~ World Of Flowers ~

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Common name: Wax Begonia, Fibrous Begonia, bedding begonia, perpetual begonia
Botanical name: Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum Family: Begoniaceae (Begonia family)

Wax Begonia are tough little compact garden plants, growing barely a foot high. However, they provide almost continuous color in full sun or partial shade locations for many months, and can easily be grown as a houseplant. The single or double flowers are available in various shades of red, pink, or white, and the shiny, large, succulent leaves are either green, variegated, or bronze-colored. It is the leaf coloration which attracts many people to Wax Begonia. The bronze-leaved begonias are better suited to full sun locations and plants will flower from spring. These kinds are seen more often in the warmer regions of India. Plant 12 inches apart in a bed to form a solid mass of color. If desired, plants can be dug up and potted, cut back by one-third, and will continue to bloom indoors. Wax Begonaias are a group of cultivars developed from hybridization of several species, especially B. cucullata and B. schmidtiana.

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Biological Name: Primula vulgaris (red)
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Primula

Primula vulgaris (syn. P. acaulis (L.) Hill) is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe (from the Faroe Island and Norway south to Portugal, and east to Germany, Ukraine, the Crimea, and the Balkans), northwest Africa (Algeria), and southwest Asia (Turkey east to Iran).[1][2] The common name is primrose,[3] or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species also called primroses.

It is an herbaceous perennial plant, low growing, to 10–30 cm tall, with a basal rosette of leaves. The leaves are 5–25 cm long and 2–6 cm broad with an irregularly crenate to dentate margin, and a usually short leaf stem. The flowers are 2–4 cm in diameter, borne singly on a slender stem, pale yellow, white, red, or purple (see further below), actinomorphic with a superior ovary which later forms a capsule which opens by valves to release the small black seeds. The flowers are hermaphrodite but heterostylous; individual plants bear either pin flowers (longuistylous flower: with the capita of the style prominent) or thrum flowers (brevistylous flower: with the stamens prominent). Fertilisation can only take place between pin and thrum flowers. Pin-to-pin and thrum-to-thrum pollination is ineffective.[4][5]
Pin flower of primrose

It flowers in early spring, one of the earliest spring flowers in much of Europe. ("Primrose" is ultimately from Old French primerose or medieval Latin prima rosa, meaning "first rose".)[6] In appropriate conditions, it can cover the ground in open woods and shaded hedgerows.

In more populated areas it has sometimes suffered from over-collection and theft so that few natural displays of primroses in abundance can now be found. However it is common on motorway verges and railway embankments where human intervention is restricted. To prevent excessive damage to the species, picking of primroses or the removal of primrose plants from the wild is illegal in many countries

[MysteRy]

Biological Name: Primula vialii
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Primula

Primula vialii is a very striking plant, especially when seen grown in groups, it is easy to distinguish from other primroses, its distinctive flowers have a bottle brush appearance unlike any other in the genus. A a rosette-forming herbaceous perennial, its stout stalk is crowded with hundreds of tiny flowers of red calyces and blue-violet corollas.
It is rare to find this plant in its native haunts, as it comes close, if not already, to being an endangered species.

Since the foliage is dormant for seven months of the year, the best way to plant them is as a colony under and around evergreen ferns, hostas or other small plants. Given suitably moist soil, they will also thrive in a more open situation, such as the junction of a pond and rock garden, where the right set of growing conditions is reasonably easily provided.
When they come into bloom they are spectacular. The short-lived perennials thrive in moist, humus rich, well-drained soil with lots of leaf mold. In these conditions the plants will sometimes live longer. Since they are late to leaf out in spring, mark their positions well. Easy to start from seed, they reliably bloom their second year.

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Common name: Dickie's Primrose
Botanical name: Primula dickieana
Family: Primulaceae (Primrose family)
Synonyms: Aleuritia dickieana

Dickie's Primrose is a perennial herb found in NE India. Leaf stalks are winged, about 1/5 to as long as leaf blade. Leaves are elliptic-obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5-7 cm long, 0.3-1 cm broad, tapering at base, margin nearly entire to remotely toothed. Flowering stem is 8-20 cm tall. Yellow flowers are borne in 1-6-flowered umbels. Flower-stalks are 1-7 mm, elongating to 2.5 cm in fruit. Sepal cup is tubular-bellshaped, 6.5-8 mm, parted to 1/3 or near middle. Sepals are triangular. Flowers can be yellow, white, or purple. Flower-tube is 3-4 times as long as the sepal cup, velvety at mouth and inside. Flowers are 2-3 cm wide with inverted- heartshaped petals 7-8 mm. Capsule is ovoid, nearly as long as calyx. Dickie's Primrose is found in wet meadows in the Himalayas, at elevations of 4000-5000 m in Bhutan, Myanmar, NE India, Nepal and Sikkim. Flowering: June-July.

