Wijayakusuma

Wijayakusuma (Epiphyllum anguliger) is a beautiful flower. The fragrance of the flowers is heavenly. Surprisingly it belongs to the cacti family. 

The wijayakusuma flower blooms very rarely and that too once in a year for a few hours. It blooms from 9:00 pm and peaks to midnight, then dies.  Three flowers have been observed to bloom on the same stalk one after another within an interval of a few days. The flowers sprout from the tip of the leaves. To observe them blooming is not easy.  

The plant grows to 2-5 meters in height. The tree trunk of wijayakusuma plant  is formed from the sheet of the leaves that hardened and became smaller. The sheet of the leaves are thin and flat, green with the surface of the fine leaves, in spite of it being from the cacti family. 

 It is believed that wijayakusuma plants can heal and reduce pain as well as  heals abscess in wounds. 

It is a native of Indonesia and it is believed that the flower brings prosperity and luck to the owner.  This flower has been spotted in the valley of flowers in India too where one finds rare plants and flowers.

Legends say the flower belongs to Lord Vishnu and was also with Lord Krishna, an avtaar of Vishnu. The flower is said to have properties of reviving the dead.

renukakkar  1.5.2011