Читать книгу Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Flowers - William Warren - Страница 5

Globe Amaranth

Gomphrena globosa

Botanical Family: Amaranthaceae

Thai name: Ban-mai-ru-ruey

Malay names: Ratnapakaya, Bunga kancing, Gomfrena

Indonesian names: Ratnapakaya, Bunga kancing, Gomfrena

Though native to more arid regions of the New World, this small, shrubby annual—also popularly called Batchelor's Buttons—is widely grown in most of Southeast Asia thanks to its profusion of long-lasting flowers. These are globular in shape and actually consist of numerous individual flowers, each enclosed by papery petals; the most common color is magenta, but there are also white and pale mauve varieties. Blooming occurs for around three months during the rainy season, inspiring one of its Indonesian names which translates as the "three-month flower." The flowers retain their color for more than a week.

The flowers are used in Bali in religious offerings (above right) and to decorate sacred flags, while in Thailand they form the most important component of a traditional floral arrangement in which blooms are imbedded in shaped mounds of damp sawdust. To the confusion of visiting plant collectors, Thais often dye the flowers, producing unusual colors never seen in nature.

Spider Lily

Crinurn asiaticum

Botanical Family: Amaryllidaceae

Thai name: Plub-plueng

Malay names: Krinum bakung

Indonesian name: Krinum bakung

This handsome Crinum is native to Southeast Asia and is seen not only growing wild in swamps but also in many garden plantings, thanks to its willingness to tolerate a wide range of conditions; including strong sea winds. It has a massive, fleshy stem that grows to a height of about a meter and long, succulent, bright-green leaves. The flowers, which appear frequently on stalks in a sunburst arrangement, are white and fragrant. Another variety, C. amabile, is much larger and has pink flowers trimmed in wine-red; unlike C. asiaticum, this requires full sun to bloom well. The root is used as a poultice for treating wounds, while the poisonous juice acts as a purgative.

Another plant also often called a Spider Lily is Hymenocallis littoralis, which has somewhat similar flowers that are also different in that the star-shaped flowers have a membranous tissue connecting the petals at their base. Hymenocallis also has strap-shaped leaves that emerge straight from the underground tubers.

Frangipani

Plumeria sp.

Botanical Family: Apocynaceae

Thai name: Lan-tom

Malay names: Cempaka kubur, Cempaka mulia, Kamboja

Indonesian names: Kemboja, Cempaka, Bunga Jepun

The Frangipani is among the easiest of tropical trees to propagate from seeds, cuttings, and air-layering, which is perhaps one reason why this native of the New World quickly spread to other warm-weather regions. Another is the beauty of its fragrant, five-petalled flowers, which are used as offerings in both Buddhist and Hindu ceremonies; it is also seen planted in Muslim cemeteries in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The small to medium-sized tree was named after the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1706), who made three voyages to the Caribbean area in the 17th century. It has acquired an unusual range of popular names, among them Dead Man's Fingers (Australia), Jasmin de Cayenne (Brazil), and the Pagoda or Temple Tree (India). Two explanations have been given for Frangipani, the commonest. According to one, it was derived from a perfume created by an Italian family of the same name before the discovery of the Western Hemisphere; another claims that the thick white latex that flows from a cut in the tree reminded French settlers in the Caribbean of "frangipanier," or coagulated milk.

There are several distinct species, of which the most widely-cultivated is P. rubra, the progenitor of countless varieties. P. rubra forma acutifolia, for example, has very fragrant white flowers with yellow centers, while others come in varying shades of pink, yellow, red, and combinations. P. obtusa has somewhat larger white flowers and blunt-ended leaves. There are also dwarf varieties that are popular with container gardeners.

Except for P. obtusa and some of its varieties, all Plumerias have an annual dormant period in which they stop growing and flower less profusely; many shed their leaves at this time. They require good sun and well-drained soil to flower best. Cuttings root easily in a mixture of sand and light soil, as do even quite large branches; trees up to 7 meters high with almost no roots can be moved without any serious setback.

Adenium

Adenium obesum (A. coetaneum)

Botanical Family: Apocynaceae

Thai name: Chuan-chom

Malay names: Adenium merah

Indonesian names: Adenium merah

A member of the same botanical family as the Frangipani—it is, in fact, sometimes called the Japanese Frangipani—Adenium is a small treelet native to arid East Africa and Arabia, reaching a height of about 1 m. It has pale-grey succulent stems that produce a white, poisonous latex when cut, glossy club-shaped leaves at the branch ends, and, unlike most succulents, an almost continuous display of large, trumpet-shaped flowers that range in color from pink to crimson. The leaves often fall during wet weather or when the plant is in flower.

Intolerant of damp conditions, Adenium is usually seen grown as a pot plant in Southeast Asia, preferring a sunny location on a balcony or terrace and a well-drained potting soil mixture. It may also be used in rock gardens. Propagation is most often by cuttings, though old plants may produce seeds. Frequent applications of liquid manure increases flowering, which in the right location is more or less continuous.

Madagascar Periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus (Vinca rosea)

Botanical Family: Apocynaceae

Thai name: Pung puay

Malay names: Kembang sari Cina, Tapak dara

Indonesian name: Tapak dara

This shrubby plant, which grows about 60 cm. high on soft stems, is actually a perennial, though it looks like an annual and is often grown as such. The flowers, appearing in clusters at the branch tips, are white with a pink or yellow center or rosy pink with a red center and occur almost continually if the plant is given a sunny location. Despite its popular name, it is believed by some to actually be a native of the Caribbean. It can be seen growing wild in many places, especially along beaches, but is also used in gardens because of its dependable flowers and ability to survive in near-drought conditions.

