Din il-fjura tassew imlewna qiegħda ssebbaħ l-ambjent tal-iskola tagħna fl-inħawi kennija ta’ Block E, fejn is-Sa L. Camilleri ħadet ħsieb tħawwel ħafna xtieli. F’dan ir-ritratt jidhru wħud mill-fjuri fl-iskola tagħna.
Barra mis-sbuħija tagħha, din il-pjanta għandha ħafna użi. Il-petali ta’ speċi partikolari ta’ ibisku jintużaw biex isir te ta’ kulur ħamrani u li jinxtorob kemm sħun kif ukoll kiesaħ. Din ix-xarba magħrufa għal kemm fiha vitamina Ċ. Dan it-tip ta’ te mifrux f’ħafna kulturi, fosthom fl-Afrika tal-Punent, l-Eġittu, is-Sudan, l-Iran, il-Pakistan, l-Indja, il-Kambodja, u saħansitra l-Messiku.
Forsi anki minħabba li hi mifruxa ħafna, il-bniedem sab ħafna użu għal din il-pjanta anki f’oqsma oħra. Tip partikolari ta’ ibisku jintuża biex issir il-karta, waqt li tipi oħrajn jintużaw biex isiru l-ħbula. Fil-Filippini t-tfal saħansitra jużawha biex jagħmlu bżieżaq mill-likwidi li joħorġu minnha, li jitħalltu mas-sapun u jintefħu bi zkuk vojta ta’ pjanta oħra.
Il-kuluri jixegħlu tal-fjura jiġbdu l-għajn, u dan wassal biex din il-fjura tintuża fit-tiżjin personali. Fil-gżejjer tal-Paċifiku, bħal ngħidu aħna f’Taħiti, kif tfajla tilbes il-fjura tal-ibisku ma’ widnejha juri jekk hix f’relazzjoni jew le; jekk tilbisha fuq ix-xellug, ifisser li t-tfajla ikkonċernata hi miżżewġa jew għarusa.
Tant hi maħbuba din ix-xitla li hi s-simbolu nazzjonali tal-Ħaiti, u l-fjura nazzjonali ta’ ħafna stati oħra, fosthom il-Korea t’Isfel, il-Malażja, il-Gżejjer Solomon u Niue.
This colourful flower is currently flourishing in our school in the area between Blocks C and E, where Ms Camilleri has been tending a large number of plants. This photo shows some of the specimens currently flowering at our school.
Apart from purely decorative purposes, this plant has numerous other uses. The petals of a particular hibiscus species are used to make a reddish tea which can be drunk both hot and cold, and is a well-known source of vitamin C. This tea is present in many cultures, including West Africa, Egypt and Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, and even Mexico.
Possibly due to its widespread nature, people have always found lots of other uses for this plant. Another type of hibiscus is used in the creation of paper, while others give us fibres which are used to make ropes. In the Philippines children use the liquid which it secretes when crushed to make bubbles with. They mix this with soap and then use hollow reeds to blow them up.
Its colours are very vibrant, and this has made it so that it is a popular flower to decorate with, even as a kind of jewellery. In the Pacific islands, such as Tahiti, it is used to indicate whether a girl is single or in a relationship; if it is worn on the left ear, then the girl is not available, but if it is worn on the right, it signifies that one is looking for a relationship.
Haiti chose it as its national symbol, and it is also the national flower of many other states, including South Korea, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Niue.