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  • Bicolor Scullcap, Scutellaria discolor Wall. ex Benth.

    Scutellaria is a large, subcosmopolitan genus of the Labiatae with 425 currently recognised species. However, the actual number is closer to 360 due to a large number which doubtfully merit specific status being recognised in the USSR and China (Paton 1990). The name Scutellaria, from the Latin word scutella meaning a dish, referring to the dish-like scutellum of some European species, was first used by Cortuso (1591) as an alternative name for Lamium peregrinum. Morison (1669) was first to suggest that Scutellaria should be given generic status. The English common name Skullcap and the French la Toque refer to the name Cassida, meaning a metal helmet, given by Colonna (1616). Bentham (1834) placed Scutellaria along with Prunella L. and Cleonia L. in the tribe Scutellarineae on account of the superficial calyx resemblance. Visiani (1847) removed Cleonia and Prunella which seems sensible. However Bentham (1848 and 1876) kept these genera together and merged them into the large tribe Stachydeae. This group does not seem natural and does not reflect the apparently isolated position of Scutellaria within the Labiatae. Caruel (1886), emphasising the character of the curved or bent embryo, placed Scutellaria, Perilomia and Salazaria in a new family-the Scutellariaceae, Scutellaria and its allies differ from the rest of the Lamioideae in lacking endosperm. According to a database of POWO, The native range of Scutellaria is Cosmopolitan and portrayed by ten species reported in India: Scutellaria barbata D.Don, Scutellaria discolor Wall. ex Benth., Scutellaria galericulata L., Scutellaria grossa Wall., Scutellaria heydei Hook.f., Scutellaria linearis Benth., Scutellaria prostrata Jacquem. ex Benth., Scutellaria repens Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don, Scutellaria scandens D.Don, Scutellaria violacea B.Heyne ex Benth.

    Scutellaria discolor Wall. ex Benth.

    Scutellaria discolor; A. Plant; B. Leaf; C. Flower; D. Floral leaves; E. Corolla Lower lip; F. Corolla Upper Lip; G. H. Three-quarter view of mature calyx with lobes closed to protect developing seeds; ; I. J. Calyx; K. Stamen; L. Carpel; M. N. Fruit, Nutlet.
    Scutellaria bicolor; A. F. Plant; B. L. Inflorescence; C. Calyx; D. Flower bud; E. G. H. Leaf; I. Corolla upper lip; J. Corolla lower lip; K. Flower; M. N. Calyx; O. P. Three-quarter view of mature calyx with lobes closed to protect developing seeds;
    Q. Floral leaf; R. Stamen; S. Carpel; T. U. Fruit, Nutlet; V. Rhizome.

     

     

    Scutellaria discolor Wall. ex Benth.

    Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Stems ascending to erect, 5.5-38 cm tall, densely puberulent, reddish, unbranched, apically leafless. Stem leaves in 2-4(-7) pairs; petiole 0.5-2.2(-4.8) cm; leaf blade elliptic-ovate to broadly elliptic, 1.5-7.4 × 1-4.8 cm, papery, pubescent or hirsute especially on veins, adaxially densely puberulent to hirsute, abaxially green or purplish, base cordate to shallowly cordate, margin undulate-crenate, apex rounded to obtuse. Racemes secund, 5-24 cm; peduncle 2.5-4 cm, densely puberulent; floral leaves sessile to short petiolate, ovate to elliptic, 0.7-2.5 × 0.5-1.5 cm, base rounded-truncate, apex obtuse; bracts ovate, 1.5-3 × ca. 1 mm, pubescent, margin entire. Flowers alternate or opposite. Pedicel purplish, 2.5-3 mm, densely pubescent. Calyx ca. 2 mm, pubescent outside, glandular pubescent; scutellum spreading, semicircular, 0.5-0.8 mm, reflexed, almost as long as calyx in fruit. Corolla purple, glandular pubescent outside, 0.9-1.2 cm; tube 7-10 mm, base bent, gradually dilated to 3 mm wide at throat; limb ca. 3 mm, puberulent or pubescent inside; middle lobe of lower lip ovate-orbicular; lateral lobes ovate to oblong-ovate. Nutlets brown, ovoid-ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm in diam., with acuminate tubercles tipped by a whorl of hooks.

    Flowering: Jun-November

    Fruiting: July- December.

