Wildflower of the valley
Yellow Flax
Reinwardtia indica
- How easy to find
- Very rare — you need to search for it — local knowledge helps
- Flower size
- Medium to large
- Family
- Linaceae (Flax family)
- Local name
- Phiunli and Basanthi
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- large,medium
- Flower colour
- yellow
- Flowering
- May to early June
About Yellow Flax
Reinwardtia indica is a shrub or under shrub upto one meter tall. Branches are spreading, rounded and angular. Leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic - obovate or lanceolate at apex, rounded or heart shaped. Flowers are bright yellow. Sepals are 5.
Where to find it
- Along the trail from Govindghat to Ghangaria
Habitat
Waysides and grassy slopes.
Uses & folklore
Leaves are chewed to clean the tongue and decoction is used for gargles.
What the name means
Reinwardtia honours Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt, founder of the Bogor Botanic Garden in Java; indica means "of India".
