Common Name: Red ginger. Red ginger is a native of Malaysia naturalized in India. It is a beautiful ornamental plant, the main attraction being the red bracts that cover the flower. The plant can easily grow to around 1.5 meters in height. It is a favorite among landscape garden planners and horticulturists: several cultivar varieties … Read More “Alpinia purpurata (Zingiberaceae- Ginger family)” »
Author: Rajesh Ramnarayan
Common Name: Spurred butterfly pea. Tamil Name: Kattupayar Spurred butterfly pea is a twining herb of American origin. This plant is commonly found in the forest edges of Western Ghats. It is a dominant plant around Mukkali (Palakkad district) located near Silent valley. The plant twins around hedges and other nearby vegetation. The tri-foliate leaves … Read More “Centosema molle (Fabacae- Pea family)” »
Common Name: Arabian cucumber, Hedgehog cucumber. This plant is a weak stemmed climber with tendrils. The plant is of African origin and was reported from India in 2010. The plant is threatening to become invasive in areas around Peninsular India. In Coimbatore district it has become a common road-side and fallow land plant in areas … Read More “Cucumis dipsaceus (Cucurbitaceae- Pumpkin family)” »
Common Name: Datura prickly burr, Downy thorn-apple. Tamil Name: Karuumattai Datura prickly burr grows to a height of about a meter and is found commonly on road-sides and fallow lands in Tamilnadu. All parts of this plant are poisonous. The leaf stalk and leaf measure around 4.5 cm and 12 cm respectively. The leaf shape … Read More “Datura innoxia (Solanacae- Potato family)” »
Common Name: Smooth rattelpod. Tamil Name: Kilu-Kiluppai Smooth rattelpod is a sub-shrub often seen on road-sides and fallow lands in Tamilnadu; it grows to a height of about 1.5 meters. The leaves have a trifoliate arrangement; leaf shape is obovate, base is cuneate and apex rounded. The leaf stalk measures around 4.5 cm. The central … Read More “Crotalaria pallida (Fabaceae- Pea family)” »