Nice wild flower

Shantanu Bhattacharya

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11 Sept 2010, 2:10:17 am11/09/10

to efloraofindia

Hi

got this nice mauve flower growing beside a canal in my locality (Kolkata).

Can someone give the name of the species?

regards

Shantanu :)

Shantanu Bhattacharya.
B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology)
University of Calcutta.
Teaching Faculty.
Dept. of Biology.
Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE).
Joka. Kolkata.

flower-viloet.jpg

Bhatt Sweta

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11 Sept 2010, 2:27:54 am11/09/10

to Shantanu Bhattacharya, efloraofindia

Seems to be Ruellia, belonging to Acanthaceae family.

Interesting thing about seeds of this plant - when the dry seeds are dropped into water, they crackle just like Rye in hot oil. This is due to specialised structures called Jaculators present in them.

Regards,

Shweta

Shantanu

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11 Sept 2010, 5:04:41 am11/09/10

to efloraofindia

Thanks for the ID Sweta ji.
Nice informations about the seeds of this plant.

cheers!

Shantanu : )

Shantanu Bhattacharya.
B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology)
University of Calcutta.
Teaching Faculty.
Dept. of Biology.
Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE).
Joka. Kolkata.

On Sep 11, 11:27 am, Bhatt Sweta <bhattsw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Seems to be *Ruellia*, belonging to *Acanthaceae* family.

> Interesting thing about seeds of this plant - when the dry seeds are dropped
> into water, they crackle just like Rye in hot oil. This is due to

> specialised structures called *Jaculators* present in them.

>
> Regards,
>
> Shweta
>
> On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 11:40 AM, Shantanu Bhattacharya

> <shnt...@gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
>
> > Hi
> > got this nice mauve flower growing beside a canal in my locality (Kolkata).
> > Can someone give the name of the species?
>
> > regards
> > Shantanu :)
>
> > Shantanu Bhattacharya.
> > B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology)
> > University of Calcutta.
> > Teaching Faculty.
> > Dept. of Biology.
> > Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE).

> > Joka. Kolkata.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

tanay bose

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11 Sept 2010, 10:29:10 am11/09/10

to Shantanu, efloraofindia

Ruellia tuberosa,

Yes it seed haveJaculators

Tanay

--

Tanay Bose

Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant.
Department of Botany.
University of British Columbia .
3529-6270 University Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada)
Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile)

604-822-2019 (Lab)

ta...@interchange.ubc.ca

Pankaj Kumar

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11 Sept 2010, 12:51:42 pm11/09/10

to efloraofindia, bhatt...@gmail.com

Seeds having Jaculators is one of the unique features common to almost
all Acanthaceae members.
Regards
Pankaj

--
***********************************************
"TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"

Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Research Associate
Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
Department of Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Institute of India
Post Box # 18
Dehradun - 248001, India

Vijayasankar

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11 Sept 2010, 1:53:25 pm11/09/10

to Pankaj Kumar, efloraofindia, bhatt...@gmail.com

Jaculators (hook shaped retinacula found within fruits) are modified structures of funicle (i.e. seed stalk). These jaculators, due to the hygrochastic property of fruits, act like 'triggers' in pistols and expell the seeds with lot of force (and sound!) to maximum distance possible. A characteristic seed dispersal mechanism in the subfamily Acanthoideae of family Acanthaceae.

It is helpful espl when the plants grow near water (for e.g. Ruellia tuberosa, the pic posted here), the mother plant tries to 'sow' her seeds in a suitable soil (not in water), so she expells the seeds to longer distance possible with full energy by using this unique & effective adoptation.

With regards

Vijayasankar

Bhatt Sweta

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12 Sept 2010, 1:44:20 am12/09/10

to Vijayasankar, Pankaj Kumar, efloraofindia

Thanks for furnishing the complete details.

Regards,

Shweta

--

Bhatt Shweta

Asso. Prof.,

TCSC,

Doctoral Research Student,

M.S.U.

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