Flora of Chakrata

Wild flowers in the Middle Himalaya

10-15 October 2010

Flora of Chakrata

Sunflower family

Family: Asteraceae

Botanical: Leucanthemum vulgare

Perennial, naturalized Herb

Oxeye Daisy is a perennial herb with erect, usually

unbranched, stems to 1 ft in height. It grows from

rhizomes and hascharacteristic daisy-like flowers.

Oxeye daisy is a weed of grasslands, lawns,

roadsides, and nursery crops. The leaves initially

develop as a rosette at the base. Lower rosette leaves

occur on stalks and are from 1 1/2 to 6 inches long.

Rosette leaves have rounded teeth or lobes and are

widest at the tip and narrow to the base. Leaves that

occur on the flowering stem are stalk-less, lance-

shaped in outline, and have smaller rounded teeth or

lobes. Leaves become progressively smaller up the

flowering stem. All leaves are alternate and without

hairs. Flowers occur solitary at the end of stems, are

3-5 cm across and consist of 20 to 30 white outer

"petals" (ray florets) that are 1-1.5 cm long and many

yellow inner disk florets in the center. Oxeye Daisy is

native to West Asia and Europe, and naturalized in the

Himalayan region in India

Oxeye daisy, Dog daisy, Marguerite Daisy

Botanical: Aster thomsonii

Perennial, native herb

Thomson's Aster is a wildflower found in the

Himalayas, from Pakistan to Uttarakhand, at

altitudes of 2100-3000 m. Flower-heads are

purplish with a yellow center, usually arising

singly at ends of branches. They are 3.5-5 cm

across, with many light purple ray florets 1.3-2

cm long. Bracts are linear-lance-shaped long-

pointed, hairy, leaf-like. Leaves are ovate to

elliptic, pointed or long-pointed, coarsely

toothed, narrowed below and half stem-

clasping, 5-10 cm long. Stems are shaggy-

haired, erect, branched, 1-3 ft tall. Fruit is

hairy, much longer than the reddish pappus.

Flowering: July-September.

Thomson’s Aster

Asteraceae

?

Botanical: Anaphalis busua/surculosa

Perennial Native herb

Tall Pearly Everlasting is an erect perennial

herb, growing up to 1-4 ft tall. Leaves are

linear to narrow-lanceshaped, 3.5-6 cm long,

pointed with inrolled margins, green above,

white woolly beneath. Leaf bases have lobes

forming wings, joining the stem. Flowers are

borne in branched domed clusters 7-15 cm

across. They are tiny round flower-heads

each 4 mm across. What look like petals are

bracts which are erect in flower and

spreading in fruit. Tall Pearly Everlasting is

found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to

Bhutan, at altitudes of 1800-3600 m.

Flowering: July-October.

Tall Pearly EverlastingBuki phool

Location: Meadow near Budher cave

Anaphalis busua

Botanical: Anaphalis contorta

Perennial, native herb

Eared-Leaf Pearly Everlasting is small herb,

usually woody at base, with erect or prostrate

stems, 15-40 cm long, usually branched,

branches and stem usually dense white woolly.

Leaves are usually numerous, more often

crowded at base, narrowly linear or oblong, eared

at base, pointed. They are densely woolly on the

lower surface, less on the upper side, margins

often curled, 1-3 cm long, 1-5 mm broad. Flower-

heads are nearly spherical, 3-4.5 mm in diameter,

arranged in rounded, densely crowded corymbs.

Tiny yellow florets are surrounded by shiny white

bracts. Eared-Leaf Pearly Everlasting is found in

the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to SW China, at

altitudes of 1500-4500 m. Flowering: June-

October.

Eared-leaf Pearly Everlasting

Botanical: Erigeron bellidioides

Family: Asteraceae

Perennial, Native herb

Daisy Fleabane are carpeting plants which

spontaneously bloom in hill-stations, on the

ground with wild grass, peering from wall

cervices, and almost any place available. This

evergreen perennial with green foliage,

produces an abundance of yellow centered,

small daisy-like flower-heads in summer. The

outer petals are initially white, maturing to

pink. Native to the Indian Subcontinent:

Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,

Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Nepal,

Pakistan, Bhutan.

