Unselfish Prosperity — Cannonball Flowers
He who receives it abundantly gives all that he has as he receives it. — The Mother
Couroupita guianensis, Lecythidaceae
Cannonball tree
Nāga Pushpam
कैलासपति Kailaspati
Arbre à boulet de canon
Pink and white flower.
Prosperity — Large very fragrant light to deep red flowers with six wide fleshy satiny petals and a prominent central hood ending in numerous yellow-tipped stamens —borne in long pendulous racemes directly from the trunk and main branches. A moderately large tree with unique cannonball shaped fruits.
The featured Image: The flowers are from Auroville
Internet:
Couroupita guianensis, known by a variety of common names including cannonball tree, is a deciduous tree in the flowering plant family Lecythidaceae. It is native to lowland tropical rainforests of Central and South America, from Costa Rica, south to Brazil and northern Bolivia and it is cultivated in many other tropical areas throughout the world because of its fragrant flowers and large fruit, which are brownish grey. There are potential medicinal uses for many parts of Couroupita guianensis, and the tree has cultural and religious significance in South and Southeast Asia
Couroupita guianensis is a tree that reaches heights of up to 35 metres (110 ft). The leaves, which occur in clusters at the ends of branches, are usually 8 to 31 cm (3.1 to 12.2 in) long, but can reach lengths of up to 57 cm (22 in).
The flowers are borne in racemes up to 80 cm (31 in) long produced directly on the tree’s trunk. Some trees flower profusely until the entire trunk is covered with racemes. One tree can hold as many as 1000 flowers per day. The flowers are strongly scented, and are especially fragrant at night and in the early morning. They are up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, with six petals, and are typically brightly coloured, with the petals ranging from shades of pink and red near the bases to yellowish toward the tips. There are two areas of stamens: a ring of stamens at the centre, and an arrangement of stamens that have been modified into a hood.
The fruit is spherical with a woody shell, and reaches a diameter of up to 25 cm (10 in), giving the species the common name “cannonball tree”. Smaller fruit may contain about 65 seeds, while large ones can hold as many as 550. One tree can bear 150 fruit at a time. The fruit takes up to a year to mature in most areas, sometimes as long as 18 months. The fruit flesh is white and turns blue upon oxidation, a reaction with air.
The Winds of Wonder 
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