Bells of Ireland

Botanical name: Molucca laevis Family: Acanthaceae (ruellia family)
The common name, Bells of Ireland, make people mistakenly think the plant originates in Ireland. The plant is named after the Molucca Islands in Indonesia and thought to be from the islands, too. M. laevis is native to Western Asia, Turkey, Syria, and the Caucasus. Syria is where the plant is most often found. The flowers of Moluccella laevis are a symbol of good luck. Cut flowers will last 7 to 10 days in a vase. What is often mistaken for a green flower is actually the calyx or cup-shaped leaves around the base of the flowers. The actual flower is a small white fragrant flower inside the "bell." When dried, the leaves turn pale beige and will last for years.

Common name: Polka Dot Plant, Freckle Face, Flamingo-plant, Measles plant

Botanical name: Hypoestes phyllostachya Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)
Synonyms: Hypoestes sanguinolenta
Polka dot plant is a delicate tropical foliage plant, which has become popular as a novelty house-plant. It is a perennial herb native to Africa, growing 1-2 ft tall. It is grown for its pink, red or white mottled, dark-green leaves. Leaves are ovate in shape and are generally 3-4 cm long. The pink-purple flowers occur in leafy spikes during the summer season. However, the flowers are negligible in comparison to the brightly spotted foliage. In NE India, Polka Dot Plant seems to have escaped cultivation, and is frequently seen growing wild.

Common name: Dragon's Breath, Narrow Leaf Hemigraphis, Waffle Plant, Dragon's Tongue

Botanical name: Hemigraphis repanda Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)
Synonyms: Ruellia repanda
Dragon’s Breath is a small plant, never rising more than 6 inches in height. What makes the plant attractive is the colorful purple leaves and the lovely white to pink flowers. The leaves are thin and elongated with a crinkled texture and toothed margins. They are deep shades of almost black burgundy, maroon and olive green. Beginning in late spring it is covered nearly every day by tiny Baby's Breath like white flowers that contrast nicely with the dark foliage. The stems are fine and delicate and the growth habit is dense and tight, making it an excellent choice for ground cover, borders, hanging baskets, window boxes and especially mixed color container gardens. Dragon’s Breath is native to Malaysia, but grown as an ornamental in parts of India.

Common name: Crossandra, Firecracker Flower

Botanical name: Crossandra infundibuliformis Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)
In South India, Kanakambaram is the favourite flowers of ladies to put in their hair. It competes strongly with jasmine to adorn the south-Indian hair-do's. The crossandra is in the family with Mexican petunias, or ruellias, and the Mississippi Medallion award-winning yellow shrimp plant. This tropical from India and Sri Lanka offers a welcome orange, salmon or yellow to the filtered-light area. In addition to the flowers that are practically non-stop for the entire season, the foliage also offers added interest. The leaves are glossy and most striking. Choose a site with well-drained, fertile soil with perhaps a little morning sun. If you have tight, heavy clay soil, the crossandra will reward you for incorporating 3 to 4 inches of organic matter. As the plant grows, keep it deadheaded and pinched back; it will maintain a bushy shape and keep blooming with each new flush of growth.

Scarlet Clock Vine, Chonga lota (Assamese)

Botanical name: Thunbergia coccinea Family: Acanthaceae (ruellia family)
This is gorgeous tropical climbing vine, which is extremely rare in cultivation. The bright red flowers of unusual shape are hanging from the vine in clusters, and look stunning. The intensity of the color seems to depend upon the temperature in which it is blooming. It appears that the orange coloring is more likely in warmer temperatures, and some fading from full sun, while the more intense redish coloring when blooming in cooler conditions. Thunbergia coccinea is best displayed on structures where the racemes can hang down. They begin to bloom in Late Fall, and continue to Spring. The blooms cease with increased hot temperatures of summer. Thunbergia coccinea does not seem to be fussy with soil requirements, and seems happy in average soil. Propagation is most predictable with stiff green cuttings, on stems with active growth, while seed is more difficult. Origin: India, Burma, Malaya

Swan's neck agave

common name: Swan's neck agave, Foxtail Agave, Dragon-Tree Agave, Spineless Agave
Botanical name: Agave attenuata Family: Agavaceae (agave family)
Swan's neck agave is a species of agave sometimes known as the "lion's tail", "foxtail",

“elephant’s trunk”, for its development of a curved stem, unusual among agaves. Native to

the plateau of central Mexico, as one of the unarmed agaves, it is popular as an ornamental

plant in gardens. The stems typically range from 50-150 cm in length, and eventually old

leaves fall off, leaving them naked and visible. The plants have a large rosette of thick

fleshy leaves generally ending in a sharp point. It may take up to 10 years to bloom. Swan’s

neck agave's flower spike is a thing of wonder, and will either produce greenish-yellow

flowers or thousands of small plantlets, on its' entire length. Each plant stalk blooms only

once. Unlike other members of it's family this plant doesn't die after flowering. Agave

attenuata are best propagated by digging pups produced at the base of older plants and seeds

germinate readily when they are fresh.
Photographed in Pune, Maharshtra

Ganges Primrose

Common name: Ganges Primrose, Chinese violet, Creeping foxglove • Kannada: Meddhe soppu,

Lavan-valli, Maithaala kaddi • Malayalam: Valli-upu-dali • Marathi: लवण वल्ली Lavana valli •

Tamil: Parchorri, Chorri, Mekampokki • Telugu: Mukka mungera, Poda beera
Botanical name: Asystasia gangetica Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)
Asystasia means inconsistency and relates to the fact that the corolla is more or less

regular which is unusual in the family Acanthaceae. The word gangetica is derived from the

Ganga river in India where it is presumed the species occurs. The Marathi name Lavana valli

means salt resistant creeper. Ganges primrose is an attractive, fast-growing, spreading,

herbaceous groundcover that grows from 30 cm to 60 cm in height. The stems root easily at

the nodes. Leaves are simple and dark green. It produces a cream-coloured flower with

tessellated purple markings on the palate (lower petal of the corolla) in spring and summer.

Flowers are produced over a long period and are followed by capsules with brown seeds. It is

semi-hardy, and young plants require protection in areas of heavy frost. In tropical areas

it can grow rampantly.

Bear breeches

Bear's Breeches

Tell a friend about this flower!

Common name: Bear's Breeches, Spiny Acanthus
Botanical name: Acanthus spinosus Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)
Bear's Breeches is an evergreen perennial plant, growing to 1.5-2 ft tall. It is about 2-3 ft in spread. It has showy large, deeply lobed, glossy green leaves with spiny tips. Pink or purple flowers are borne in erect spikes at the end of branches. Long lasting white-lipped flowers are anchored by a green-gray bract and nearly hidden by a decorative, hood-like purple calyx. Bear's Breeches is native to the eastern Mediterranean region.