Flowers in literature (Re: kaumudii)

[kichenas at math.umn.edu]

This is in answer to Jakub Ceyka's query.

Regarding the subject of flowers in Indian poetical conventions,
one should mention the very original use of flowers in Tamil.
A quick search led me to the following references to 
monographs on the subject (all in Tamil, but I vaguely remember
that one of them contains pictures and Latin equivalents):

1) Elancheran, Kovai,
   Ilakkiyam oru pUkkAtu,
   Rockfort Publ., Cennai (=the Tamil name of Madras)
   1982, 767 pages

2) Tanammal, ILaTcumi,
   Canka ilakkiyattil malarkaL
   VAnati, Cennai, 1981, 

3) Ayiram malarkaL
   (several authors).

Some of the above are in Chicago, so I haven't looked at
them. There are other sources for some of the more important
flowers, on which I can post details if anyone is interested.

I hope that this helps.


                                Satyanad Kichenassamy
                                School of Mathematics
                                University of Minnesota
                                kichenas at math.umn.edu