Roses, chrysanthemums, cymbidium orchids and begonias may be hogging the limelight at the ongoing flower show at Lalbagh, but the talipot palms — often referred to as the unsung heroes — are vying for some serious attention. Three of the 12 mature palms in the botanical garden have simultaneously flowered — an occurrence that is seen once in 60 or 100 years.
Commonly known as century palms or fan palms, talipot palms (scientific name Corypha umbraculifera ; called shreetali mara in Kannada) naturally grow in the evergreen forests of Kumta in Karnataka.
“This is the best natural gift for the Republic Day from Lalbagh. The rarity is in seeing three of them flowering concurrently as they bloom only once in a lifetime of 60 to 100 years,” said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director, Horticulture, Parks and Gardens, urging people to catch a glimpse of the “trio-in-bloom spectacle” during the show.
Lalbagh officials said the talipot palms rise to a height of nearly 30 metres and have a girth of 2.5 metres. “We should be grateful to the botanist trained in Kew gardens in London John Cameron — superintendent of Lalbagh who took over in 1874 and established the Glass House — who planted two palms initially,” said Mr. Jagadeesh.
Of the dozen mature palms in Lalbagh, three, aged between 80 and 92, have flowered, and the 15 younger ones are awaiting their turn. “Seed dispersal led to their sprouting. We have been vigilant in seeing them grow as scientists have categorised them as ‘threatened species’,” he added.
The fronds of talipot palm have been historically used in India and Sri Lanka for writing manuscripts, according to Mr. Jagadeesh.
Karthikeyan S., tree expert who has researched and catalogued the palms in his book Discover Avenue Trees , said , “After flowering, talipot palms produce oblong, hard marble-like fruit, and in less than a year thereon the palms start drying up.”
Their avenue is an eye-catcher in Sri Lanka’s Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya.“Talipot palms have also been taken to Suriname by Indian immigrants,” said S.V. Hittalmani, former Additional Director, Horticulture (fruits and flowers).
