African Tulip buds and flowers

 A 50' African Tulip tree stands next to our apartment building. August is the time it's in full bloom. The tree wears a healthy look with thick dark green leaves, golden-green water filled buds and bright orange-yellow flowers.

This is one of the many clusters of buds spread out equally across the tree. The young buds are basically bags of water, the liquid has a mild odor and has a slight tint of yellow. As kids we plucked the buds, made a small hole at the tip and squirted the liquid on friends. The only name we knew for this plant was ucche kai gida. The proper name in Kannada is Neeru Kayi Mara. As the buds mature, the petals develop but the liquid remains.

A older cluster of buds. Most are matured and ready to flower.

Here we have a flower emerging from a bud. The petal is wet and dripping water. So with every new flower, the tree lets out little water. I think birds drink this liquid.

A pair of fully exposed flowers. This is a single petal flower, its orange on the exterior and orange-yellow inside.

On the inner side of the petals are vertical red lines.

In this cluster, one of the flowers have lived its life and fallen away. The open bud stays for another day or two before falling away.

The outer buds flower and fall away making way for the inner ones.

This tree has many winged visitors... mynas, bulbuls, munias, and others. They seem to come for the water inside the buds and flowers.

Clusters spread around the tree.

After flowering, the tree is covered with pods of seeds. The pods are kayak shaped, approximately 8 to 10 inches long. Inside are seeds with a delicate paper like feather which helps the seed afloat in air and disperse. Unlimited wonders of Nature.
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