Bottle Brush

Commonly known as Cheel in Hindi has flower spikes of the bottlebrush is made from a number of individual flowers.  It has a filament which is a long stalk at the tip of which is the pollen which is adding a nice sparkling effect to its appearance.  Each flower produces woody fruit that contains many seeds.  You can see these on another branch if you zoom in.

                           Botanical name - Callistemon viminalis - Species - Myrtaceae

At the Agri-horticulture Centre, Kolkata - December 2017

Scarlet Flame Bean Tree

The Scarlet Flame Bean, West Indian Mountain Rose, Rose of Venezuela or the Supti as known in Bengali is the common name of the Brownea coccinea of the Caesalpiniaceae family

It is a slow growing, small tree from tropical America.  The orange red flowers hang beneath the foliage.

It was the end of the flowering season and had only a couple of flowers.  Picture taken at the The Agri-Horticulture Society of India, Kolkata.

December 2017

Kaiser's Crown

Fritillaria imperialis - Liliaceae family

Plant native to Himalayan foothills, across Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  However, this one was at a park somewhere in Chiswick, UK.  Grows to about 3 feet tall. The plant has a prominent whorl of flowers facing downwards topped by a crown of leaves.  Hence the name. The wild flower is generally orange, but there are colours from scarlet to yellow and red.  It is said to have a foxy odour ( didn't notice) that repels rodents.

Bachelor's buttons

Gomphrena Globosa - commonly known as bachelor's buttons - Amaranthacae family.

 Seen these flowers only in magenta, but they are also ( I read) in white,  and light mauve. Stems are rigid and erect. Flowers are globular in shape. The plant thrives even in poor soil and heat and drought conditions.

Picture taken at V's place in Sainikpuri

Bear's Breeches

Acanthus spinosus - or Bear's Breeches as it is commonly known.  The flower spikes resemble tall foxgloves from a distance.  Flowering period is June-September. The flowers are tubular, whitish and lilac in colour.

Once established, it is very difficult to move them. It has an underground rhizome.  So care has to be taken when planting.  The flower is native to the Mediterranean region. 

Picture taken at Isleworth, London.

Hoya

Hoya also known as waxplant, waxvine or waxflower.  Generally a creeper or vine.  Native to India, China, Malaysia, Thailand.  Named by a botanist Robert Brown in honour of his friend, Thomas Hoy.   Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family)

The flower is generally star shaped with five thick waxy petals, topped with another star shaped structure.

Picture courtesy - CK, taken in T's garden in Bangalore. 

Bleeding Heart Creeper

Clerodendrum thomsonae - Popularly known as white bleeding heart, clerodendron - belongs to Verbena family. The name is derived from Greek word - kleros - meaning fate and dendron - meaning tree.

An ornamental climber.  The red/scarlet flower stands out against the white calyx which is heart shaped. The red/scarlet corolla bears four small stamens that is believed to trap insects.  The flowers thicken to a fruit with a red star on it which turns green and then purple and finally black.

In the garden of J& A at Udupi.