Dears, As we head into the New Year, here is something better to read than Dr. Samir Kelekar's "God sucks" thread, that has every one going "bananas" ! Mog asundi. Miguel ............................................................ > > > Silver Green! > Dark clouds are tailored with silver lining! > > > Silver has fascinated socialites, businessmen, quislings, > betrayers and poets alike. The silver colour has also made a > lasting impression on botanists even in an era when there > was not much money in that science. If women wear silver > ornaments and businessmen traded with the pound sterling and > silver dollar; if Christ was betrayed for thirty pieces of > silver and poets write odes to the silvery moon, there is a > nation that named its country Argentina. The Botanists who > first named the plant Tabebuia argentia were not even > bothered to look at its golden, trumpet shaped flower > bunches that resemble those of its common country cousin, > Tecoma stans. If one wants an example of beauty that is skin > deep, one only needs to see the slender trunk that so > obsessed the taxanomists. The Silver Ipe or Tabebuia, > however, has a distinct character. It is no fence-sitter > like the Tecoma. > > The reason why my mind was drawn to silver is because it is > the silver wedding anniversary of my brother, whom our > parents named Antonio Bonfilio but the whole world knows as > Zito, and his wife Fabiola. Like St. Anthony, he is the man > to turn to in times of trouble and his has been a good son > [Bom filio] to his parents. Befitting though his Christian > name is, even I call him Zito. As per our tradition, even > his nephews and nieces call him Zito though most of them, > including my children, grew up calling him “Daddy” as he > was the man who told them stories, played with them and > brought them goodies. Zito was not born with a silver spoon > in his mouth or ever chased lucre in his life, but he is an > embodiment of all the good things that silver represents. > Today is also the feast of the Holy Innocents and the Holy > Family as well as the birthday of kind hearted lady, who is > my “tough as nails” disciplinarian sister, and my > maternal aunt, who once taught > the present Archbishop of Goa the three 'R's. > > The National Institute of Oceanography or N.I.O. campus in > Dona Paula boasts of Tabebuia argentia, the silver [hence > argentia] barked, golden yellow flowered tree that blooms in > August and January along the road to the main entrance. The > leaves are simple, spear-head shaped or lanceolate and about > one foot or 30cm long. The flowers appear in clusters. > Tecoma stans is a yellow flowered shrub that one often finds > in the gardens in Goa, either as an independent specimen > plant or as a hedge. Seedlings of these plants can be > obtained from Mr. G.D. Alphonso of Kakoda Farms [behind MMC, > Margao] or from the Forest nurseries. The plants can also be > seen at the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Porvorim. The > TSKK Director, Dr. Pratap Naik SJ has labeled almost all its > trees and other plants and one can find the plant one wants > if one is familiar with the Roman or Devanagri scripts. The > English and scientific names are written in the Roman > script, the Konkani names > in both scripts. Most plants mentioned in Konkani > literature are found on the campus. If one knows any one > name, one can find both, the plant and its other names. > > Tabebuia and Tecoma genera belong to the family Bignonaceae > and all the species were earlier lumped under Bignonia spp. > The Golden Shower creeper, Pyrostegia ignea, was once upon a > time also known as Bignonia venusta. The Tecoma genus was > carved out as more and more species were discovered and > named by taxonomists, till the number and variety became > large enough to justify the creation of yet another genus, > Tabebuia. The names Tecoma ipe [Mart.] and Tecoma ochracea > [Cham.] were familiar to botanists at the turn of the > century. The word ‘ochracea’ indicated that an yellow or > ochre dye could be extracted from its wood. All these trees > are from the West Indies, Florida [ USA ], Mexico , Brazil > and Argentina area of origin and can grow well in Goa as we > share a similar climate. > > > > Different things draw the attention of different persons. I > had written in my column of 28 September, 2008, about Igidio > Moniz’s attention being drawn to the Ipe tree in flower in > Sao Paolo- Brazil , more famous for its carnival. > Igidio’s brother, Joaquim Moniz, a graduate in Botany and > Chemistry, not only showed us the tree at the edge of the > Mexican lawn, but also gave us seedlings of different > Tabebuia varieties that they has raised from seed for > planting all over Curtorim this rainy season. For those who > have not seen a Tabebuia tree in full flower, the easiest > thing to do is to visit the Se Cathedral or the ASI Museum > next door at Old Goa in January. One may even find some > early flowers today. > > > Today we remember the innocent children slaughtered when > King Herod was unable to identify and kill the child Jesus. > Our leaders in Goa have done a similar exercise with the > freedom of tourists and revelers this season in an effort to > the imagined terror threat. Stop a while to think whether we > may be doing the same thing to a large number of useful > insects to kill one insect which we have identified as a > potential threat. > > If you have an occasion in December to February season, you > can be sure of having the Tabebuia trees in flower. What > better way can there be to decorate your compound at > Christmas and New Year than with a burst of colour of > Tabebuia trees in full bloom? > Have a great festive season and spread the love through > flowers and plants. Do not restrict yourself to giving gifts > and affection to those who give it to you, give it also to > those who can give you nothing in return. Experience the joy > of giving, now and in the prosperous New Year 2009 that is > wished for all the readers. May the New Year herald the good > times! > > Miguel Braganza is the Additional Director of Organic > Farming Association of India [OFAI]. > > [This article has been published in the HERALD MIRROR on > Sunday, 28 December, 2008] > > > Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to > http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/ Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger at http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/