  • Woolly Leucas 

    Woolly Leucas is a softly desnely wooly-haired perennial herb found on stony slopes in the Himalayas at altitudes of 700-3000 m.Erect, perennial herbs, with several branches from woody root-stock; branches obtusely 4-gonous, densely woolly or subsilky with erect or spreading hairs. Leaves opposite, 1.5-4 x 0.6-1.7 cm, narrowly ovate-lanceolate or oblong to ovate-oblong, acute or obtuse, crenate-serrate, rounded or slightly narrowed at base, thick, tomentose above, silky beneath, sometimes darker above in dry specimens, veins impressed above, upper ones sometimes sessile, rest shortly petioled. Flower-whorls axillary, many-flowered, densely woolly; bracts setaceous, densely hairy, much shorter than calyx. Calyx-tube 5-9 mm long, tubular, straight, ribbed, densely tomentose outside, pubescent or hairy within in upper one-third part; mouth truncate; true villi absent; sometimes hairs protrude beyond the mouth are confused for villi which are much shorter than teeth; teeth 10, alternately short and long, ca. 1.5 mm long, triangular-subulate. Corolla-tube included or little exserted, hairy outside; upper lip densely bearded with white hairs, smaller than lower. Nutlets ca 1.5 x 1 mm, oblong, 3-angular, truncate at apex, tuberculate, brown; seeds not hairy at the ends.

    Flowering: April-September.

    Leucas lanata Benth.; A. Plant; B. Inflorescence; C. Flower; D. Ventral Leaf; E. Calyx; F. G. Corolla tube; H. Carpel; I. Stamens

    content source: https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/229771

  • Slender Wild Basil Clinopodium gracile (Benth.)Kuntze.

    Small perennial herb, slender, stoloniferous; Stem quadrangular, numerous, tufted, erect or procumbent at the base, ascending, 8–30 cm, retrorse, pubescent; Leaves opposite, basal leaves circular-ovate, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.1 cm, base rounded, apex obtuse, margin remotely crenate, lower and mid stem leaves ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm, papery, sub-glabrous, abaxially sparsely hispid on veins, apex obtuse, base rounded to cuneate, margin
    remotely dentate or crenate-serrate, petioles 0.3–1 cm; Inflorescence verticillasters, few-flowered (5–10), lax or
    dense, crowded in short terminal raceme, floral leaves ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.8 cm, margin serrate, acute; Bract linear, acute, puberulous, much shorter than pedicel; Flower rose-pink, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, pedicel 1–3 mm; Calyx tubular, base rounded, ca. 3–5 mm and declinate in fruit, puberulent or subglabrous, minutely hispid on veins, throat sparsely fine pilose, teeth ciliate, lower two subulate, upper three triangular, reflexed
    in fruit; Corolla ca. 4.5 mm, puberulent; nutlets ovoid, smooth 0.4–0.5 mm (Image 1 and Figure 2). Common name: Calamint, Savory, Slender Wild Basil, Tower Flower.

    Flowering: The flowering has been observed in July.
    Habitat: Stream sides, open grasslands, forest margin, and thickets.

    Location: Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.

    Date of Collection: 27 July 2023.

    Image 1. Clinopodium gracile (Benth.) Kuntze: A—Habit of the plant | B—Stoloniferous root showing root hair (rh) | C—Whole plant revealing
    its vegetatve and reproductve parts | D—Abaxial surface of leaf with leaf petole (lp) | E—Adaxial surface of leaf and inforescence whorl (iw)
    | F—Young shoot displaying foral bud (f) | G—Base of pedicel manifestng bract (br) | H—Calyx portraying its tooth (ct) | I—Vertcillaster
    inforescence exhibitng fower arrangement. © Rimjhim Chandra.

  • Nepal Barberry, Toda plant

    Berberis napaulensis (DC.) Spreng.

     

    Nepal Barberry is an erect evergreen shrub to 3 m, with stout little-branched stems and large pinnate leaves borne at the ends of the stems. Flowers are yellow, in a at branch-ends cluster of several or many dense many-flowered spikes, 10-25 cm long. Petals about 6 mm, notched. Leaves oblong-lanceshaped. to 40 cm, with 4-7 pairs of stiff. slightly overlapping ovate leaflets with spiny marginal teeth and pointed apices; leaflets largest in the middle of the leaf, 6-9 crn long. Fruit in dense cylindrical clusters; berries purple-blue, round, strongly bloomed, 8-9 mm across. Nepal Barberry is found in the Himalayas, from W. Nepal to Bhutan, NE India, at altitudes of 2000-2900 m, and Southern Western Ghats. Flowering: 0ctober-April.