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Common name: Foxtail Orchid, Blunt Rhynchostylis
Botanical name: Rhynchostylis retusa
Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)

This is a medium sized, warm to hot growing species that comes from Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. It is found in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests woodlands at elevations of sealevel to 700 m with stout, repent, short stem carrying to 12, curved, fleshy, deeply channeled, keeld, retuse apically leaves and blooms on an axillary, pendant, to 60 cm long, racemose, densely many flowered, cylyndrical inflorescence that occurs in the winter and early spring and requires even water and fertilizer year round.

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Common name: Himalayan Galearis
Botanical name: [Galearis spathulata (Lindl.) P.F.Hunt] Galearis spathulata
Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Galeorchis spathulata, Orchis spathulata

Himalayan Galearis is a terrestrial orchid with flowers white or dark purple, borne on a short stem with usually a single leaf at the base. Flowers are about 1.2 cm across, lip broadly elliptic, entire or obscurely 3-lobed, as long as the sepals and with many shallow longitudinal grooves. Spur is cylindrical, stout and nearly half as long as the ovary. Sepals are unequal, the dorsal one ovate, forming a hood with the petals, the lateral ones spreading. Bracts are leafy, as long or longer than the flowers. Leaf is blunt, fleshy, elliptic-oblong, stalked, 2.5-5.7 cm. Stem is angled, 5-20 cm tall. Himalayan Galearis is found in the Himalayas, from Uttarakhand to Bhutan, at altitudes of 3000-4300 m. Flowering: June-July.

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Common name: Common Columbine, European columbine, Granny's nightcap, Granny's bonnet
Botanical name: [Aquilegia vulgaris L.] Aquilegia vulgaris
Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

Common columbine is is a species of columbine native to Europe. It is a flowering perennial herb growing up to 1.2 m tall, with branched, thinly hairy stems. The leaves are compound, with the basal leaflets themselves trifoliate. The beautifully shaped flowers are in various shades of purple, blue, pink and white, are pendent or horizontal with hooked spurs, and appear in early Summer. The original wild flower comes in shades of blue, purple, pink and white, around 2-3' tall, but hybrids have been bred for garden use, so that now these hardy perennials are available in all sizes from just a few inches to several feet high, in all colours and combinations of colours imaginable.

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Common name: Strawberry Clover
Botanical name: [Trifolium fragiferum L.] Trifolium fragiferum
Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Amoria fragifera, Trifolium neglectu, Trifolium bonannii

Strawberry Clover is a prostrate creeping perennial herb with stems up to 50 cm long, usually rooting from nodes. Leaves are borne on long stalks. Each blade is made up of usually three toothed oval leaflets up to 2-2.5 cm long. Stipules are to 1.5 cm long, spear-shaped, membranous. Flowers pink to whitish, pea-shaped, borne in dense head-like clusters atop leafless stems. The head of flowers is around a cm long when first flowering. It increases in size to 2 cm as the fruits develop, the sepals becoming thin and inflated, fuzzy and pinkish in color, to resemble a strawberry or raspberry, hence the common name. Strawberry Clover is found in Pakistan, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Ethiopia, N. Africa, Arabia, Egypt, Caucasus and Europe. Flowering: May-August.

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Common name: Large Leaf Primrose
Botanical name: [Primula macrophylla var. macrophylla]
Family: Primulaceae (Primrose family)

Large Leaf Primrose is a perennial herb, characterized by a moderately dense head of 5-25 purple, violet or lilac flowers with with usually a dark eye. Petals are entire, elliptic to ovate, flower-tube 1-3 cm long. Sepal cup is cylindrical with linear-lanceshaped sepals. Flower-stalks are up to 2.5 long. Flowering stems are 12-25 cm tall. Leaves are erect, 10-30 cm long, entire or toothed, white powdery beneath, gradually tapering to a long sheathing leaf-stalk. Capsule is cylindric, up to 2.5 cm. Large Leaf Primrose is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to SE Tibet, at altitudes of 3300-4800 m. Flowering: June-August.

