Today marks Fiji day, which gained its independence from the British in 1970. It can’t find an official source for the national flower, but the internet seems pretty convinced it’s Medinilla waterhousei, Tagimoucia.
It’s rare, found on a mountain ridge on just one of Fiji’s 330 islands, Taveuni. However, there are folk tales connecting it to Laucala and Qamea, so I wonder if it was there in the past.
As rare as is it is as a plant, its image is seen around the islands on the $50 bank note. It looks beautiful, but given how jumpy banks get about reproductions, I’ll simply give you a link to an image on the national bank’s site.
How to Play
Six plants fill each row
each column, each box of six
no bloom may repeat
Tap an empty cell
then choose your plant from below
watch the garden grow
Or pick a plant first
then tap the cells where it goes
faster hands plant more
Red borders will warn
when two alike share a line
rethink and replant
Ticked plants rest complete
all six placed in rightful soil
fewer choices left
The clock starts to run
the moment your first plant falls
how swift is your hand?
Select a plant, then tap cells
Two ways to play: Tap an empty cell then pick a plant, or select a plant below then tap cells to place it.
Cover image: Medinilla waterhousei by Susan Fawcett / iNaturalist CC BY-NC