    In the Nilgiris, it is of religious and medicinal importance to the native Toda people of Tamil Nadu, who call it “Thovari” in their language. They use a paste made of the bark as a Traditional medicine remedy for women immediately after childbirth.

    Berberis napaulensis (DC.) Spreng. A. Bark, B. Ventral surface of leaf, C. Dorsal surface of leaf, D. Densed flowered Spike, E., F. Flower bud

  • Callicarpa tomentosa (L.) L.

    Local names: Beng.: Massandari: Hindi: Bastra: Kan.: Ardri; Mal.: Aattathekku: Mar.: Aisar: Tam.: Pandakaiyamaram.

    Small tree, 4 – 6 m high; branches and branchlets subterete or obtusely 4-angular; young parts densely yellowish stellate-pubescent; nodes slightly swollen;internodes 4-5 cm long. Leaves broadly ovate or ovate-elliptic, cordate, obtuse or even acute at base, subentire or minutely serrate along margins, acuminate at apex, 15-30 x 8 – 20 cm, subcoriaceous, dark green, rugose, glabrous above, densely stellate-tomentose beneath; lateral nerves 6-9 pairs, ascending, arcuateat margin, distinct beneath; petioles stout, cylindric, 2.5 – 9 cm long, densely, tomentose. Cymes axillary, bipartite or 2-forked; peduncles stout, 1 – 1.5 cm long, densely yellowish pubescent; bracts linear or subulate, ca 4 mm long; pedicels, ca 1 mm long. Calyx cupular, ca 1.5 x 1 mm, obscurely 4-toothed, stellate-pubescent outside. Corolla infundibular, reddish purple or purple, 4-lobed; lobesovate, entire, obtuse, recurved, ca 2 x 1 mm, glabrous; tube narrow, ca 2 x 1mm, ampliate towards apex. Stamens 4, inserted below corolla tube; filaments filiform, exserted, 4 – 6 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 2 x 1 mm, cream-coloured. Ovary globose, ca 1 mm, hirsute; style slender, recurved, 6 – 8 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate. Drupes globose, 3 – 4 mm, deep purple black when mature, 2 -4-seeded.

    Flowering & Fruiting: December – July.

    Habitat: Slopes in deciduous, evergreen to semievergreen forests, up to 1400 m. especially towards edges of secondary forests and shola border; uncommon.

    Distribution.: INDIA: Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil

    Nadu, Himachal Pradesh.

    BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, BURMA, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, NEPAL.

    NEW GUINEA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, SRI LANKA and THAILAND

    (Moldenke, 1980).

    Pollen grains: Spheroidal, diam. 40 um (range 39 – 42 µm). Ectine surface

    areolate (Nair & Rehman, I.c.). Chromosome Number: 2n = 130, 136 (Mehra, P.N. & Bawa, K.S. in Evolution 23: 466-481 1969): 2n = 130 (Mehra. P.N. in Nucleus 15: 64-65. 1972).

    Uses: Wood suitable for carving. Decoction of the bark used for skin troubles, hepatic obstructions and fever. Leaves boiled in milk are used as a wash for aphthae of the mouth (Ambasta, 1.c.). Specimens examined: GOA: Goa border from Annod, 5.11.1962, R.S. Rao.

    (a)Dorsal surface of leaf, (b) Ventral surface of leaf, (e) and (f) Dorsal and ventral surface with subentire or minutely serrate along margins, (c) and (d) densely stellate-tomentose on pedicel and peduncle, (g), (h) and (i) dissected single flower with four anthers, two carpels, (j), (k) and (l) Flower bud and axillary Cymes 2-forked inflorescence.