Location: enroute trek down to the stream near

Hotel H Paradise

Erigeron, Daisy Fleabane

Erigeron comparative references

Botanical: Jacobea raphanifolia

Perennial, native herb

Grows upto 40-50cm high

The central disc is larger than the petals

or ‘ray-florets’

Light and cool tendency. Tolerant to

wetness.

Usually found on grassy slopes of the

Himalayas at altitudes of 2300-3900m

Flowering: July-September

Diverse leaved Senecio/Senecio diversifolius

Botanical: Leontodon taraxacoides

subsp. hispida

Introduced, Noxious weed, herb

Native to Europe and North Africa, but

found on other parts of the globe.

yellow flowers which resemble

dandelions.

Grows in patches of many erect, leafless

stems forming a basal rosette of leaves.

Atop the stems are flower heads:

ligulate, containing layered rings of ray

florets with no disc florets

Flower heads yellow, 2.5 cm across,

nodding on a stout curved stalk with

yellow glandular hairs.

Location: Road edge near the Mini-cavesLesser Hawkbit

Botanical: Cicerbita macrorhiza

Native

These beautiful violet flowers look like

dandelions. A perennial plant with thick

woody root-stock, and tufted, branched,

prostrate stems upto 60 cm, sometimes

10 cm or less. Leaves are variable,

pinnately lobed, again like dandelions.

Lobes usually rounded. Flower heads

mauve blue, 1.3-2 cm across, often

drooping, in branched terminal domed

clusters.

Location: Rock surface, inner edge of the

road

Violet dandelion, Chyate

Violet Dandelion

Botanical: Tanacetum parthenium

Family: Asteraceae

Chrysantheim/pyrethum parthenium

Herb, perennial, medicinal

Location:

Wild chamomile/Midsummer daisy

Cirsium falconeri

Asteraceae

Giddh Pwankhe

Tall noticeable perennial herb

Flowerheads are cream colored, just

below are densely woolly bracts

Flowering: Aug-Sep.

Location: way to Tiger Falls

Falconer’s Thistle

Prenanthes brunoniana

Family: Asteraceae

Native, perennial

Himalayan Rattlesnake Root is an erect perennial plant

found in the Himalayas. Prenanthes plants are called

Rattlesnake Roots because early folklore, about some

species, suggested that the plant could be rubbed on

snakebites to aid in healing. It has simple or branched

stems 30-200 cm, which are often glandular-hairy

above. Leaves vary a lot - leaf blade is triangular-heart-

shaped or with cut-off base, toothed or pinnately lobed,

lobes further toothed or lobed. Leaf stalks can be long

or short. Flower blue, purple or sometimes white, 1.3-2

cm long, in numerous in lax branched clusters at the

end of branches. The botanical name Prenanthes means

bowed flowers, indicating the facing down habit of

flowers. The five narrow, long petals are turned back,

and very long blue and white stamens protrude out.

This flowers is commonly found at altitudes of 1800-

3600 m. Flowering July-October.

Himalayan Rattlesnake root

Botanical: Inula cuspidata

Native, perennial shrub

Lanceleaf Inula is a shrub which grows

on the slopes of deep. wet valleys in

outer Himalayas. Stem leaves are oval-

lancelike, the upper ones gradually

sharpening. Leaves are 3-5 inches long,

with usually sharp tips. Flowers occur in

an umbrella-shaped cluster at the top of

the stem. Flowers have bright yellow

"petals" (ray florets), and a dark

orangish disk at the center. It is found in

the Himalayas at altitudes of 300 m and

above.

Lance-leaf Inula

Botanical: Synotis rufinervis

Perennial, native herb

Red-Nerved Senecio is a tall aromatic woody

herb, growing up to 3 ft tall. The leaves are

shortly stalked, ovate long pointed, 5-8 x 2-4

inches, toothed sharply. Underside of the

leaves is white except the nerves, thus the

nerves appearing reddish. Yellow flowers are

borne in velvety inflorescence of numerous

flower-heads. Flower-heads are slender, 8-9

mm long, 6-10 in small rounded corymbs.

Each flower-head has 2-5 ray florets. The

roots are cylindrical. Red-Nerved Senecio is

found in the Himalayas, in Uttaranchal and

Nepal at the altitude of 1800–3000 m.

Flowering: July-October.

Red-nerved Senecio

Botanical: Myriactis nepalensis

Perennial Native Herb

Nepal Myriactis is a perennial herb, usually robust, up

to 1 m tall. Stems are erect, branched from middle or

the base, branches rising. Stems and branches are

hairless. Middle stem leaves are elliptic or ovate-

elliptic, 4-10 X 2.5-4.5 cm, margin coarsely toothed,

base maerging into winged stalks. Leaf stalks expanded

and contracted at base. Basal and lower leaves are

large, sometimes lobed or parted, lateral lobes 1-2-

paired, stalks up to 10 cm, upper leaves gradually

smaller, elliptic or long lanceshaped. Flower-heads are

spherical or hemispherical, 1-1.5 cm, solitary or

numerous, in lax corymbs or corymb-like clusters. Ray

florets are female, many-seriate, rays rounded, apically

rounded, or emarginate; disc florets are tubular, with

broadly bell-shaped limb, 4-toothed, tube puberulent.

Nepal Myriactis is found in the Himalayas, from

Afghanistan to SW China, and SE Asia, at altitudes of

1400-3900 m. Flowering: April-November.

Nepal Myriactis Nepali: थु�के� फू� ल Thuke phool , Lavenia dentata, Lavenia sphaerantha, Myriactis wallichii

Ruellia family

Family: Acanthaceae

Botanical: Strobilanthes wallichi

Acanthaceae (ruellia family)

Kashmir acanthus is a forest perennial herb, with

erect grooved stem, up to 50 cm tall, but usually

much smaller. Leaves are ovate-lanceshaped,

long-pointed, margin coarsely toothed, white

hairy, with 6 pairs of lateral nerves. Flowers are

blue, about 4 cm long, occuring singly or in

pairs, forming a leafy interrupted spike. Bracts

are persistent and leaf-like. Sepals are hairy,

linear blunt. Flower tube is broad, cruved, with

oblique mouth and short rounded petals.

Kashmir acanthus occurs in the Himalayas, from

Pakistan to C. Nepal, at altitudes of 1300-3600

m. Flowering: June-August.

Location: Stream near Hotel Himalayan Paradise

Kashmir acanthus, Wild petunia

Campalluna

Non-native

Bellflower

Canterbury bells?

Botanical: Strobilanthes tomentosa

Family: Acanthaceae (Ruellia)

Perennial, Native shrub

Blue Trumpet Bush is a small shrub, up to 1.2 m

tall, with densely white- felted lower branches.

Oppositely arranged leaves are elliptic, pointed,

5-10 cm long, margin with rounded teeth. Leaf

underside is often dense white-woolly. Leaves

are stalked. Flowers are blue, violet or purplish,

borne in 4-8 flowered clusters. Flowers are up to

2.5 cm long, narrow tubular at the base,

enlarged upwards, opening into 5 rounded

spreading petals. Sepal cup is densely

glandular-hairy, with linear sepals about 1 cm.

Blue Trumpet Bush is found in the Himalayas,

from Pakistan to Bhutan, at altitudes of 300-

2400 m. Flowering: August-October.

Blue Trumpet Bush(Nepali: केगराइतो� फू� ल Kangaraito phool )

Trumpet Bush

Botanical: Goldfussia pentastemonoides

Perennial Native Shrub Acanthaceae(Ruellia

family)

Himalayan Goldfussia is a much-branched shrub

1-3 m across. It sports mauvish-blue to white

tubular flowers, borne in long-stalked rounded

heads, in leaf axils. The heads, when young, are

encircled by the outer rounded pale bracts which

soon fall off. Flowers are curved, 3-4 cm long,

nearly hairless. Sepals cup has linear hairy sepals,

up to 1 cm long. Leaves are elliptic long-pointed,

up to 18 cm long. Margins are closely toothed, and

the leaf is gradually narrowed to a winged leaf-

stalk. Capsule is cylindric, about 1.8 cm long.

Himalayan Goldfussia is found in the Himalayas,

from Himachal Pradesh to Bhutan, SW China and

SE Asia, at altitudes of 1000-2700 m. Flowering:

August-October.

Himalayan Goldfussia

Peristrophe montana

Acanthaceae (Ruellia family)

Mountain Peristrophe

Peristrophe

Family: Acanthaceae

Magenta plant/Mountain Peristrophe/Stinking Foldwing

Amaranth family

Family: Amaranthaceae

Botanical: Achyranthes bidentata

Perennial Native Herb

Two-toothed Chaff Flower is an erect, perennial herb, 0.7-1.2 m

tall, distributed in hilly districts of India, Java, China and Japan.

Stem green or tinged purple, with opposite branches. Leaf

stalk 0.5-3 cm, hairy; leaf blade elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate,

rarely oblanceolate, 4.5-12 × 2-7.5 cm. Flower spikes terminal

or axillary, 3-5 cm; rachis 1-2 cm, white hairy. Flowers dense, 5

mm. Tepals shiny, lanceolate, 3-5 mm, with a midvein, apex

acute. Stamens 2-2.5 mm; pseudostaminodes slightly

serrulate, apex rounded. Utricles yellowish brown, shiny,

oblong, 2-2.5 mm, smooth. Seeds light brown, oblong, 1 mm.

Seed are cooked and eaten. A good substitute for cereal grains

in bread-making, they have often been used for this purpose

during famine. Flowering: July-September. Leaves are used as a

vegetable in the same manner as spinach.

Medicinal uses: Traditional Chinese herb used to nourish the

kidney and liver, drain 'dampness' and promote circulation.

Prescribed for difficult urination, painful urethritis, suppressed

menstruation. Commonly used to treat traumatic injuries,

stiffness and pain of the lower back and loins and for weakness

in the legs and feet. Do not use during pregnancy.

Location: Near Museum

Two-toothed Chaff Flower, Ox knee, Pig's knee

Botanical: Prunella vulgaris

Family: Lamiaceae(Mint family)

Herb, Native

Found on meadows and open slopes

Common Self-Heal is a herb found on the meadows and open slopes of the

Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Bhutan. Flowers are bright blue-violet,

rarely pink or white, up to 1.5 cm long. They are borne in whorls of 6.

Flowers are 2-lipped and tubular, the top lip is a purple hood, and the

bottom lip has three lobes with the middle lobe being larger and fringed.

Sepal cup is also tubular and 2-lipped, purplish. The inflorscence contains

many purplish overlapping bracts. Stems are 10-30 cm long, creeping or

rising. Leaves are ovate or ovate-oblong, 1.5-6 × 0.7-2.5 cm. There is a pair

of leaves just below the inflorescence. Common Self-Heal is found at

altitudes of 1500-3600 m. Common Self-Heal was once proclaimed to be a

holy herb and was thought to be sent by God to cure all ailments of man or

beast. It was said to drive away the devil, which lead to the belief that Heal-

All was grown in the Witches garden as a disguise. The root was also used

to make a tea to drink in ceremonies before going hunting by one Native

American tribe to sharpen the powers of observation.[ Flowering: May-

September.

Medicinal uses: Heal-all is both edible and medicinal. It can be used in

salads, soups, stews, or boiled as a pot herb. It has been used as an

alternative medicine for centuries on just about every continent in the

world, and for just about every ailment. Heal-All is something of a panacea,

it does seem to have some medicinal uses that are constant. It is taken

internally as a medicinal tea in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea, sore

mouth and throat, internal bleeding, and weaknesses of the liver and heart.

Location: Meadow near Budher Cave

Common Self-heal/Heart of the Earth

Wikstroemia canescens

Family: Thymelaeaceae (Daphne family)

Perennial native shrub

Himalayan Tie Bush is a small shrub with many

slender branches, with narrow-eeliptic or oblong

leaves. Leaves are 3-6 cm long, silky when young,

but becoming hairless. Greenish yellow tubular

flowers are borne in rounded or sometimes

elongates short-stalked clusters. Flowers have a

slender tube 0.8-1.2 cm long, silky-haired on the

outside, with 4 short, blunt, spreading petals.

Young shoots are hairy. Stems are up to 2 m. Fruit

is narrow ovoid, black when ripe, enclosed at first

in the hairy tube, which splits and falls off.

Himalayan Tie Bush is found in the Himalayas,

from Afghanistan to Sikkim, and Sri Lanka and

China, at altitudes of 1800-3000 m. Flowering:

May-September.

Himalayan tie bush

Cynoglossum zeylanicum

Family: Boraginaceae

Ceylon Forget-me-not/Alpine forget-me-not/Scree plant?

Prunus cerasiodes

Family: Rosaceae

Wild Himalayan CherryPadam/padmaka

Impatiens Bicolor/amphorata

Family: Balsaminaceae

Amphora Balsam

Family: Balsaminaceae

Impatiens stenantha

Impatiens scabrida/cristata

Rugged Yellow Balsam

2400-4000m

Flowering: June-Aug

Perennial

Flowers range from yellow-orange & wine

red

Commonly seen growing on open

meadows, scrubberies and alpine grazing

grounds

Cinquefoil Potentilla atrosanguinea

Morina longifonia

Family: Dipsacaceae

Perennial native herb

Glossy dark green leaves, sharp spines

along margins

White to pink to rosy red

3000-4000 m

Flowering: June-Sept

Himalayan Whorlflower

Bstorta amplexicaulis var. speciosa

Polygonaceae(Knotweed)

Red mountain fleeceflower/Red Bistorta

Bistorta amplexicaulis

Polygonaceae (Knotweed)

Perennial herb

Ovate, heart-shaped stem leaves

Flowering: June-sept

White mountain fleeceflower/White Bistorta(Amli,Kutyra)

Botanical: Cotoneaster microphyllus

2200-4400m

Flowering: Apr-June

Evergreen shrub, native

Forms a mat over large rock surfaces,

sending roots into crevices, prevents soil

erosion

Branches are used for making baskets,

scarlet colored fruits are sweet tasting &

are eaten in some areas

Cotton EasterBhedda

Codonopsis convolvulaceae

Codonopsis

Family: Geraniaceae

Commonly found in roadside shrubbery

2400-3000m

Flowers Singly or in pairs

Roots used to cure headache and

rheumatic pains

Flowering: june-sept

Geranium wallichianumRatijari

Malva sylvestris

Malvaceae(Mallow)

Perennial, herb

High Mallow/Common MallowKubaajee

Geranium nepalense

Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium family)

Perennial native herb

Nepal Geranium is a very beautiful wildflower

which surprisingly does not figure in Polunin and

Stainton's Flowers of the Himalaya. It is a

creeping, spreading herb, which varies from being

velvety to hairy. Stems are 1-3, slender, 1-2.5 ft

long, sometimes rooting at the nodes. Leaves are

palmately cut into 5-7 lobes, which are further cut,

1-3.5 x 1.5-6 cm. Flowers are small, white with 5

spreading petals which are flat or shallowly

notched at the tip. Petals have violet lines towards

the base. At the center is a pinkish red stigma,

surrounded by charming violet colored anthers.

Nepal Geranium is found in the Himalayas, from

Afghanistan to NE India, at altitudes of 1500-2900

m. Flowering: April-September.

Nepal Geranium

Botanical:

H

Polygalaceae sp.Milkwort

Herb?

Parasite

(Pepper)

Pepromia tetraphylla

Botanical: Swertia paniculata

Family: Gentianaceae

Annual native herb

Roots are yellow & fibrous

Grows up to 80-120 cm tall. Roots are yellow and fibrous.

Branched stems are slender, erect, 1.5-4 mm in diameter.

Basal leaves wither away at maturity. Stem leaves are

nearly stalkless, narrow lance-shaped, 2-5.5 cm long, 4-14

mm wide, margin fringed with hairs. Inflorescences are

panicles of cymes, many flowered, spreading, to 70 cm.

Flower stalks are erect, 0.6-1.5 cm long. Flowers are 5

parted, meaning with most parts occuring in fives. Sepal

tube is 1-1.5 mm, with ovate-lance-shaped sepals, 6-10 × 2-

5 mm. Flowers are pale yellow- green, with 2 blackish purple

spots above each nectary. Flower tube is 1-1.5 mm, with

ovate petals, 6-8 mm long, with narrow tips. Nectaries are 1

per petal, horseshoe-shaped, naked. Stamens are 4-5 mm

long, with purple anthers. Capsules are ovoid, 8-10 mm.

Decoction is used as tonic. Treatment of malaria.

Flowering: Aug-Oct

Location: ….11th October

Panicled SwertiaChiraita

Heracleum candicanus

Heracleum pinnatum

Conium maculatum

Family: Apiaceae (Carrot family)

Poison Hemlock is a tall, much branched and

gracefully growing plant, with elegantly-cut

foliage and white flowers. It is a biennial herb

growing up to 1.5–2.5 m tall, with a smooth

green stem, usually spotted or streaked with red

or purple on the lower half. Leaves are finely

divided and lacy, overall triangular in shape, up

to 50 cm long and 40 cm broad. Flowers are

small, white, clustered in umbels up to 10-15 cm

across. When crushed, the leaves and root emit

an unpleasant odor, sometimes compared to that

of parsnips or mice. In India it is mostly found in

Jammu and Kashmir. It is also cultivated for use

in homeopathy.

Location: Devban/ Mohna village?

Poison Hemlock

Botanical: Clematis connata

Family: Ranunculaceae(Buttercup family)

Perennial Native climber

A vigorous climber from the Himalayas,

with delicate nodding yellow bells with

recurved sepals. The flowers are

somewhat hidden behind the rather big

leaves. This Clematis is distinguished by

its leaf-stalks fused at base and often

forming large flat disks. Leaves are

pinnate - leaflets oval-lancelike to heart-

shaped, sharply irregularly toothed,

hairless. The bell-shaped flowers occur in

branched axillary clusters, and have pale

yellow anthers. Flowers are mildly sweet

scented.

Himalayan Clematis

Clematis connata

Himalayan Clematis

Anemone sylvestris

Wood anemone

Wood anemone/Anemone sylvestris

Ipomoea Purpurea

Family: Convolvulaceae

Naturalized, annual climber

Native to mexico, Central Am.

Common Morning Glory

Ipomoea indica

Family: Convolvulaceae

Common Morning Glory

Ipomea carnea

Alangium platanifolium

Family: Alangiaceae

Lobed-leaf alangium

Botanical: Solanum jasminoides

Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)

Attractive, shrubby twining climber gives an

almost perpetual display of showy blue-tinged

white blossoms. Good ornamental cover for

fences or walls, or growing across lattice for

shade. Solanum jasminoides has a scent that is

worthy of its name. The fragrance is not as

overpowering as with some jasmines. In areas

that have reasonable conditions Potato Vines

are frequently grown. It is a reliable plant that

blooms very well in the spring and has a mild

perfume. It will even bloom in more shade than

most other vines. It is hard to kill with too

much or too little water once established.

Solanum jasminoides could be termed 'garden

hardy'.

Potato Vine Manipuri: Morok Lei

Sarcococca saligna

Family: Buxaceae Sweet-box

Willow-Leaf Sweet-Box is an evergreen shrub,

growing up to 2 m tall. Stems are green and

leaves are narrow, 5-10 cm, shining, leathery,

like willow leaves. Flowers are greenish-white,

in short dense clusters, 6-10 mm in leaf axils.

Flowers almost sessile, unisexual. Bracts are

ovate, 2 mm long. Sepals are elliptic to broadly

elliptic, 2-3 mm long, l.5-2 mm wide, blunt.

Stamens have 6-7 mm long filaments and 2-3

mm long anthers. Fruit is purple, ovoid, 7-8

mm long. Willow-Leaf Sweet-Box is found in

moist and shady places in the Himalayas, from

Aghanistan to W. Nepal, at altitudes of 1200-

2400 m. Flowering: September-May.

Willow-leaf Sweet-boxGeru, Piruli, Tiliari

Daphne papyracea

Thymelaeceae(Daphne)

Evergreen shrub

Paper is made of inner fibrous bark

November-april

Indian Paper plantsatpura

Nash jhaar

Botanical: Zingiber chrysanthum or rubens(Bengal

Ginger)

Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)

Native

This is a plant from the sub-tropical forest margins

in the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim

and Darjeeling at 450 m to 1,600 m. The leafy stems

grow to 1.2 m to 2 m with fresh green leaves about

25 cm long and 7 cm wide with a downy pubescence

on the under surface. Borne at the base of the stems

direct on the rhizome, these have elongated petals

varying in colour from creamy-white to orange and

yellow. However, it is the seed capsules that are the

interesting bit: as the stems die down in autumn,

these turn a brilliant crimson-red in colour and

remain showy for a long time; indeed, ground-

hugging as they are, they will leave viewers

guessing as to just what they are looking at.

Golden flowered Ginger Bengal Ginger

Kanphuti?

2800-4000m

Flowering: June-Aug

Flowers are variable in color usually

deep yellow & reddish orange

Geum elatum Avens

Delphinium jacquemontianum

Perennial, native herb

Grows mostly on scree

Flowers are blue to purple

High altitude plant

4300-5000m

Flowering: July-Sept.

Musk Larkspur

Inner petals are blackish

Musk Larkspur

Pedicularis rhinanthoides

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Dog flower family

July-sept

Rattle Lousewort

Reinwardtia indica

Family: Linaceae(Linseed)

Grazed by animals

Flowering: Nov.-May

Yellow Flax/Golden girlBasanti

Botanical: Viola canescens var. serpens

Family: Violaceae (Violet family)

Perennial, Native herb

Himalayan White Violet is a nearly prostrate herb

found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to NE India, at

altitudes of 1500-2400 m. Flowers are pale violet,

often almost white, 1-1.8 cm across, with a short

blunt spur, and hairy sepals, on erect stalks 5-15 cm

long. Petals are up to 1.5 cm long, about 4 mm

broad, obovate, obtuse, upper two are wedge-

shaped, two lateral ones are narrower and bearded

at the base, marked with dark coloured streaks.

Lower most petals is the shortest, patterned with

dark coloured stripes. Leaves are ovate-heartshaped

to kidney-shaped with a blunt tip. Leaves are rather

thick and covered with grey hairs. Leaf stalks are

also covered with down-curved hairs. Stipules are

lance-shaped. Flowering: March-June.

Himalayan White Viola

Parochetus communis

Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)

Tubrous, prostate perennial

Dormant during winter

Three-part leaves have leaflets which are

inverted heart-shaped

Flowering: May-Nov.

Blue Oxalis/Shamrock Pea

Rubia manjith/manjista/cordifolia

manjista

Family: Rubiaceae(Coffee)

Perennial native climber

Used as dye roots and stems

Roots also used as medicine

Flowering: June-Nov

Manjith

Botanical: Spermadictyon suaveolens var. azureum

Rubiaceae (Coffee family)

Blue Forest Champa is a branched shrub, growing up to 1-2 m

tall. The species name suaveolens means sweet-scented, and

refers to the fragrant flowers. The variety name azureum

means blue, referring to the bluish flowers of this close cousin

of the white-flowered [Forest Champa. Oppositely arranged

elliptic-lancelike leaves, 10-20 cm, are finely velvety.] Leaf

stalks are 1-2 cm long. Flowers occur in many-flowered

spherical heads, arrange in panicles at the end of branches.

The spherical heads are 5-10 cm across. Flowers are fragrant,

in bunches of 5 or more. Sepals are small, very narrow, and

tapering. Flowers pale bluish or pinkish, with a relatively long

tube and short, oblong petals. The tube is slender, funnel-

shaped, up to 1.5 cm long, with 4-5 short petals, spreading up

to 8 mm. Stamens remain inside the flower throat. Style with

5-lobed stigma protrudes out of the flower. Fruit is capsule-

like, crowned by the leftover sepals. In China it is grown for its

showy, fragrant flowers. Only seen wild in India. This flower is

seen in Western Ghats and Himalayas, from Pakistan to SE

Tibet, at altitudes of 700-2300 m.

Flowering: October-March.

Blue Forest Champa (Hindi: Padera, Padwa, Mahabal, Barcha • Marathi: गिगडे�सा Gidesa • Nepali: बन चाँ�प Ben champa)

Salvia leucantha

Family: Lamiaceae

Introduced

Mexican Bush Sage, Velvet Sage

Botanical: Urtica dioica

Family: Urticaceae(Nettle family)

Perennial Native Herb

Stinging nettle is a very interesting plant. It looks like an ordinary,

hairy weed with attractive little flowers, until touches it with bare

hands. It gives a terrible sting, which is very painful. It is a

perennial herb, 3-7 ft tall, dying down to the ground in winter. It

has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright

yellow as are the roots. The soft green leaves are 3-15 cm long

and are borne oppositely on an erect wiry green stem. The leaves

have a strongly serrated margin, a heart-shaped base and a long-

pointed tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent

laterals. Each leaf has a pair of elliptic stipules at the base. This

is a distinguishing feature of the plant. It bears small greenish or

brownish numerous flowers in dense clusters in leaf axils. The

leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs and also

bear many stinging hairs, whose tips come off when touched,

transforming the hair into a needle that will inject several

chemicals: acetylcholine, histamine, 5-HT or serotonin, and

possibly formic acid. This mixture of chemical compounds cause a

painful sting. The pain and itching from a nettle sting can last

from only a few minutes to as long as a week. In India, Stinging

Nettle is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to SW China, at

altitudes of 1000-2500 m. Flowering: August-September.

Stinging Nettle, Bichchhu, Kali, Kandadli

Hedera nepalensis/sinensis

Native climber

Family: Araliaceae (Aralia family)

Himalayan Ivy is a woody climber, up to 30 m

long, climbing into tall trees by aerial roots.

Leaves are ovate to lanceshaped, leathery, dark-

green, glossy, 5-15 cm long. Young leaves are 3-

5-lobed, ivy-like. Flowers are tiny, many,

yellowish-green, ins talked spherical umbels 1.5-2

cm across, which are arranged in domed clusters

up to 8 cm across. Flowers have 5 elliptic petals,

3 mm long, mostly turned backwards. In the

buds, the petals are placed edge-to-edge. Fruit is

round, about 6 mm, shining yellow, turning black.

Himalayan Ivy is found in the Himalayas, from

Afghanistan to SW China and Burma, at altitudes

of 1800-3000 m. Flowering: September-October

Himalayan Ivy?Assamese: Mej-peosree • Hindi: Bano, Lablab, Mithiari, Kural

Botanical: Nicandra physaloides

Family: Solanaceae(Potato family)

Annual, naturalised herb

Shoo-Fly Plant, is a coarse, erect annual that is

native to Peru. The large alternate leaves reach up

to 1 foot long and somewhat resemble Datura

leaves. Plants will reach 3 to 8 feet in height and

are about half as wide. They can become very

weedy and have become a noxious weed in the

tropics. All parts of the plant are poisonous and

care should be taken in using in the landscape. In

mid-spring, the plants are adorned with 1½ inch

solitary violet bell-shaped flowers with white

centers. After successful pollination, a globous

fruit forms inside the persistent calyx, resembling

a tomatilla. Shoofly Plant is best propagated from

seed.

Location: on the way to Tiger Falls

Shoofly plantApple of Peru • Marathi: प�पटी� Popti • Kannada: Bilibudde gida • Tamil: Sudakku thakkali

Cimicifuga foetida

Family: Ranunculaceae

Buttercup family

Known to be distasteful to insects

Found in Siberia and east Asia.

Foul-smelling green-white flowers

Foetid Bugbane or Rattletop

Himalayan edelweiss?

Saxifraga jacquemontiana? Or andersonii

Unidentified

Photo Credits:

Ashwini Dabir, Gunwant Mahajan, Monali Shah, Juilie Thakur, Sayali Andhare

References: http://www.flowersofindia.net/Flowers of the Himalaya – Polunin & Stainton

Identification:

Juilie Thakur, Ashwini Dabir, Gunwant Mahajan

©Juilie Thakur