Flowers (also known as bonus tiles) are collection of both flower and season tiles. There isn't any standard or set graphic for these tiles and may vary from set to set what is show here. Most commonly, however flowers are just depicted. Other themes may include occupations (fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, and master), means of transportation, or structures (bridge, gate, pavilion, and pagoda)1.
Flowers
These are flower tiles numbered one through four in Arabic numerals, representing: plumb, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo. It is commonly depicted with blue characters (or numbers).
Seasons
Same deal as flower tiles. There is one each bonus tile, representing: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It is commonly depicted with red characters (or numbers).
There are eight tiles total when playing with both sets (four flowers and four season tiles). Each number corresponds to a player the same way each player is assigned a wind: 1 = East; 2 = South; 3 = West; 4 = North.
In Chinese forms of mahjong, they serve no purpose towards completing a hand; you cannot chow, pung, or kong flowers. Instead they act as bonus points during the tabulation of your score. The flowers never count towards the points necesary for a minimum hand. This means that, while though a flower may give you an extra faan in Hong Kong mahjong, or an extra point in Korean mahjong, they do not contribute to having the minimum 3 faan which is common in Hong Kong mahjong nor the 2 points necesary in Korean rules. They are strictly bonus points.
Flower tiles are an optional game play element.
In American mahjong flower tiles are used just like any suit or honor tile, in which they can be used as pairs or triplets towards completion of your hand. Note that American mahjong does not follow the gameplay instruction below.
Gameplay
On the opening hand (initial deal) starting with player East:
- Declare "flower" by revealing all flowers in the hand. If you have none skip to 3.
- Draw a replacement tiles for each flower revealed at the end of the dead wall.
- Declare "no flowers". The next player follows in turn.
After each player has no more flowers player East begins with a discard.
Upon drawing flowers after the initial deal:
- Declare "flower" immediately and reveal it.
- Draw a replacement.
- If you can't win with the replacement tile you discard as normal.
If at anytime the replacement tile is another flower, reveal it and draw another.
Value
- CC: 4 points
- CO: 1 point (does not count towards 8 point minimum)
- HKOS: 1 fan for flower seat or prevailing wind; 1 fan if all four flowers are collected. 1 Fan if you have no flowers nor seasons.
- KO: 1 point per flower (regardless of which flower) and a bonus of 1 or 4 points for having all four (depending on the players preference).