[MysteRy]

Common name: Catnip, Pink Catmint
Botanical name: Nepeta spp.
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)

Pink Catmint, a cousine of the better known Nepeta cataria, is a 50–100 cm tall herb resembling mint in appearance, with hairy green leaves; the flowers are pinkish white, with purple throat. The genus is native to Europe, Asia and Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region east to China. Most of the species are herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annuals. They have sturdy stems with opposite heart-shaped, green to greyish-green leaves. The flowers are white, blue, pink or lilac and occur in several clusters toward the tip of the stems. Before the introduction of Chinese tea, catmint was used to make tea by the British. Catnip and catmints are mainly known for, and named after, the effects they have on cats, particularly domestic cats. Catnip contains nepetalactone, a terpene, that is thought to mimic feline sex pheromones. Cats detect it through their vomeronasal organs. When cats sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip, they will rub in it, roll over it, paw at it, chew it, lick it, leap about and purr.
Medicinal uses: [Warning: Unverified information] Due to the fact that catnip promotes sweating when used as an herbal tea, it was used for the treatment of nervousness, colds, influenza, and fevers during the Middle Ages. Catnip has also been alleged to aid with flatulence, diarrhea, colic, and other childhood diseases, as well as preventing miscarriages, premature births, and morning sickness.

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Common name: Gerber daisy, Transvaal daisy, Barberton daisy daisy
Botanical name: Gerbera Jamesonii
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Gerbera daisy is a tender perennial plant that is known for its huge, brilliantly-colored flowers. The spectacular flowers resemble large daisies with a golden center surrounded by one or more ranks of "petals" (actually ray flowers) In nature these ray flowers range in color from yellow to deep orange but selected varieties extend the color palette to include white, cream, pink, red, crimson and even violet. Both single and double forms are available. Flowers range in size from 2.5 to 4 inch diameters and are held on 12 to 18 inch stems. The coarse leaves are 8 to 10 inches in length and are arranged in a rosette forming low mounds that are about 12 inches wide. The Gerbera daisy is native to the Transvaal region of South Africa.

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Common name: Frangipani
Botanical name: Plumeria rubra
Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Frangipani, also known as the Lei flower, is native to warm tropical areas of the Pacific Islands, Caribbean, South America and Mexico. They can grow to be large shrubs or even small trees in mild areas of the U.S. In tropical regions, Plumeria may reach a height of 30' to 40' and half as wide. Their widely spaced thick succulent branches are round or pointed, and have long leather, fleshy leaves in clusters near the branch tips. Leaves tend to fall in early winter since they are deciduous and sensitive to cold.

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Common name: Zinnia, Common zinnia
Botanical name: Zinnia elegans
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Originally coming from Mexico, this is a very popular flower, with its wide range of colours and sizes. Many varieties differing in weight, shape, size and colour have been evolved. The leaves are oval and rough textured. There are single, semi-double or double flowers and the colours range from white, cream, yellow, orange over rose, purple scarlet, maroon, to lilac, lavender, magenta, mauve, salmon to violet. Grown as tall (75 - 90 cm), medium (45 - 60 cm) and dwarf (15 - 45 cm) varieties, Zinnias are suitable for beds, borders, and pots. The cut flowers are commonly used in flower arrangements. They are grown by seeds and survive best in light and medium loam soils, rich in organic matter and in a sunny environment. Frequent and heavy watering is required. Generally, there is no damage from insects.

[MysteRy]

Common name: Zinnia, Common zinnia
Botanical name: Zinnia elegans
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Originally coming from Mexico, this is a very popular flower, with its wide range of colours and sizes. Many varieties differing in weight, shape, size and colour have been evolved. The leaves are oval and rough textured. There are single, semi-double or double flowers and the colours range from white, cream, yellow, orange over rose, purple scarlet, maroon, to lilac, lavender, magenta, mauve, salmon to violet. Grown as tall (75 - 90 cm), medium (45 - 60 cm) and dwarf (15 - 45 cm) varieties, Zinnias are suitable for beds, borders, and pots. The cut flowers are commonly used in flower arrangements. They are grown by seeds and survive best in light and medium loam soils, rich in organic matter and in a sunny environment. Frequent and heavy watering is required. Generally, there is no damage from insects.

[MysteRy]

Common name: Zinnia, Common zinnia
Botanical name: Zinnia elegans
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Originally coming from Mexico, this is a very popular flower, with its wide range of colours and sizes. Many varieties differing in weight, shape, size and colour have been evolved. The leaves are oval and rough textured. There are single, semi-double or double flowers and the colours range from white, cream, yellow, orange over rose, purple scarlet, maroon, to lilac, lavender, magenta, mauve, salmon to violet. Grown as tall (75 - 90 cm), medium (45 - 60 cm) and dwarf (15 - 45 cm) varieties, Zinnias are suitable for beds, borders, and pots. The cut flowers are commonly used in flower arrangements. They are grown by seeds and survive best in light and medium loam soils, rich in organic matter and in a sunny environment. Frequent and heavy watering is required. Generally, there is no damage from insects.