The Quivering Lotus
<p>The elegant floral species <em>Cleome angulata</em> (synonym – <em>Corynandra elegans</em>) is a one metre-tall herb with a perennial woody base. This Indian endemic is abundant along muddy edges of ponds and rock pools on lateritic plateaus (sadas in Marathi) during the monsoon. It was described as a new species from Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district in 2016 and has since been reported from other parts of peninsular India, including Telangana and the Vidarbha region. Locally, it is known as kapare kamal in Marathi, meaning ‘quivering lotus’, an apt name for the delicate trembling movement of thousands of its flowers in the wind. The large and showy flowers are a critical source of nectar and pollen for insects including bees.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Manali Rane/Bombay Environmental Action Group</span></strong></p>
