Monday, October 05, 2015

Leaves of grass

As we were leaving from a place yesterday, we noticed this deep maroon flower. "Cotton family," my mother said, authoritatively, and I took her word for it.



I got into the car. My mother gestured for me to return. She was bent over that 'cotton' plant but for some reason now, she kept saying "grass". 

I looked at her blankly. 

"Marijuana!" she said, as to someone particularly slow.

Oh! I looked. And sure enough, those leaves. 



 I have to say, at this point, that I have never actually seen a marijuana plant. I don't know what it looks like in situ, or what kind of flowers it has. I just know the shape of the leaves.

We stood indecisively over it (I really couldn't tell you why. In addition to our general ignorance about the plant in its raw state, we were also pretty unlearned in processes. And we'd finished admiring the flower early on in our acquaintance). 

A couple of people gathered around us.

"What is this plant?" we ventured to ask.

"Gongura," the lady replied. Apparently it can be cooked and eaten.

Well, of course, I thought. (Also irrelevantly, I thought of brownies).



I took a couple of photos and plucked a flower with a leaf attached. It withered on the dashboard before we got home.

6 comments:

Feanor said...

So Gongura is the same as marijuana? I like a bit of gongura. Especially in pickles.

km said...

I don't know what it looks like in situ

Young lady, I am sorely disappoint.

"Marijuana!" she said, as to someone particularly slow.

Probably the funniest thing you've posted here.

//and yes, the gongura/marijuana resemblance has crossed my mind several times before. Our ancestors were so wise, knowing just which one to smoke and which one to pickle.

Space Bar said...

Feanor: Not sure it is. Unlike marijuana, I have frequently bought gongura in vegetable shops and the leaves look nothing like this! But I guess it is *some* kind of koora, and edible.

km: If you hadn't commented, I'd have been gutted. As for your being disappointed, what can I say? My ignorance keeps me youthful. I should bottle and sell it.

Anonymous said...

You made me look up what part of the plant you smoke and what marijuana flowers look like. This is public service. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise

- blabkmamba

Space Bar said...

bm: Hello! Clearly I need to do more public service posts if it means you come and read/comment!

Veena said...

SB: Now that I know what the M plant / flower looks like, I may have just found something in our (shared) garden that looks like it! Hmm. Do these things actually grow here?

Btw, suspect BM came to check out the reason for the sudden unexplained increase in searches for marijuana plants on images.