     

     

  • Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schltr.(Orchidaceae)

    Nervilia simplex tuber is subglobose to ovoid, 1 – 2 cm across, whitish, sparsely covered with root-knobes. Just one leaf produce annually; lamina 2.5−4 × 2.5−5 cm, reniform to suborbicular, shallowly crenate, acute, deeply cordate at base, herbaceous, abaxially pale green, adaxially green with fine white reticulate venation, sparsely setulose throughout, with 7 main veins; petiole erect, 2 − 5 cm long. Peduncle produced from top of bulb, erect, 4 − 7 cm long, green, with 2−3 tubular scarious sheaths, bearing one nodding flower; floral bract small, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Flowers opening widely, resupinate, 2−4 cm across; sepals (outer tepals) yellowish green with faint grey lines, lanceolate, 2–2.5 × 0.12–0.25 cm, acute to acuminate; petals (inner tepals) creamy white, narrowly lanceolate, 1.8–2.3 × 0.1–0.2 cm; lip strongly reflexed above middle, creamy white, mid lobe light purple fringed and white at base, with a yellowish patch at centre, rhombic, 1.5–1.8 × 0.8–1.3 cm when flattened, spurless, entire or 3-lobed, loosely embracing the column; apical margin irregularly lacerate or fimbriate; disk with papillose ridge extending from base to apex; column clavate, 0.6 – 0.8 cm long, apex dilated; stigma suborbicular. Fruit-stalk c. 17 cm long; capsules 1 – 1.5 × 0.5 cm; tepals partially covering the capsule even after drying.

    Flowering: May – June.

    Habitat: Terrestrial, growing in open forest floor covered with dry pine-needles, 300 – 1500 m.

    Distribution: India [Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and now in Himachal Pradesh], Nepal, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indo-China, New Guinea, Africa, Australia

    Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schltr.
    A, B. Plants in habitat, C. Close up view of leaves, D. Close up view of flower, E. Plant with inflorescence and tuber, F. Inflorescence, G. Dorsal view of lip, H. Column, I. Ventral view of Petal, J. Perigone; K, L. Resupinate inflorescence. (Photos by Rimjhim)
    Distribution map of Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schlechter in Western Himalaya [drawn using the software QGIS 3.4.11 Madeira].

  • Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schltr.(Orchidaceae)

    Tuber subglobose to ovoid, 1 – 2 cm across, whitish, sparsely covered with root-knobes. Just one leaf produce annually; lamina 2.5−4 × 2.5−5 cm, reniform to suborbicular, shallowly crenate, acute, deeply cordate at base, herbaceous, abaxially pale green, adaxially green with fine white reticulate venation, sparsely setulose throughout, with 7 main veins; petiole erect, 2 − 5 cm long. Peduncle produced from top of bulb, erect, 4 − 7 cm long, green, with 2−3 tubular scarious sheaths, bearing one nodding flower; floral bract small, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Flowers opening widely, resupinate, 2−4 cm across; sepals (outer tepals) yellowish green with faint grey lines, lanceolate, 2–2.5 × 0.12–0.25 cm, acute to acuminate; petals (inner tepals) creamy white, narrowly lanceolate, 1.8–2.3 × 0.1–0.2 cm; lip strongly reflexed above middle, creamy white, mid lobe light purple fringed and white at base, with a yellowish patch at centre, rhombic, 1.5–1.8 × 0.8–1.3 cm when flattened, spurless, entire or 3-lobed, loosely embracing the column; apical margin irregularly lacerate or fimbriate; disk with papillose ridge extending from base to apex; column clavate, 0.6 – 0.8 cm long, apex dilated; stigma suborbicular. Fruit-stalk c. 17 cm long; capsules 1 – 1.5 × 0.5 cm; tepals partially covering the capsule even after drying.

    Flowering: May – June.

    Habitat: Terrestrial, growing in open forest floor covered with dry pine-needles, 300 – 1500 m.

  • Many Flowered Fox Brush Orchid.

    Botanical name: Aerides multiflora

    Family:Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
    Synonyms: Aerides affinis, Aerides lobbii, Aerides veitchii

    Many Flowered Fox Brush Orchid is a beautiful, fragrant, foxtail orchid, native to Eastern Himalayas and SE Asia at altitudes of sea-level to 1100 m. It is a small to medium sized, single-stemmed orchid with a stout, many leafed stem. Leaves are strap-shaped, curved, bilobed at the tip. Flowers arise on a rarely branched, 1 ft long, pendulous, many (up to 50) flowered inflorescence. Flowers are waxy and fragrant. Flowering: May-July.

    • Pendulous inflorescence of Aerides multiflora
    • Flower of Aerides multiflora
    • Fruit of Aerides multiflora

     

     

    Aerides multiflora, the multi-flowered aerides, is a species of orchid, native to Southeast Asia, the Coromandel Coast, and Bangladesh.

