Dazzling Dahlia

 Dahlia is a native of tropical America, but it has happily made India its home. There are around 36 species of Dahlia. There are the pretty single flowers and  the dazzling dinner plate varieties.  The colours range from purple to white,  in the hybrid varieties.

 Since they have eight sets of chromosomes, unlike other plants which have only two.

Dahlia is named after the scientist Anders Dahl.

Chocolate Plant

Pseuderanthemun alatum is called the Chocolate Plant because of its chocolate coloured leaves. The small purple flowers bloom throughout the year. Although it is a native of Mexico, this plant has adapted itself to the climate in Bangalore.

A Black Beauty- Bat Flower

 The Bat Flower Tacca chantrieri belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae (Yam). It is native to India and Southeast Asia. The unusual black flower has long whiskers and looks like a bat.

Only diehard gardeners seem to like its outlandish beauty. The plant itself is attractive with bright green leaves, but it is hardly seen in any garden.

Gmelina asiatica

Gmelina is a small tree or bush, sometimes with thorns, which is found in scrub jungles. It belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It has attractive, large yellow flowers.The plant is called Gopabhadra in Sanskrit.
The plant is widely used in making Ayurvedic medicine to combat asthma, bronchitis and other lung diseases.

Bread Flower

Vallaris heynei is sometimes called Bread Flower because its fragrance reminds some people of newly baked bread. Belonging to the Apocynaceae family, this flower is known as Bhadravalli in Sanskrit. The vine can be trained over pergolas and arches.A native plant of India and Southeast Asia, this flower is the state floral emblem of Malacca.The fragrant flowers are very popular in Thailand and Malaysia, where it is known as Kesidang.The flowers attract butterflies and small birds.

Golden Everlasting Flower

The Golden Everlasting flower Bracteantha bracteata belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is a native of Australia. Its petals feel dry to the touch. We were surprised to see these plants growing like weeds in the Nilgiris last month. They are flowering cheek by jowl with the native Kurinji, which will flower next only after 12 years. I hope these foreign invaders would not have completely displaced our beautiful Kurinji by then.

Milk Thistle- the Royal Emblem of Scotland

I saw the Milk Thistle Silybum marianum growing wild by the roadside in Ooty recently. It must have been introduced by the Scottish tea planters a couple of centuries ago.

The Milk Thistle is also known as St.Mary's Thistle. It is the floral emblem of Scotland. According to a Scottish legend, the Vikings planned to invade Scotland in the hoary past. To avoid any noise, they took off their boots and advanced towards the Scottish garrison, but they were stung severely by the thorns of the thistles. Their cries of agony alerted the Scots  who drove them away.
The Milk Thistle has many medicinal uses. It is used for the treatment of  liver cirrhosis,. It is also used to lower cholesterol levels,and in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.