What is puvalai in english?
The species Canna indica L. is known by the common name Puvalai in Tamil.
The species Musa × paradisiaca L. var. paradisiaca is known by the common name Puvalai in Tamil.
- Canna indica L.
Canna Indica (Indian Shot) is not from India, but is native to the West Indies and Tropical America. It is a perennial plant cultivated both for its seeds and its rhizomes (underground stems) for thousand of years. The rhizomes can be starchy and sweet while ripe seeds are strung into rosaries by Buddhists and Muslims. Hawaiians make ornamental garlands (leis) using the seeds as well as in rattles used in hula dances.
In English, Puvalai (Canna indica L.) is known by Edible canna, Indian beed, Indian canna, Indian reed, Indian shot, or Queensland arrowroot.
- Indian shot
Etymology: The plant is native to the West Indies hence the “Indian”. The seeds resemble shotgun pellets, hence the “shot”.
- Musa × paradisiaca L. var. paradisiaca
Musa × paradisiaca L. var. paradisiaca, i.e. the plantain or the banana is a herbaceous flowering plant often considered both a vegetable as well as a fruit and many languages do not differentiate between the two. Besides the fruit, banana flower buds are also edible and have similar labelling issues. A loose distinction made between the banana and the plantain is that the plantain is a banana which is cooked.
In English, Puvalai (Musa × paradisiaca L. var. paradisiaca) is known by Banana inflorescence or Plantain.
- No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.
- —Samuel Johnson Quotes