Flowers of the Indian Laburnum tree, Cassia fistula
The Indian Laburnum tree, Cassia fistula photographed near Leadbeater Chambers in Adyar Theosophical Gardens. This is another favourite from my childhood days in Delhi. This tree belonging to Family Caesalpiniaceae is native to India. It is one of the most beautiful of all tropical trees when it sheds most of its leaves and bursts into a mass of long, pendent bunches of yellow gold flowers. These flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. The fruits when ripe are dark brown cylindrical pods about 2 feet long which hold the flat, brown seeds (up to 100 in a pod).
This lovely flower is the national flower of Thailand. In the state of Kerala, the flowers are of ritual importance while celebrating the Vishu festival. A commemorative stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department in 1981. It is also known as the Golden Shower tree, Amaltaas (Hindi) Vishukonna (Malayalam).
Nature Rambles Book 