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Monday, July 09, 2007

The BUNGA RAYA: Malaysia's National Flower







The five-petaled Bunga raya (Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis) has been Malaysia’s national flower since 1960. The flower can be found throughout the country and parts of the Bunga raya’s shrub have medicinal and cosmetic uses.




Symbolically, the five petals of the bunga raya represent the “Five Principles of Nationhood” Malaysia’s national philosophy in strengthening national unity and tolerance -- while the red colour represents courage.

What is it called in your country?


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Southeast Asia’s National Flowers




--ASEAN Sec

6 Comments:

Jeff said...

Ahem! Chaba ชบา chaba. So now you know ;)

Anonymous said...

here in the philippines, we call it GUMAMELA. Children from the provinces (that's where a lot of gumamelas can be found - in the province) usually use the flowers and the leaves to make a paste which they mix with water and soap. and the mixture is used to blow bubbles!
The PROPER way of making the "mixture" and blowing the bubbles were even featured in our local children's TV show, Batibot.

Then came Biology class, Gumamela is the ultimate (as in favorite) specimen for a perfect flower. With the sepal and petals and stigma ang pistil and who can forget ovary.

No offense, but personally, I don't like hibiscus/gumamela/bunga raya because the flower is sticky and it does not have any fragrance at all.

But do you know that scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Banos have successfully produced hybrids of this flower? And each breed/hybrid was named after the Phillipine First Ladies, Filipina Heroines and Filipina Scientists.

So i guess if you call this flower BUNGA RAYA in Kuala Lumpur, we call it in Manila Gumamela or sometimes IMELDA.

sorry for the long comment...

Anonymous said...

what the??? what am i thinking? its stamen not stigma. duh

Pisanu for BISEAN said...

nice! thanks guys!

Pisanu for BISEAN said...

@markymd...you call it Imelda? Really? That's cool. We Thais like Imelda. No matter what others say.

Anonymous said...

bagas

Indonesian - Kembang Sepatu

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