Unique flowers of Malaysia

Malaysia Post pleased to launch a set of four stamps feature the unique flowers on October 9, 2008.

The issue stamps depicts the unique flowers of Malaysia, Kembang Songsang or Gloriosa superba, Goniothalamus tapis  or Kenerak, Quisqualis indica  or Akar dani,  Michelia figo or Cempaka Pisang.

Kembang Songsang or Gloriosa superba is A scandent plant, climbing by leaftip tendrils. The perianth segments, which are accrescent during anthesis and become reflexed, are striking in color, yellow proximally and at margins and dark red in the median portion.

Gloriosa superba is the national flower of Zimbabwe and it is also the state flower of Tamil Nadu state in India, and was the national flower of Tamil Eelam. This is a species of the genus Gloriosa.

Gloriosa is a genus of ten species in the plant family Colchicaceae.They are native in tropical and southern Africa to Asia. They are tender, tuberous rooted deciduous perennials, adapted to summer rainfall with a dormant dry season.

Wildflowers of Zimbabwe–2nd series

Zimbabwe Post has issued the second series of wild flower on October 22, 2002. The issued stamps  feature Dissotis princeps,Leonotis Nepetifolia,Hibiscus Vitifolius,Boophane Disticha and Pyconostachys urticifolia.

Dissotis Princeps

Dissotis princeps occurs in marshy places, along streambanks and at the fringe of forests in KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Limpopo, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

Dissotis princeps is an outstanding garden plant with magnificent flowers and decorative foliage. It is easy to grow, and is ideal for the water or vlei (marsh) garden, or for that difficult, permanently damp spot.

Dissotis princeps is a soft, herbaceous shrub, 1.5 to 3 m tall. Young stems are angular and the whole plant is covered in short, bristly hairs. The leaves are large, 30-145 x 10-55 mm, egg-shaped to lance-shaped, and velvety, dark green above and paler to whitish underneath with 5 conspicuous veins from the base. Old leaves turn red.

This species is used in traditional medicine, probably in the same way as Dissotis canescens which is also eaten in times of famine, and the leaves, stems and roots are used to make a brew to prevent the development of certain unpleasant symptoms caused by drinking beer made from the new season's mealies, and the leaves are used to treat dysentery and diarrhoea.