Tropical Flowers

Bridal bouquet (Plumeria pudica)

As I first saw a Plumeria pudica plant, commonly called Bridal bouquet, White Frangipani, Fiddle Leaf Plumeria, Wild Plumeria or Bonairian Oleander, I didn`t expect that the tropical plant belongs to the Plumeria genus. As other Frangipani plants have woody, tree-like stems, Plumeria pudica looks more like a forb and its spoon-shaped or fiddle-shaped leaves Read More »

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The tropical hybrid Canna Thai Sunray is a very popular ornamental plant in Thailand and other tropical and subtropical Asian countries. In our home country Thailand Canna hybrids escaped cultivation and are widely found throughout the country, especially in wet areas. This creates the impression Canna plants are endemic to Asia, which is wrong. The Read More »

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The Trumpet Vine (Campsis x tagliabuana “Madame Galen”) is a deciduous hybrid or cultivar from Campsis radicans from North America and Campsis grandiflora from Asia. The genus Campsis belongs to the trumpet creeper family (Bignoniaceae), which contains about 120 genera with about 750 species. The Trumpet Vine (Campsis x tagliabuana Madame Galen) is a vigorous Read More »

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Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm. 1972, commonly called Shell ginger, Shell flower, Light Galangal, Pink Porcelain Lily, Variegated Ginger or Butterfly Ginger, is a perennial, tropical plant, native to East Asia (China, Japan). Even if the beautiful flowers are sometimes confused with orchid flowers, Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) is a member of Read More »

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Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre 1880 is a small tropical tree with highly fragrant flowers belonging to the Magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). The Champaca tree, also called Yellow Jade Orchid Tree, Fragrant Himalayan Champaca or Joy Perfume Tree reaches heights up to about 6 meters and is native to South- and South-East Asia. Magnolia champaca Read More »

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Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. 1791, commonly called Cup and Saucer Plant, Chinese Hat Plant, Parasol Flower or Mandarins Hat, is a climbing shrub, native to the Himalaya lowlands. The Cup and Saucer Plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea) has been described by the Swedish chemist, botanist and entomologist Anders Jahan Retzius (1742 – 1821) and he named the Holmskioldia Read More »

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Abutilon megapotamicum (Spreng.) A. St.-Hil. & Naudin 1842, commonly called Chinese Lantern, Flowering Maple, Brazilian Bell Flower, Chinese Bell Flower or Trailing Abutilon is a vine-like or climbing shrub, native to South America (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay). As we found a Chinese Lantern (Abutilon megapotamicum) plant a few days ago in Kamthieng Market in our Read More »

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Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli)

Erythrina crista-galli L. 1767, commonly called Cockspur Coral Tree, Cry Baby Tree, Fireman’s Cap Tree or Ceibo (Seibo), is a small flowering tree, native to South America. The Cockspur Coral Tree belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae) and reach a hight up to about 8 meters, rarely up to 10 meters. In Argentina the tropical Read More »

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Blue Ginger, sometimes also called Blue Bamboo or Brasilian Ginger, is an absolute missleading name for the tropical plant Dichorisandra thyrsiflora J.C. Mikan 1820, as the small shrub or forb is neither related to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) nor to bamboo (Poaceae family). I would have bet on, that the small plant with its cute, Read More »

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The unfortunate choice of names for the showy, tropical flowering vine Pentalinon luteum (L.) B.F. Hansen & Wunderlin 1986, also named Urechites lutea (L.) Britton 1907 is more than confusing. Common names for the flowering vine with its trumpet-like yellow flowers are Yellow Mandevilla, but its not a Mandevilla, Yellow Dipladenia, even if its not Read More »

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The Rose Apple (Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston 1931), also called Malabar Plum, Plum Rose, Water Apple, Malay Apple, Jambu Tree or Chompu, is a tropical fruit tree, native to South-East Asia. Rose Apple trees belong to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) and reach a height up to about 12 meters, but are not related to the Read More »

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Squirrel Tail (Justicia betonica L. 1753), also called White Shrimp Plant, Squirrel’s Tail or Paper Plum is a tropical, perennial forb, native to East- and South Africa, India and Sri Lanka. As the showy Squirrel Tail with its attractive, green netting patterned inflorescences escaped cultivation, it became an invasive species in some regions of the Read More »

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The Desert Rose (Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult. 1819), also called Impala Lily, Sabi Star, Kudu or Mock Azalea is a tropical succulent shrub, native to East Africa and Arabia. As the desert rose belongs to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) and is a relative to the Plumeria (Frangipani), it`s often confused with it. Desert Read More »

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The Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida L. 1753), also called Coralbush, Guatemala Rhubarb or Physic Nut is a small tropical tree or shrub belonging to the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Coral plants are native to Central- and South America, from Mexico to Brazil, but are found nowadays in many tropical countries around the world. As other members Read More »

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The Rain Tree, Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr. 1916, also called Monkeypod, is a big tropical tree native to Central- and South America. A “normal” Rain Tree reaches a height of about 25 meters and its very large crown canopies up to 40 meters. While Alexander von Humboldt (1769 – 1859), a German geographer, naturalist and Read More »

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