Shubhada ji, I have two photos of what I believe as *Aristolochia ringens*: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Aristolochia&w=91314344%40N00 (I found the plant at the restaurant, Kshanbhar Vishranti, Panvel). A coined name in Marathi is *badak vel*, बदक वेल.
Regards. On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 10:21 PM, shubhada nikharge < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > i am forwarding Dr. Usha's mail to this group along with my pics of > Aristolochia flowers. > pics were taken at Maharashtra Nature Park, Mahim, Mumbai. > cheers, > shubhada > > ----- Forwarded Message ---- > *From:* usha Desai <[email protected]> > ** > **Friends > This sunday myself & Shubhada had gone to MNP & > we were rewarded well. > We saw 4 unusual flowers > > I shall start with Aristlochia, > sorry Dr.Kulkarni it has no local name. > Aristolochia is the genus & there are 3 > indigenous Aristolochia but all of them > are small & not significant.They are > namely A.indica,A.roxburghiana,A.bracteata. > > The one we saw was almost 6 to 8 inche ... > had fawn colour speckeled with maroon.This > one is an exotic probably from S.America. > The flower has 3 parts > [1]lower pouch or bulb which houses anthers > hidden underneath the stigma. > [2] middle 'C' shaped tube whose inner lining > has downwardly motile hairs. > [3]upper portion is divided into 2parts,one > typically looks like a bird's beak & another > part like a large petal. > The flowers are dichogamousprotogynous:Which > means thestigma matures before the anthers! > [di=2,both male & female parts mature at > different time]and Protogyny[proto=first gyny=female] > So once the insect enters the flower & pollinates the > stigma,the flower will have to imprison the insect > till anthers mature.[which usually takes 24 hours!] > This is achieved by downwardly motile hairs which > allows the insect to go down but barr them from coming up. > > Once the anthers mature,they spray their pollens on the insect & at the > same time the motile hairs start withering and for the insect the prison > gates are open..it comes out & goes to the next flower to get imprisoned! > The reward for the insect are free lodging & boarding!There are special > nutritional cells for the insect to eat. > > This is a marvellous example of flower adaption for its pollinating > visitor..the insect. > cheers Usha > > > ------------------------------ > See the Web's breaking stories, chosen by people like you. Check out Yahoo! > Buzz <http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_buzz_1/*http://in.buzz.yahoo.com/>. > > ------------------------------ > Yahoo! recommends that you upgrade to the new and safer Internet Explorer > 8<http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_ie8_1/*http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/> > . > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiantreepix" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
