Australian Bottle Plant

Common Name : Buddha Belly Plant, Pyhsic Nut.  A native of tropical America.

Australian bottle plant so called because it has a bottle shaped trunk thought to resemble the Buddha Belly!  This one is a realively small plant and the trunk was like this.  
It has tiny flowers occuring in clusters,  that are coral shaped placed on long stems .  The leaves are large and lobed. The flowers are found almost throughtout the year.

These pictures were taken at Gun Rock Colony, Secunderabad.

Botanical name: Jatropha podagrica
Family: Euphorbiaceae (Castor family)

Violet or Viola

 

Violet - flowers that are found in colours other than violet also.  Yellow, blue, white and cream.  Seen here are yellow flowers with fine streaks on them.   There are flowers that have petals which have blotches on them and these are the pansies.  Belonging to the same family.

Viola flowers are edible.  Newly opened flowers are used to decorate food.  Young leaves can be consumed raw or cooked.  Essences have been extracted from the flowers too.

Botanical name: Viola spp.    Family: Violaceae (Violet family)

Flower pictures taken at Lodhi Gardens, New Delhi   

 

Asiatic Lilly

These lilies are supposed to be easy to grow.  And available in what one nursery had to say in all the rainbow colours.

Pretty aren't they?  They require very little care.  And seen in full bloom from June - July.

Botanical name - Lilium Asiatic

At Lake District. UK.  The owners even left a label along with the plant.

Rose Campion

The bed of silver foliage set my camera into action.  I am still trying to identify the others.  This one with purple, purple-red attractive flowers is the Rose Campion

Also known as Silene Coronaria.  Belonging to the carnation family.  Silver and red make a striking combination!

Botanical name - Lychnis Coronaria.

Family - Caryophyllaceae

Foxglove

A short lived perennial plant.  Flowers are arranged in a showy elongated cluster.  The scientific name digitalis is because it is finger like and can be easily slipped over a finger tip.  There are many folklores attached to the flower. It is said that bad fairies gave these to the fox so that they could wear it to muffle the sound of their walk and thus spring on unsuspecting prey!

Botanical name: Digitalis purpurea    Family: Scrophulariaceae (Dog flower family)

Picture taken in Lake District UK by S and myself.



Seen in many hues of purple to gray to white.

Moss Verbena

The five petalled Verbena flowers are dainty and attractive.  This one is in purple.  I am told they are found in a few other colours too.  They have these nicely divided leaves giving the plant a delicate look.  Supposedly a no fuss plant they are ideal for ground cover.  They are used extensively in buterfly gardening, since the flower is a favourite of the winged creature.

Botanical name: Glandularia pulchella    Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena family)



Picture taken at Lodi Gardens, New Delhi

Dianthus

Common name: China Pink, Dianthus, Indian Pink, Chinese pink, Rainbow Pink

Dianthus the name is of Greek origin  - Dios ( god) Anthos ( flower).  Native to China and India, and Europe.

Extremely popular garden flowers, even though they are shortlived.  Pretty colours.  Their fringed petals add to their beauty. 

I photographed these at the horticulture show at Necklace Road. 



Botanical name: Dianthus chinensis     Family: Caryophyllaceae (pink family)

Foxtail Asparagus

Common name: Asparagus Fern, Sprenger Asparagus, Foxtail Asparagus

Though called asparagus fern, this weed ( yes it is  a weed , but cultivated for ornamental purposes!) belongs to the lilly family.  It is a drooping bushy plant and hence the name - fox tail.

It has stiff branches and tiny scale like leaves.  I had a foxtail for years and never saw the flowers, till I spotted these tiny white flowers and berries in the plant that was in my SIL's garden.



The flowers are white or slightly pinkish.  And it has red berries.

When planted in the ground it can be invasive and are ideal for pots and hanging baskets.

Common name: Asparagus Fern, Sprenger Asparagus, Foxtail Asparagus

Ragged Mallow

An erect shrub. The flower is solitary at the tips of branches.  The seeds are furrowed and ridged. Leaves are ragged .  Found this growing wild outside the wall of a house that had a well kept garden.  The flower was so pretty that I had to take a picture.

Botanical name: Abutilon pannosum    Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Picture taken - Marru enclave , Yapral

Butterfly Pea

I go past the apartments which has this climber over its compound wall.  Have not been able to stop and take the picture, and have finally used the one my bro took on his visit to India last year. 

The flower is seen generally in cobalt blue, but it appears you have it in white and a light lavender hue too.  The flowers are presented upside down and give it its unique appearance.  They flower in late summer.  The deep blue flower with it's white throat.

A member of the pea family.  The peas can be used for sowing. The plant is a favourite for a hanging basket.

Botanical name: Clitoria ternatea    Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Yellow Bells

Common name: Yellow bells, Yellow trumpet, Yellow-Elder

Bright yellow flowers. Trumpet shaped, and are in clusters at the tips of branches.  The branches bend with the weight. Flowers from April upto spring.  A shrub or a small tree.  Has a bean type capsule that ripens to a brown colour.

Picture on left taken by me at Shilparamam. The other two were taken by M at Hitex Convention Centre, Hyderabad.


Botanical name: Tecoma stans    Family: Bignoniaceae (jacaranda family)

Sleeping Hibiscus

Common name: Sleeping hibiscus, Turk's Cap, Firecracker Hibiscus

I somehow always thought these were hibiscus flowers that had folded up.   Now I know better.  The name Sleeping Hibiscus is pretty apt too. 

Sleeping Hibiscus is a shrub from Mexico. The flowers are pendulous.  Have seen them only in red, but it appears there is a pink one too. 

Botanical name: Malvaviscus arboreus var. arboreus    Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Strangely, the sleeping hibiscus flowers best when in bright sunlight.  I would have thought otherwise!

Picture taken at Hitex Convention Center, Hyderabad.

Info - http://flowersofindia.net

Australian Gold Vine

Common name: Australian Gold Vine, Shower of gold climber, Vining Galphimia, Vining Milkweed

Golden yellow star shaped flowers that grow on a vine.  Has red stamens. This is the first time I have seen this vine.  The flowers seem very delicate apparently because of the lovely subdued yellow colour.

Botanical name: Tristellateia australasiae    Family: Malpighiaceae (Barabados cherry family).

Picture taken at Hitex Convention Centre, Hyderabad.

The four pillars on the outside of the pavillion had four different climbers.

Blue Dawn Flower

Common name - Blue Dawn Flower, Oceanblue morning-glory, Blue morning-glory



I saw the vine very nicely allowed to climb onto a pillar at the Hitex Convention Centre, at Hyderabad.

  The flowers open in the morning and fade to magenta by evening. Unfortunately I did not stay there long enough to see that happen.  This plant can also grow all over if left unheeded.  

Botanical name: Ipomoea indica    Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning glory family)

Red Cassia

Popular names : Red Cassia, Ceylon Senna



A popular avenue tree, native to South India and Sri Lanka.  The drooping branches provide shade and add to the beauty of the tree.  In full bloom clusters of flowers in red, pink, orange cover the branches. 



Seen lining the Necklace Road, Hyderabad, it is a pretty sight even without too many flowers.  Hoping to capture the tree in full bloom little later.



Botanical name: Cassia roxburghii      Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Gulmohar family)

Desert Rose

Common name: Desert Rose, Adenium

This shrub/treelet has survived house-shifting and quite a few days of non-watering, these last four years.  And it has the most blooms this year.

Flower belongs to the same family as Frangipani.  It can also be grown as a bonsai.   A native of East Africa.

Botanical name: Adenium obesum    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)

Fancy - Leaf Calladiums

Common name: Fancy-Leaf Caladium, Artist's pallet, caladium, Elephant's ear, Heart of Jesus, Bkeeding Heart.

The leaf here is not as big as it looks.  Though caladiums can well grow 12 to 30 inches.  This one is pretty small, but my neighbour has huge leaves! 

Caladiums are tender perennials that start from tubers. . The heart- or arrowhead-shaped leaves may be why they are refered to as angels wings.  Caladiums are grown for their tropical look and bold, colorful foliage. There are over 100 varieties that offer unique color combinations in shades of green, red, pink or white, with prominently colored veins and contrasting backgrounds and borders. The leaf color tends to be more intense in partial shade.

It has no stems - the leaves arise directly from the tuber, 6-12 inches long stalks. The stalks are attached to the leaves near the center. It is known to have an inflorescence and a fruit that is a berry.  Have never ever seen them. Fancy-Leaf Caladium is native to South America, grown as a garden plant throughout the tropical world.



 Botanical name: Caladium bicolor    Family: Araceae (Arum family)

Pictures taken at Hyderabad. The second one by my bro M

Information -

www.extension.iastate.edu/.../feb04/feb0407.html

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/famwise.html

Sago Palm

Common name: Sago palm, King sago palm, Sago Cycad
A rugged trunk, topped with whorled feathery leaves has lead to the common name "Sago Palm".  Actually not a palm but a cycad - that are primitive in their origins.  This group is called living fossils, since they have changed very little in 200 million years.

Botanical name: Cycas revoluta    Family: Cycadaceae (Sago Palm family)

Picture taken at Shilparamama, Hyderabad

Moses in the Cradle - Rhoeo Dwarf

Common name: Moses in the Cradle, Oysterplant, Boatlily, Moses-in-a-boat

A succulent herb with cluster of 6-12 swordlike leaves arising from a trunk like stem.  The leaves are green on top and purple/violet  below. The small white three-petaled flowers are hidden purple bracts .

It is known as 'Nargis', in the city of Hyderabad!! Nargis, is associated with the eye in Persian, and it is thought that the name was given because the boat shaped bracts with the white flower in the middle looks like the eye.  Interesting!

Botanical name: Tradescantia spathacea    Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)

Photographed at R's house, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

And the third picture on the left taken by Sa.

Amaryllis Lilly

The leafless stalk carries one to serveral flowers large open flowers.  They are grown for the large showy flowers. Predominantly in one single colour, while others may have pronounced colours on the upper part of the six petals than on the lower ones. 

Botanical name: Hippeastrum hybrid      Family: Amaryllidaceae (Nargis family)

Photographed at R's home - Jubilee Hills.