unknown yellow from Alipore 26-05-12 SK

[surajit koley]

Sir / Madam,

I always believe that Botany is for serious faced professors having baritone voices. Was trying to obtain ID of this plant by google searching for about an hour. But cosmos, daisy, zinnia, marigold, Bidens, Arnica all looked same!

So, it is before you...!

Species : UNKNOWN

Habit & Habitat : trailing garden herb, less than 1 foot

Date : 25-05-12, 1.32 p.m.

Place : Agri-Horticultural Society of India, Alipore (Calcutta)

Thank you and Regards,

Surajit Koley

[ushadi Micromini]

Surajit: good you got them....

this is peeta  bhringaraj in Sanskrit

Wedelia calendulaceae

  called simply bhringaraj in bengali
if you ask the local green leaf/herb vendor to get you bhringaraj in WB this what you'll get

Hort plants these in big long rows all over every year .
elliot park on chowringhee used to do so too!

In most of rest of  india, herb vendor/supplier would get you ... eclipta alba, bhringaraj....

usha di

--
Usha di
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[Gurcharan Singh]

Ushadi

I really compliment you on your great knowledge of plants, their local names and uses.  Yes it is Wedelia, but I feel darker (orangish) colour of flowers, broader leaf base and trilobate leaves suggest W. trilobata, which has taken over many areas as escape from cultivation. Wedelia calendulacea, now correctly known as W. chinensis, has lighter coloured flowers, petiole not expanded (winged) and leaves not trilobed.

-- 

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089

http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ 
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[surajit koley]

Good morning Usha Di

So, there is another bhringaraj besides Eclipta alba. This wedelia flowers are favourite to grass blue and gram blue. There were many of them.

Thank you very much, Usha Di.

Regards,

surajit

On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 12:36 AM, ushadi Micromini <micromi...@gmail.com> wrote:

[surajit koley]

Good morning Gurcharan Sir.

Thank you for the ID of this species. Noticed that this plant is nectar plant for some butterflies.

Regards,

surajit

[surajit koley]

Dear Gurcharan Sir and Usha Di,

Attaching some more pictures for the identification of this species. Is it possible that there were two Wedelia species growing side by side? I stepped down my camera aperture (white  balance) to 3 or 4 steps in order to get rid of bright sunlight. This may explain darker colour of the flowers.

Thank you and regards,

Surajit Koley

On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 6:31 AM, Gurcharan Singh <sing...@gmail.com> wrote:

[ushadi Micromini]

Thanks Gurcharanji... 
by now we must be at such terms that you should not have to first complement me
... ha ha...

you could just have corrected my mistake, no need to go softly...

I must look into my notes...
Several years ago we were introduced to Bengali Bhringaraj at that very spot and I believe i took some pictures and may be even made a herbarium specimen.. will have to look it up and
read the refs based on what you just told me...
Thank you...
Usha di
==

On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 6:31 AM, Gurcharan Singh <sing...@gmail.com> wrote:

--
Usha di
===========

[surajit koley]

Usha Di,

Found a similar post by Balkar Sir at https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/wedelia/indiantreepix/6YNdU-JJjBc/HbuM7z1iDnEJ . There is a discussion over W. chinensis & W. trilobata.

Another post by Balkar Sir featuring W. calendulacea / W. chinensis is at - https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/wedelia/indiantreepix/qEINwgEmD-w/sb3OyVsmxs0J .

• A photo with W. chinensis with trilobed (?) leaves available at - http://www.sips.phc.edu.tw/plant/show.php?my_pid=2 .
• The above photo along with other species also available at - http://www.imagejuicy.com/images/plants/w/wedelia/3/ .
• Wiki link of W. trilobata - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphagneticola_trilobata .
• Features of Wedelia species available at - http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=100&taxon_id=134801 .

But none of the above helped me decide.

Thank you & Regards,

Surajit Koley

[surajit koley]

Dear Friends,

• Three varities of 'bhringaraja' is available at - https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/wedelia/indiantreepix/69AhQV-HdLs/rZRt9Z_24pgJ .
• 'prostata' can be 'erecta', then it is called ecotype - https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/wedelia/indiantreepix/69AhQV-HdLs/rZRt9Z_24pgJ .

Well, this is for my own learning.

Thank you and Regards,

Surajit Koley

[ushadi Micromini]

Gurcharan ji: this is a question that just wont go away...

I quote you: " suggest W. trilobata, which has taken over many areas as escape from cultivation"   why is it cultivated...

would love to know...
thanks
usha di
====

--
Usha di
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