Common Name: Purple Morning glory, Mysore argyreia. Tamil Name: Kanvalipoo Purple morning glory is a climbing shrub native to India. It grows to height of about 4 feet, the plant is erect with few branches. It is mostly seen around rocky mountain sides of dry deciduous slopes of Western Ghat area. Occasionally seen in Anaikatti … Read More “Argyreia cuneata (Convolvulaceae- Morning glory family)” »
Common Name: Erect prickly pear, Common prickly pear. Tamil Name: Chappathikalli Erect prickly pear is a shrub of Coastal American origin, it grows to a height of about 4 feet. The leafs are rudimentary and fall off quickly. The stem is in the form of flat green succulent structures called cladode. These cladode are ovate … Read More “Opuntia stricta (Cactaceae- Cactus family)” »
Common name: Wooly cassia, Hairy senna. Tamil Name: Malaiyavarai Wooly cassia is native to South America, it is a sub-shrub that grows to around 2 feet in height. It has been naturalized in India, often seen on road-sides and fallow lands in hilly areas of Western Ghats. Generally prefers the mid-altitude areas- between 700 MSL … Read More “Senna hirsuta (Caesalpiniaceae- Gulmohar family)” »
Common Name: Indian alder, Nepal alder Indian alder is massive tree that can grow to around 35 meters in height. It is often seen planted in high altitude areas of Nilgiris and Kodaikanal. This tree prefers the high altitude areas in Western Ghat-generally seen above 1700 MSL. The simple leaves are arranged in an alternate … Read More “Alnus nepalensis (Betulaceae- Birch family)” »
Common Name: Sticky nightshade, Bitter apple. Sticky nightshade is a sub-shrub of South American origin and grows to a height of about 1 meter. It is seen in hilly areas of Western Ghats -mostly seen above 1800 MSL. The entire plant is hairy and prickly, the stem appears yellowish-orange in color. The simple leaves are … Read More “Solanum sisymbriifolium (Solanaceae- Potatoe family)” »
