red and white

[Anand Kumar Bhatt]

These days when I open the door of my bedroom in the morning which opens towards my so-called garden, I am hit with a very pleasnt sensory delight. Velvety white Bauhinia campanulata and deep red Hibiscus rosa sinensis "Kali Jaba". I am attaching photographs.

akbhatt

[Mahadeswara Swamy]

It looks like Bauhinia acuminata?
Dr.Mahadeswara swamy

---

Share files, take polls, and make new friends - all under one roof. Click here.

[Anand Kumar Bhatt]

You are right dr. Swamy. It is B.acuminata. I was writing from my memory and it failed me. thanks for the correction.

akbhatt

[J.M. Garg]

I also think it's Bauhinia acuminata. Pl. see from Indiantreepix Database:

Bauhinia acuminata

Fabaceae

Dwarf White Bauhinia, White Orchid-tree or Snowy Orchid-tree

Flowering on 14/7/07 at Joka, Kolkata- J.M.Garg.

Bauhinia acuminata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Bauhinia, White Orchid-tree or Snowy Orchid-tree) - indiantreepix | Google Groups

Bauhinia acuminata- White Orchid Tree - indiantreepix | Google Groups

Bauhinia acuminata, White Dwarf Orchid Tree.

Here are some interesting extracts from Wikipedia link on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_rosa-sinensis

 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (family Malvaceae), known colloquially as the Chinese hibiscus, is an evergreen flowering shrub native to East Asia. It is also known as China rose and shoe flower. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, (generally red in the original varieties), firm, but generally lack any scent. Numerous varieties, cultivars and hybrids are available, with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia, called Bunga Raya in Malay, Gurhal/orhul in Hindi, sembaruthi in Tamil and mamdaram (మందారం) in Telugu. The flowers are used to shine shoes in parts of India, as well as for the worship of Devi. Hibiscus flower preparations are also used for hair care. The flowers themselves are edible and used in salads in the Pacific Islands.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is one of many plant genera with a genetic characteristic known as polyploidy, in which the number of chromosomes is far greater than the two ("x" and "y") we commonly think of with human genetics. Polyploidy is a condition where the genetic characteristics of the offspring may be quite different from the parent, or even the grandparent plants, essentially allowing possibly random expression of all the characteristics of all the generations that have gone before. Because of this characteristic, "H. rosa-sinensis" has become popular with hobbyists who cross and recross varieties, creating new named varieties and holding competitions to exhibit and judge the many resulting new seedlings and often strikingly unique flowers.

Often these crosses are sterile, but some are fertile, further increasing the complexity of variability and the possibility of a virtually unlimited number of eventual Hibiscus rosa-sinensis varieties. This further attracts the hobbyists, who have created local and international associations, publications, and manuals to further this hobby, which is practiced with these tropical plants worldwide, including indoors in cold climates.

The first four photographs in the gallery below show the flowers from the Pollen Parent, the Pod Parent, and two offspring of a cross as described, which demonstrate virtually no color characteristics of the parent plants, and few of the physical characteristics.

On Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 4:11 PM, Mahadeswara Swamy <swamy...@yahoo.com> wrote:

For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg

[Anand Kumar Bhatt]

Just to add to the write-up. In Bangla the flower is known as Jaba. There is also a brand of hair oil available in the market known as Jabakusum hair oil (or has it closed now because the youth today of both sexes have stopped using hair oil?). Hibiscus rosa-sinensis "Kali Jaba" is the single deep red original variety, and it is so named because it is considered  a favourite flower to worship Shakti and Kaali is one of the Shaktis. In Durga Puja in a number of places the idol of Kaali instead of Durga is worshippped and then immersed. (I remember Jabalpur being one such place).

akbhatt