    Synonymy and confusion

    In 1820, William Roxburgh published a description of Aerides multiflora. In 1882, João Barbosa Rodrigues published a description of a very different plant under the name of Epidendrum geniculatum. Eight years later, in 1890, Joseph Dalton Hooker published a description of an orchid now recognized as Aerides multiflora Roxb. and named it Epidendrum geniculatum. Thus, Epidendrum geniculatum Barb.Rodr. is a very different taxon from Epidendrum geniculatum Hook.f., a synonym for Aerides multiflora Roxb., the subject of this article.

    References:

    1. Many Flowered Fox Brush Orchid, Flower of India, http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Many%20Flowered%20Fox%20Brush%20Orchid.html.

    2. Aerides multiflora, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerides_multiflora.

  • Tail grape,Hari champa

    Botanical name: Artabotrys hexapetalus      

    Family: Annonaceae (sugar apple family)

    Manoranjitham, the climbing ylang-ylang, is a shrub found in India through to Burma, southern China and Taiwan, having flowers that are renowned for their exotic fragrance.n It is also called ylang-ylang vine or tail grape in English, with various names in other languages. The yellow-coloured flowers of this plant are very fragrant. The flowers are greenish in the beginning and turn yellow with age and the flowers are long-lasting with a fruity pleasant smell. When young it is a shrub that turns into a climber once attains a height of about 2 meters.

    Also known by its common name in India as “Manorangini”, Hari Champa has an intoxicating fragrance! This species is native to India and tropical Asia. A medium size climbing shrub 8-10 ft, producing flowers that are greenish and fade to yellow with age, and are extremely fragrant. Once picked they are very long-lasting and hold their scent for days, if kept in water, permeating an entire room. Flowers have three outer and three inner greenish-yellow petals – hence the name hexapetalus. It is a fruity sweet smell – the Manipuri name Chini Champra, meaning sugar lemon, is indicative of that. Narrowly elliptical leaves, 6-15 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, are usually 3-4 times as long as wide, acute or almost so at the base, short-acuminate at the tip, not glossy. Lateral veins are 8-16 pairs. Fruits are 3-4 cm long when ripe, oval and smooth. When young, this climber grows just like a regular shrub but at 5-6 ft, will start to vine. It is not an aggressive vine.

    Location: Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India.

    Photograph Clicked on 21 June 2020.

     

    References:

    Hari Champa, Flowers of India, http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Hari%20Champa.html.

    Artabotrys hexapetalus, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artabotrys_hexapetalus

  • Rugged Yellow Balsam

    Botanical name: Impatiens scabrida    

    Family: Balsaminaceae 

    Impatiens scabrida   

    Location: Dharamshala, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.

    Date of Collection: 28 September 2019.

    Rough Yellow Balsam is a plant closely similar to the Three-Horned Balsam but with smaller flowers. Lower sepal is boat-shaped or funnel-shaped, 9-12 mm long, 5.5-8 mm deep (excluding the spur), tapering into a long upwardly or downwardly curved spur. Spur is 1.7-2.5 cm in overall length. Flowers are golden-yellow, up to 2.5 cm deep. Lateral sepals 2, round, finely velvet-hairy on veins, 5-veined. Upper petal is round, lower midvein crested; lateral united petals not clawed, 2-lobed; basal lobes round; distal lobes oblong-dolabriform; ear inflexed, narrow. It is an annual herb, 30-80 cm tall, sparsely or densely velvet-hairy. Stem is erect, robust, branched. Leaves are alternate; leaf-stalk 1-2.5 cm, with 2 large spherical basal glands; leaf blade lanceshaped or ovate-lanceshaped, 5-10 x 2-3.5 cm, both surfaces velvet-hairy, lateral veins 9-11 pairs, base wedge-shaped, narrowed into leaf-stalk, margin sawtoothed, tip tapering. Flowers are borne in short, (1 or)2-5-flowered clusters, carried on flower-cluster-stalks 5-15 mm. Flower-stalks are slender, bracteate at middle; bracts bristly or bristly-lanceshaped, hairy. Capsules are linear, 2.5-3 cm, hairy. Rough Yellow Balsam is found in forest understories, along canals, in the Himalayas, at altitudes of 2000-3100. Flowering: July-September.