A bold statement ...

Botanical name: Hippeastrum puniceum

Barbados lily, Easter lily or amaryllis lily is a bulbous perennial native to tropical regions of South America although it has become naturalized elsewhere. Plants have 4–6 leaves, each of which is bright green, 30-60 cm long by 2.5-3 cm wide, strap-shaped (lorate) and tapers at the end to an acute apex. The leaves are not fully developed when the flowers appear (i.e. they are more or less hysteranthous). The flowers are borne in an umbel on a stem (scape) which is 40-60 cm tall. The umbel has lanceolate green bracts at its base. The petals, or more accurately tepals, are orange-red with paler bases. The lower two tepals are much narrower than the lateral ones. During Easter times this used to flower in abundance around the church in my childhood days, where it was planted in lines and rows. But of late, there are no lilies now in those places. As i am very fond of lilies, recently i got some bulbs from my friend and it is growing now. This flower was taken on 27th April, 2012 in Mysore on the wayside where i stay presently. 

Purple smile ...

Botanical name: Pennisetum setaceum

African fountain grass, tender fountain grass, fountain grass or purple fountain grass is a very showy ornamental grass with graceful, arching leaves, and erect or nodding rose-colored flower spikes up to 12 in long. Fountain grass grows in dense, symmetrical clumps that can get 3-4 ft tall and 2-3 ft across with a fountain of feathery plumes flowing out of the foliage. 'Cupreum' has reddish stems and leaves, and copper-colored plumes. These cultivar generally do not set seed. This was photographed on 24th November, 2011 in the Mysore-Ooty road, near Mysore.

Huge smiles ...

Botanical name: Cucurbita maxima

Giant Pumpkin is an annual climber growing up to 5 m at a fast rate. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Fruit is cooked and eaten. A delicious flavour when baked, rather like a sweet potato. The flesh can be dried, ground into a powder and used with cereals in making bread, cakes etc. Some varieties can be stored for up to 9 months. Seed - raw or cooked. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used with cereals in making breads etc. Young flowers are eaten raw or cooked. They are often dipped in batter and fried. Young leaves and stems are cooked and eaten. I took this photograph while on a trip to my native place on 19th December 2011.

To cure you ...

Botanical name: Justicia adhatoda

Malabar nut is a small evergreen, sub-herbacious bush which grows commonly in open plains, especially in the lower Himalayas. The Leaves are 10 to 16 cms in length, minutely hairy and broadly lanceolate. A herbal plant which requires very little watering and is an extremely hardy plant is Malabar nut. If there is one herbal plant that needs to be singled out for propagation and planting on a large scale, it would be this one. Adhatoda in Tamil, meaning a plant shunned by herbivorous animals. Propagated easily by cuttings, grows to a height of eight to 14 feet and has attractive white flowers. This photograph was taken from my colleagues home in Mysore, on 24th April, 2010.

Silent and sedate ...

Botanical name: Allmania nodiflora

Node flower allmania is an annual herb, erect or rising, 10-50 cm tall. Stem is branched from or near base. Petiole 2-10 mm; Leaves are obovate, oblong, or linear, 1.5-6.5 mm long, 0.3-2.5 cm wide, carried on 2-10 mm long stalks. Flower-heads are globose, becoming somewhat elongated, with 3-7-flowered cymes. Flowers can be greenish or orange-red. Bracts and bracteoles are ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 mm, white on margin and with green or purple midvein, apex long acuminate. Tepals obliquely spreading at opening, later erect, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 4-5 mm. Fruits are enclosed in persistent perianth, pale green, ovoid, 3-3.5 mm in diameter, opening by lid. Seeds are 1.5-2 mm in diam. While on a floral exploration within the campus where i work presently, it just happened that a small plant bearing this single flower attracted my attention and without knowing its common name of scientific name i snapped its picture on 10th September, 2011.

All along your way ...

 

Botanical name: Thevetia peruviana

Mexican oleander is a large shrub or a small tree, up to 10 to 20 feet tall with Oleander-like leaves mostly in whorls of three, long and narrow up to 10 inches long. Tip of leafs are pointed with a dark green color. Flowers are generally yellow, but there are varieties with white and orange flowers too. Fruit is small, containing two to four flat seeds. If ingested may experience pain in the mouth and lips, may also develop vomiting, cramping, abdominal pain, nausea and bradycardia shortly after ingestion. Mexican oleander is native to tropical America. There are cream, yellow and flesh colour bushes. In many parts of south India this is commonly seen. In the Mysore city, this shrub can be seen in many residential areas all along the road side. This photograph was taken today on the way to my office.