''Reinwardtia indica'', yellow flax or pyoli, is a species of

Linaceae Linaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family is cosmopolitan, and includes about 250 species in 14 genera, classified into two subfamilies: the Linoideae and Hugonioideae. Description The leaves of the Linaceae are always simple; arran ...

found in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. It is the only species in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus ''Reinwardtia''.

Distribution

This flower comes from the Himalayas in both

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and northern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Uses

A yellow

dye Juan de Guillebon, better known by his stage name DyE, is a French musician. He is known for the music video of the single "Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical ele ...

made from the flowers is used for dyeing clothes and making paints.

Culture

Pyoli is the subject of many folk songs. According to Garhwali and Kumaoni folklore, Pyoli was a young maiden living in the forest. She was raised by animals and her first human contact was in the form of a prince who had lost his way during a hunting expedition. She tended after him and of course he fell in love with her. He persuaded her to marry him and accompany him to his palace. Although she loved the prince she started wilting away in the absence of a natural environment. No one could cure her and finally she died pining for her flora and fauna friends. Her last wish was that she should be buried among her friends. The prince took her to be buried at the place he had first met her. Some time later a pretty, yellow flower came out at the spot. This flower was named after the pretty nature-loving belle.

Taxonomy

The following are

taxonomic synonym In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The Botanical nomenclature, botanical and Zoological nomenclature, zoological codes of nomencl ...

s for ''Reinwardtia indica'': ''R. tetragyna'', ''R. trigyna'', ''Linum trigynum'', ''Linum cicanobum'', ''Linum repens'', ''Kittelocharis trigyna'', ''Macrolium trigynum''

References

* "Tales and legends from India" (page 13) by

Iris Macfarlane Iris Macfarlane (22 July 1922 – 12 February 2007) was a British writer. Her memoir, ''Daughters of the Empire: A Memoir of Life and Times in the British Raj'', covers her life as the wife of a wealthy tea planter in Assam in northeast British I ...

(1966) *Legends of the gods: strange and fascinating tales from around the world (page 33) by Noreen Shelley (1976),

External links

Reinwardtia trigyna (Roxb.) Planch.
''Flora of Pakistan'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q9067863 Indian folklore Linaceae Monotypic Malpighiales genera Flora of China Flora of the Indian subcontinent