flowers. The other is found in the plains, and is probably a cactus flower, I am not sure. Saussurea obvallata is used for both the flowers. What are the botanical name of the two?

– Saussurea obvallata is the Himalayan plant, which is called Brahma Kamal – I would call it the real Brahma Kamal.  flowersofindia
The other one is a cactus, native to South America, most likely Epiphyllum oxypetalum. It is grown as a houseplant in many parts of India. I would love to know how it came to be called Brahmakamal in Maharashtra. That seems to be a recent development.
flowersofindia

– There is a slok in sanskrit which says, offering a single brahmakamal to god is equivalent to offering 1000 flowers. I am eagerly waiting for someone to share this slok as it is planned to be a part of one of our articles on this plant. This is referred to Saussurea obvallata which is highly fragrant. You can smell it from a distance. Even the leaves have smell and it is found on higher altitudes.
These pictures were taken on the other side of Hemkunt lake (which is a forbidden zone for tourists). In the third pic on the backgroun id the lake and the famous Sikh pilgrim place called Hemkunt Sahib. In the link provided by ..  sir, there is infact one Saussurea obvallata rest are cactus, Epiphyllum oxypetalum.

– In Souther india Epiphyllum oxypetalum is regarded as the Brahma kamal, though Saussurea obvallata is supposed to be the real brahma kamal. I have one in my house, which would flower during the hot
summer (mostly May) during night.

– I’ll add to your confusion (and mine)…
The so called real Brahma Kamal Saussurea obvallata is only one of the pictures in the flicker group labeled as Brahma Kamal….
   The rest of the pictures in the flicker group are a plants group that I know of as NITE BLOMMING CEREUS….
One of which is Epiphyllum oxypetalum..I had one growing in my apartment, dining room table in NY, from a cutting from THE HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE in Pennsylvania…  where it apparently had some spiritual meaning to the core group of devotees of Swami Rama, who would stay up thru the nite when one bud was about ready to open, being a full moon nite in summer (its bat pollinated, and being white it is best to open during a bright nite , I guess)…they did not call it Brahma Kamal though.. and this is the one found in Southern Indian states and called there.. brahma kamal.. and is photographed the most and published in the flicker group …. 

   Other nite blooming cereus I have seen in botanical gardens is the one called Hylocereus undatus (Red Pitaya or dragon fruit) ..very similar flowers but stems are different and growing habits etc and seeds are different sizes and numbers in fruits of epiphyllum oxypetalum.
There are several other plants with similar flowers which bloom at nite… and are called nite blooming cereus…wikipedia has a short list at : wikipedia.
And I  QUOTE FROM IT “(( Night-blooming cereus, also called Queen of the night or Reina de la noche, are names of several genera and species of nightblooming cactus, including:
* Echinopsis, e.g. E. pachanoi (San Pedro Cactus)
* Epiphyllum, e.g. E. oxypetalum (Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus)
* Hylocereus, e.g. H. undatus (Red Pitaya or dragon fruit)
* Peniocereus, e.g. P. greggii (Arizona Queen-of-the-night)
* Selenicereus, e.g. S. grandiflorus (Vanilla Cactus), probably the most famous))” END QUOTE ..
Sorry to do this but it had me confused for a long time in 1991  …when I first acquired the cutting and did not have wikipedia then… had to impose on the librarians at the NY botanical garden… who helped a great deal…
This also goes to show us (me) that just like many regions of the world call different plants nite blooming cereus, two regions in India call different plants Brahma Kamal…
    To add to the confusion Saussurea obvallata is often called STHALAPADMINI (by Kalidasa) or STHALAPADMA in sanskrit  …  And here in Calcutta, West Bengal Hibiscus mutabilis is called sthalpadma or sthalopoddo as it is pronounced locally, there are several growing in gardens in my neighborhood…

– I had uploaded the dragon fruit during the Fruits & vegetables Week. It is common fruit these days in marriage parties. efi thread…

–  I do not know of that particular shloka that you have mentioned… I am sure its in some “newer” tantras or mantra books…

    But I do remember a lecture fragment from 2000 by Professor Dr. Mayaram Uniyal and from my class notes from one of his lectures I give you this… Brahmakamal in Sanskrit shloka:   This the last part of verse 30 in 2nd khanda or Uttar khnada of Meghdoot where Mahakavi Kalidas writes ” साभ्रेऽह्नीव स्थलकमलिनीं न प्रबुद्वां न सुप्ताम् ॥३०॥“ meaning “like Landlotuses on an overcast day, neither open nor closed…. The lovelorn Yaksha is talking of his wife’s tear laden eyes…. and while I researched the original sanskrit text I found this on the internet today …full Sanskrit text of this sloka… पादानिन्दोरमृतशिशिरान् जालमार्गप्रविष्टान् पूर्वप्रीत्या गतमभिमुखं संनिवृत्तं तथैव । चक्षु: खेदात् सलिलगुरुभि: पक्ष्मभिश्छादयन्तीं  साभ्रेऽह्नीव स्थलकमलिनीं न प्रबुद्वां न सुप्ताम् ॥३०॥
at this url:  litgloss.buffalo  on 4/8/2011 8:40:59 PM….
Dr. Uniyal is very knowledgeable and helpful kinda guy… he lives in Rohini Delhi, the last time I saw him in 2001… its in your neck of the woods, you can perhaps track him down… Hope it helps, and if you use this in your write up I would hope that you would credit Dr. Uniyal for leading you to it…and Mahakavi Kalidas for writing it.

– I have a nice Sthalpadma ( hibiscus mutabilis ) here in Bhopal brought from Kolkata.

– I am not sure but the frost did take its toll on a lot of our plants and the ‘hibiscus mutabilis’ is yet to flower.