Like other members of its botanical family, the Madagascar Periwinkle is poisonous. On the other hand, two of the many alkaloids it contains in minute quantities have medicinal properties and in recent years have been the subject of research into the treatment of certain cancers. It is also used in traditional medicine in some parts of the world to treat various diseases, among them diabetes.

Allamanda

Allamanda cathartica

Botanical Family: Apocynaceae

Thai name: Ban buree

Malay name: Alamanda kuning

Indonesian names: Alamanda kuning; Lame aruey (Sunda)

Originally from Central and South America and named after the Brazilian naturalist Allamand, the bright yellow-flowering Allamanda has become a garden staple in most parts of the tropics, usually as a woody climber but often, too, as a bushy shrub in a variety called A. schotti. One variety known as A. grandiflora has particularly large funnel-shaped flowers up to 10 cm. in diameter, while another, A. violacea, has pale mauve blooms. There is also a dwarf cultivar increasingly seen in low plantings. Given a sunny location, it flowers continuously and requires little attention; it is often used in seaside gardens. All varieties can be propagated easily by cuttings.

As with other members of the Apocynaceae family, such as the Frangipani, all parts of the plant, including its milky sap, are poisonous, but the leaves, made into an infusion, are used in traditional medicine in South America as a purgative and vapor produced by boiling the leaves is said to be a remedy for coughs.

Yellow Oleander

Thevetia peruviana (T. nereifolia)

Botanical Family: Apocynaceae

Thai names: Thevetia Peruviana, Rum-poey

Malay names: Tevetia Peru

Indonesian names: Ki hujan, Tevetia Peru

This tropical American native has narrow, light green leaves and a more or less continuous display of satiny yellow, funnel-shaped, slightly fragrant flowers; there are also varieties with apricot-colored or almost white flowers, though these are not as often seen. Flowers are followed by small, green, apple-like fruit which, like the leaves and the white latex the plant exudes, are extremely poisonous; it is said that a single fruit can be fatal and thus Thevetia should not be planted where it might tempt small children.

Thevetia belongs to the same botanical family as the Oleander and also has a similar growth pattern. It is bushier, however, and if not pruned fairly often can become a small tree up to four meters in height. It is thus a useful addition to small gardens and for screening purposes. It prefers a sandy soil and full sun is required for profuse flowering. Propagation is by cuttings or by seeds, though these are slow to germinate.

Crown Flower

Calotropis gigantea

Botanical Family: Asclepiadaceae

Thai name: Dok rak

Malay names: Widuri, Reminggu

Indonesian names: Biduri, Widuri

This large, rather sprawling shrub, which belongs to the milkweed family, grows wild along the shores of Southeast Asia and the Pacific and is also popular in dry gardens exposed to strong sea winds, where less hardy plants find it difficult to survive. It has oval, light-green leaves, milky stems, and almost continuous clusters of waxy flowers that are either lavender or white in color; each flower consists of five pointed petals in a star shape, from the center of which rises a small, elegant "crown" that holds the stamens.

In Thailand, the long-lasting flowers are often used in leis and other floral arrangements. In some parts of Bali the lavender flowers are used to make magic designs before a cremation ceremony, while the white ones are used in offerings. They were also reputedly popular with Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani, who regarded them as emblems of royalty and wore them strung into leis. The flowers have also been imitated in carved ivory.

Balsam

Impatiens balsamina

Botanical Family: Balsaminaceae

Thai name: Thian

Malay names: Pacar air, Balsam, Keembung, Inai ayam

Indonesian names: Pacar air, Balsem, Keembung, Inai ayam

There are numerous varieties of Impatiens, a number of which are native to Southeast Asia. I. balsamina, commonly known as the Annual or Garden Balsam, produces white, pink, red or purple flowers on a fleshy stem and is grown commercially in some places for the production of fingernail dye. The flower petals are sometimes used as offerings in Bali. One variety, I. oncidiodes, has yellow flowers and is native to the highland areas of Malaysia.

More ornamental varieties, called Busy Lizzies, are usually grown as decorative pot plants on verandas and terraces or in moist, semi-shaded locations beside ponds and waterfalls. They can be found in a wide range of flower colors, from white to bright crimson, some with double blossoms and others with dark purple leaves. These hybrids require intensive manuring and seeds of the double-flowering types do not always breed true. At higher altitudes, Impatiens become quite sizeable shrubs several feet high and can be used in massed plantings.

Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia spp.

Botanical Family: Balsaminaceae

Thai name: Chom phu pantip

Malay names: Tabebuia

Indonesian names: Tabebuia

A native of South America, this flowering tree was introduced to Southeast Asia in relatively recent years but is now often seen in gardens and along streets. Most varieties are deciduous, producing flowers after the leaves Bignoniaceae fall, and for this reason they do best in places where there is a prolonged dry season.

The most common variety is T. rosea, which has tubular, pale-pink flowers in small clusters and is sometimes called the Pink Trumpet Tree; this is planted along many streets in Bangkok, where it quickly attains a height of five to six meters and blooms during the dry season from January to March. Another pink-flowering species, T. pentaphylla is smaller, blooms more or less continually in smaller quantities, and does not shed its leaves.