Botanical name: Couroupita guianensis     Family: Lecythidaceae (Barringtonia family)

This large deciduous tropical tree, 25 m tall and indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, is widely planted in the moist South Indian cities in India. The leaves, up to 15 cm long, are simple with serrate margin. There are 7 to 12 cm wide waxy, fragrant, pink and dark-red flowers growing directly on the bark of the trunk. The tree bears, directly on the trunk and main branches, large globose woody fruits; they look like big rusty cannonballs hanging in clusters. The fruit contains small seeds in a white, unpleasant smelling white jelly, which are exposed when the upper half of the fruit goes off like a cover. The hard shells are used to make containers and utensils. Cannon ball flowers are considered of special significance in Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu, it is called Nagalingam flower. The sivalingam shape is visible at the center of the flower and snake shaped pollen is the specialty of this flower and it has very good fragrance. This flower is often used for Shiva Pooja.

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The flower labeled Cannon Ball Tree is ...