Friday, December 30, 2011

FALCONER'S THISTLE - Himalaya INDIA


FALCONER'S THISTLE
Giddh pwankhe
Botanical name: Cirsium falconeri
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)


Falconer's Thistleis a very common spiny plant found in Western Himalayas. It was named for HughFalconer, 19th century Scottish doctor, geologist and botanist in India. It isa tall noticeable perennial herb, with the whole plant covered by white-creamspines. Stems are robust with narrow wings. Flower-heads are spherical, creamcolored, somewhat drooping, 7-8.5 cm across. Just below the flower-heads aredensely woolly bracts with long pale spines up to 2.5 cm. Leaves are linear,narrow tipped, with triangular toothed or lobed margins carrying pale spines.Leaf surface is also covered with spines. Falconer's Thistle is found ataltitudes of 2700-4300 in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to SE Tibet. Flowering:August-September.



Thursday, December 29, 2011

ROSE


റോസപൂവ് 
Rose . There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds.
 Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height

Garden flower 


Monday, December 26, 2011

Arctic Snow - സിലോണ്‍ മുല്ല

സിലോണ്‍ മുല്ല

Arctic Snow

Winter Cherry Tree, Milky way, Snowflake, Pudpitchaya, Sweet Indrajao, Hyamaraca

Sanskrit: Kutajah

Botanical name: Wrightia antidysenterica

Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)

Synonyms: Nerium antidysentericum, Nerium zeylanicum, Wrightia zeylanica

Ceylon mulla

Arctic Snow is a small compact and bushy shrub growing up to 1.5 m tall. It blooms non stop all year-round. At full bloom, plant is covered with 1 inch white flowers that look like little stars, or with some imagination, snowflakes from a distance. Leaves are elliptic, glossy, evergreen. Native to Sri Lanka, it has become a sought after garden plant.


Laurel Clock Vine


Laurel Clock Vine (white)

laurel-leaved clockvine, laurel-leaved thunbergia, purple allamanda

Botanical Name:Thunbergia laurifolia

Family:Acanthaceae (Ruelliafamily)

Synonyms: Thunbergia grandiflora var.laurifolia, Thunbergia harrisii



Laurel Clock Vine is a climber with ovate-oblong or nearly lanceolate entire to slightly toothed leaves. Leaves are obtuse or heart-shaped at base, long pointed, pinnately nerved, hairless, mostly 7-18 cm long and 2.5-6 cm wide, on stalks up to 6 cm long. Bracteoles are persistent, 4-5 cm long. Calyx is truncate.















Flowers are blue-violet to white, tube 3.5-4.5 cm long, limb 6-8 cm broad. Capsule is up to 1.5 cm wide, the beak to 3 cm long. Differs from Bengal Clock Vine mainly in the narrower, 3-7 cm wide, ovate to oblong, rarely lobed leaves which are frequently very coarsely toothed, long-pointed at the tip.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Wishbone Flower



Common name: Wishbone Flower
Botanical name: Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Pink' 
Family: Scrophulariaceae (dog flower family)


Wishbone Flower is an erect, bushy annual with toothed leaves and tiny pink or blue-purple blossoms with yellow or white throats that resemble trumpets. The stems and 2 in (5 cm) opposite leaves are glabrous (without hairs) Needs rich, very moist, well-drained soil and is ideal for a cool greenhouse; plant in shade in hot regions. Plants make a compact, upright bush of eight to twelve inches in height. The pink or pale vilet flowers have deep purple blotches on the lower petals with yellow inside. The cool colors are a welcome relief during the heat of summer. Flowers bloom throughout the summer and autumn