Flowers of Himachal: December 2011

Synotis Alata

Botanical Name: Synotis alata (Wall.exDC.) C.Jeffery & Y.Chen
Family: Asteraceae(Daisy family)
Synonyms:Senecio alatus Wall.ex DC.
Place of Collection:Dom ka Bag (Haripurdhar) Distt.Sirmour
Flowering time:September-October
Altitude:2300m On roadsides Shrubbereis

Tender Himalayan Ipecac is a very slender twining perennial herb which is much branched, hairless or velvety. Leaves are 2.5-10 cm long, 2.5-12 mm broad, linear or narrowly lanceolate, blunt, pointed or long-pointed. Base is rounded, and the leaves are hairless on both the sides with hairs on the nerves. Leaf-stalk is 2-5 mm long, minutely hairy. Flowers are borne in 2-4 flowered stalked cymes. The stalk of the cluster is longer or shorter than the leaves. Flower-stalk is 4-13 mm. Bracts are about 1-1.5 mm long, almost hairless. Sepal cup is 1.2-1.3 cm long, sepals ovate- lanceshaped, hairy. Flowers are purple, 8-9 mm in diameter, lobes linear- oblong, puberulous within, corona-scales are longer than the stamen-tube, tip pointed, incurved. Pollen masses are horizontal. Seed-pod is 8-8.5 cm x 3.5 mm, tapering towards the tip, hairless, channeled. Tender Himalayan Ipecac is found in the Himalayas, from Punjab to Bhutan, at altitudes of 2000-2500 mt.

Common Name: Himalayan Ipecac
Botanical Name: Tylophora tenerrima Wight
Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milk Weed family)
Place of Collection:Sangrah Distt. Sirmour
Flowering time:August-September
Altitude:1650m.On among grasses

Marsdenia Roylei Wight & Arn


Marsdenia Roylei Wight & Arn.

Botanical Name: Marsdenia Roylei Wight & Arn.
Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milk Weed family)
Place of Collection:Sangrah Distt.Sirmour
Flowering time:September-October
Altitude:On roadside shurbberies 1680m

Marsdenia Roylei Wight & Arn.

Winged-Stem Laggera

Winged-Stem Laggera is a robust much branched glandular-hairy herb, up to 2 ft tall. Stem is winged, wings herbaceous, entire, rarely somewhat toothed, continuous. Leaves are oblong, 2-8 x 0.7-1.5 cm, with decurrent bases and toothed margins, pointed to blunt, densely covered with longer hairs. Flower-heads are 1-1.3 cm across, arranged in leafy racemes, on short winged branches in leaf axils. Phyllaries are 4-5-seriate, outer lanceolate about 9 x 1 mm, inner longer, up to 10 mm long, green at the tip, glandular pubescent on the outer side. Female florets are about 6 mm long, minutely toothed. Bisexual florets are 7-8 mm long, 5-lobed. Cypselas are dark brown, about 1 mm long. Pappus is white, 6-7 mm long. Winged-Stem Laggera is found in the Himalayas, other parts of India, Africa, Thailand, Indo-China, China, Java and Philippines, at altitudes of 800-2500 mt.

Common Name: Winged-Stem Laggera
Botanical Name: Laggera alata(D.Don) Sch.-Bip.ex Oliver
Family: Asteraceae(Daisy family)
Synonyms:Blumea alata (D.Don)DC.
Place of Collection:Andheri (Sangrah)Distt. Sirmour
Flowering time:October-November
Altitude:1900m.On roadside stony slopes

Large-Flowered Ceropegia


Large-Flowered Ceropegia

Large-Flowered Ceropegia is an extensive climber with stem twining, and branches hairless or hairy. Leaves are 10-18 cm long, generally ovate- lanceolate, sometimes ovate, hairless or sparsely hairy on both the sides, leaf-stalk 0.6-1.3 cm long. Flowers are borne in stalked many flowered cymes. Flower-stalk is 0.6-2 cm long, bracts subulate. Sepals are 6-7 mm long. Flowers are pale, tube 1.5-3 cm long. Lower about one third part is inflated, then abruptly narrowed for 0.8-2.1 cm before dillating at mouth into an elongated crown. Lobes are 1.2-3 cm long, dull green at base, mottled purple above, with dense brown black tips, purple hairy. Seed pods are 10-13 cm long. Large-Flowered Ceropegia is found in subtropical Himalayas, from Kashmir to Bhutan, at altitudes of 150-500 mt.

Common Name: Large-Flowered Ceropegia
Botanical Name: Ceropegia macrantha Wight
Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family)
Synonyms:Ceropegia raizadiana Babu
Place of Collection:Bhalgon (Nahan),Distt. Sirmour
Flowering time:July-August
Altitude:850m,In Scrub forest

Large-Flowered Ceropegia