Bushman's Poison

I do not know if this shrub has been identified correctly.  Also known as  - Poison Bush

Native to Africa, but widely grown as an ornamental plant in India because of the profuse white flowers that are fragrant.  The latex of the plant is used by tribes in Africa to poison the tips of the arrows.  However,while  all parts of the plant are poisonous, the black seeds that follow the flowering is said to contain the highest amount of the toxin.

The small five petal flowers are white, tinged with pink. Flowering occurs mid February onwards.  And leaves are thick, dark and stiff.

Though fragrant and beautiful, it has been recommended that the plants are not planted in school campuses.

Picture taken in Lodhi Gardens, New Delhi

Botanical name: Acokanthera oppositifolia    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)

Calendula

Common name: Calendula, Pot Marigold, English Marigold  

These are bright yellow and orange flowers belonging to the Sunflower family.  They look similar to the Marigold flower - the most popular flower this season in India adorning doorways and garlands.

Pot marigolds are said to bloom at the beginning of the month and thus got its name from Kalendae, Latin for first day of the month. The petals of the flower are known to have medicinal properties.

Botanical name: Calendula officinalis    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family).   Pictures taken at Hitex, Hyderabad and Lodi Gardens in Delhi

 

California Lilac

A compact shrub / small tree with bright blue flowers.  Said to ideal for dense ground cover, for low walls, for fences....  And they have nice dark green leaves and therefore the blue flowers stand out.

Beautiful... Seen at the  resort in Hunters Quay, Dunoon, Scotland.

Species - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens

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   

 

Chilean Fire Bush

Common name - Chilean Fire Bush, Flame Flower



A upward growing tree / shrub.  Very striking due to the masses of bright red flowers.  Blooms early summer.  Flowers split into  curved, coiled, twisted tubes.    A very attractive tree when in full bloom.  Native to Chile and Argentina.



Botanical name - Embothrium coccineum

Photograph - Benmore gardens, Scotland

Cineraria

Flowers in white, pink, purple,sometimes with contrasting rings.  Very colourful.   Belonging to the sunflower family.

Botanical name: Pericallis x hybrida    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Photographed in Lodi Gardens, New Delhi. 

Reference - flowersofindia.net

African Daisy White

Common name: African daisy, Rain Daisy, Weather Prophet, Cape Marigold

Pretty aren't they?  Belongs to the sunflower family.  The lower sides of the petals are supposed to be slightly mauve.  Did not observe that.   They are native to Namibia.  And love sunny warm weather and are at their flowering best in the day time and face the sun, and so the face of the flower moves directions as the day progresses.

Seen in Lodhi Gardens, New Delhi.


Botanical name: Dimorphotheca pluvialis Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

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

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)

Firebush

Common name: Firebush, Scarlet bush, Hummingbird bush

Semi woody shrub. With clusters of showy reddish,orange-ish scarelet tubular flowers.

Supposed to have showy berries too. Somehow I missed that!

Picture taken at Maru Enclave, Yapral.

Botanical name: Hamelia patens     Family: Rubiaceae (coffee 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

Lonicera... which one?

Pictures here taken by S in London.  She writes that the plant has lovely red berries and flowers.  And I was given the task of identifying it.



I presume it belongs to Lonicera ( named in honour of a German botanist - Adam Lonicer).  And there are 180 species that belong to this family.  20 of them grow in Europe.  I think this might be Lonicera periclymenum, known as Common Honeysuckle, European Honeysuckle or Woodbine.



Flowers are creamy white or yellowish and has a fragrant smell and can be grown to beautify a hedge or a wall.

The fruit is a red berry and in most species are mildly poisonous.  The plant attracts moths and humming birds.

Surprisingly, I read that in certain places of US the plant is banned as it is invasive!

Family : Caprifoliaceae

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)

Periwinkle

Common name: Periwinkle, Vinca

A flower found growing all through the year.  It does not require too much care and can be seen growing on the roadside also.   They are found in many colours - white, red, purple, blue. 

Botanical name: Catharanthus roseus    Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Flower found on a pathway, Jubilee Hills.

Oleander

A native of India and the Mediterranean.  In many different colours - predominant among them - white, pink and red.  Five petals that are fringed at the base, generally in clusters at the end of the stem.  The animals keep clear of them as they are toxic.  They withstand heat, dust and water. Are generally found on dividers on Indian roads. 

Botanical name: Nerium oleander    Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Photgraphed - SBI colony, Secunderabad.

Ixora

Common name: Ixora, Jungle geranium

In full bloom, the plant looks so lovely.  Flowers are in various colours.

This was growing in the neighbour's house. 

Botanical name: Ixora coccinea    Family: Rubiaceae (coffee family)

And the white Chinese Ixora that was in my SIL's house at Sainikpuri.  The shrub was in full bloom.



Botanical name: Ixora chinensis    Family: Rubiaceae (coffee family)

Allamanda

Common Name - Trumpet Vine

A tropical shrub or vine.  The genus is named after Dr. F. Allamand, a professor of Natural History. This plant is a native of Brazil.  It is a fast growing vine that needs to be trimmed.  It flowers almost all the year.  The leathery leaves are lancelike, pointed, and may either be opposite or in whorls of three or four. These are seen in different colours. 

Botanical name: Allamanda cathartica      Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Jasmine

Common name: Arabian Jasmine 'Belle of India' • Hindi: Madan mogra  • Tamil: Gundu Malli

Madan Mogra .  Has slender oval shaped buds . Flowers are double and very fragrant .  If it is a plant that is near a wall, you can expect the flowers to be stolen by morning walkers.

In great demand for floral garlands.

This was taken at SIL's house at Sainkipuri, Secunderabad

Botanical name: Jasminum sambac var. 'Belle of India'    Family: Oleaceae (Jasmine family)

Lime Tree

I remember the song - Lemon Tree - by Trini Lopez ( a song of my time) - that goes -

Lemon Tree very pretty,

 and the lemon flower is sweet

 but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat...

Lime fruit is similar to lemon, but has a thinner skin, which turns yellow on ripening. Lime is a shrubby tree. The trunk rarely grows straight, with many branches that often originate quite far down on the trunk.  The flowers are yellowish white with a light purple tinge on the margins.  The juice is as sour as lemon juice, but more aromatic.

Botanical name: Citrus aurantifolia    Family: Rutaceae (Citrus family)

The tree photographed at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad. 

King's Mantle

Common name: Bush Clock Vine, King's Mantle


An upright shrub with dark green leaves and trumpet shaped purple flowers with yellow throats.

Flowers occur in leaf axils, either singly or in pairs, sitting on peduncles up to 1.5 inches long. Sepals cup is short, bowl shaped. The flower tube flares open into five dark purple, roundish petals, yellowish-white at the base. It can be grown as a bush with weeping branches or it can be trained like a vine.

Flowers last only for a few days, but the plant flowers continuously.

Botanical name: Thunbergia erecta    Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)

Picture taken - Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai