Panfuti (Bryophyllum pinnatum) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Order              Saxifragales

Family:           Crassulaceae

Genus:            Bryophyllum

Species:           Bryophyllum pinnatum

Binomial name: Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken

Other Names:  Air Plant, Life Plant, Cathedral Bells, Goethe Plant, Patharkuchi (Bengali), Panfuti (Maharastra)

Special feature: Bryophyllum pinnatum is a succulent plant native to Madagascar, which is a popular houseplant and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas.

The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - who also was an amateur naturalist of some repute - was "passionately fond" of this plant and liked to give the baby plantlets as gifts to friends who visited his home. He also discussed his air plant at length in an essay titled Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien ("History of my botanical studies").

Bryophyllum pinnatum has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides. These can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals.

Bryophyllum pinnatum has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension. The juice made of Bryophylum is useful for cure of kidneystones, although there is no evidence-based clinical indication for these uses in modern medicine and, indeed, such usage could prove dangerous and even fatal in some cases. (Wikipedia)

African tuliptree (Spathodea campanulata) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Family:           Bignoniaceae

Genus:            Spathodea

Species:           Spathodea campanulata

Binomial name: Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv.

Other Names:  African tuliptree, fountain tree, pichkari or Nandi flame

Special feature: Spathodea is a monotypic genus in the flowering plant family Bignoniaceae, with a single species pathodea campanulata

The tree grows between 7–25 m (23–82 ft) tall and is native to tropical dry forests of Africa. It has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders.

This tree is planted extensively as an ornamental tree throughout the tropics and is much appreciated for its very showy reddish-orange or crimson (rarely yellow), campanulate flowers. The generic name comes from the Ancient Greek words σπαθη (spathe) and οιδα (oida), referring to the spathe-like calyx. It was identified by Europeans in 1787 on the Gold Coast of Africa.

The flower bud is ampule-shaped and contains water. These buds are often used by children who play with its ability to squirt the water. The sap sometimes stains yellow on fingers and clothes. The open flowers are cup-shaped and hold rain and dew, making them attractive to many species of birds. (Wikipedia)

Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Family:           Euphorbiaceae

Genus:            Euphorbia

Species:           E. pulcherrima

Binomial name: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch

Other Names:  Poinsettia, Christmas plant, lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower

Lalupate (Nepali)

Special feature:  The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. (Wikipedia)

Poinsettias received their name in the United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. He sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person. December 12th is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851. (extension.illinois.edu/)

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China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)- Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Family:           Malvaceae

Genus:            Hibiscus

Species:           H. rosa-sinensis

Binomial name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.

Other Names:  China rose

Special feature:  It is the most widely used flower in laboratory experiments by scholars and universities to study floral characteristics.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was named by Carolus Linnaeus. The Latin term rosa-sinensis literally means "rose of China", though it is not closely related to the true roses.

Morning glory (Ipomoea nil) - Sikkim Flora

  Morning glory (Ipomoea nil)

Place : Gangtok, East Sikkim
Date: November 25,  2011
Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Phylum:          Angiosperms

Class:             

Order:             Solanales

Family:           Convolvulaceae

Genus:            Ipomoea

Species:           I. nil

Binomial name: Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth

Other Names:  Morning glory

Slender Anthogonium (Anthogonium gracile) - Sikkim Orchid

  Slender Anthogonium (Anthogonium gracile)

Place : Zaluk, East Sikkim
Date: September 15,  2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Phylum:          Angiosperms

Class:             

Order:            Asparagales

Family:           Orchidaceae

Subfamily:     Epidendroideae

Tribe:             Arethuseae

Subtribe:       Bletiinae

Genus:           Anthogonium

Species:          A. gracile

Binomial name: Anthogonium gracile Wall. ex Lindl. (1836).

Other Names:  Slender Anthogonium

Special feature: “Anthogonium is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). At the present time (May 2014), only one species is recognized, i.e., Anthogonium gracile found in India, Assam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Guangxi, Guizhou, Tibet, and Yunnan”.  (Source: Wikipedia)