Dahlia

Dahlia ഡാലിയ

Dahliais a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, CentralAmerica, and Colombia.

30 species, 20,000cultivars

Family: Asteraceae

Subfamily: Asteroideae

Tribe: Coreopsideae

Dahlias are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterflies) species including Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) is a moth*, Common Swift(Korscheltellus lupulina), Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) and Large Yellow Under wing (Noctua pronuba)

*moth is an insect closelyrelated to the butterfly

മെക്സിക്കോ, മദ്ധ്യഅമേരിക്ക, കൊളംബിയ എന്നി രാജ്യ ങ്ങളില്‍ ആണ് ഇവയുടെ ഉത്ഭവം എങ്കിലും ഇന്ന് എല്ലാ രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെയും പൂന്തോട്ടങ്ങളില്‍ അഴകായി ഇവ വളരുന്നു. രണ്ടു വര്‍ഷത്തോളം ആയുസ്സ് കണക്കാക്കുന്ന ഈ ചെടി വര്‍ഷം മുഴുവന്‍ പൂത്തുനില്‍ക്കുന്നു

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.

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 

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.

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

Painted Leaf Begonia - Begonia picta

Begonia picta - Himalaya India

Common name: Painted Leaf Begonia

Hindi: पत्थरचट्टा - Pattharchatta - Mizo: Lalruangaarawhna - Nepali: मगर काँचे Magar kanche

Botanical name: Begonia picta

Family: Begoniaceae (Begonia family)

Painted Leaf Begonia is a common begonia of the Himalayas. It is a tuberous herb, 10-18 cm tall. Leaves are few, 4-12 cm long, 3.5-10 cm wide, broadly ovate, doubly toothed, base heart- shaped, tip long-pointed. Upper leaf surface is hairy, lower hairy on veins. Leaves are often blotched purple or variegated, hence the common name. Leaf stalk is 3-10 cm, hairy. Light pink flowers are borne elevated above the leaves. Male flower have 4 petals, outer ones 1.2 x 2 cm, nearly round to broadly ovate, obtuse, pink; inner petals 3 x 8 mm, oblong, pink-white. Stamens are numerous. Female flower have 5 petals, 8-12 mm long, ovate-oblong. Styles are 3, persistent. Capsule is pendulous, 7-20 mm long, 3-winged; wings pointing upwards, green, unequal, 3-8 mm, 7-20 mm and 7-25 mm broad, all velvety. Flowering: August-September.

A tuberous rooted species growing from rock crevices and mud ledges. dormant in winter. New growth starts from late spring and produces beautifully colour leaves. Flowers throughout summer with clusters of showy deep pink flowers. A form with plain green leaves also exists.

Locally known as makkar-kajay.

Habitat: Eastern Himalayas in shaded ledges, along roadsides and among humus filled rock crevices.

Ethnobotany: The succulent petioles are sour and are used locally for making pickle.

thanks to www.flowersofindia.com