Thanks, Kumar ji, for the wonderful narration and your journey to find a Ceropegia. So well written. -- With regards, J. M. Garg
On Wed, 1 Jun, 2022, 12:56 am tsp kumar, <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear friends, > I am extremely happy that efloraofindia is completing 15 years this June.I > am ecstatic and proud that I have been associated with this forum since > 2014 when I was a rookie photo enthusiast interested in photographing > flowers that I came across during my field visits as a Forest Officer.I > used to pester the experts @ efloraofindia relentlessly seeking the > IDs.This forum, with a rich assortment of experts,satiated my > inquisitiveness.I know the names of those that enriched this forum > byheart.My pranams to each one of you that has made this forum what it is > today..a global authority on flora.......Kudos > > This is my humble submission of a photo-story to commemorate the 15th > anniversary of efloraofindia.The situation further kindled my passion to > explore the floral wealth of Western Ghats.I love every moment of my field > trips wherein I encountered spectacular orchids,curious Ceropegia,and a > host of other breathtaking flora. > > Subject:*Ceropegia elegans* > Location:Mullaianagiri,Chikmagalur,Karnataka > Thanks-n-regards > tspkumar > THE STORY > > My tryst with the Queen……………Ceropegia elegans. > > The genus Ceropegia has always been an enigma. The different floral shapes > and colours have fascinated me. I had read that about 43 of the 53 species > that are known to occur in India are threatened and have become rare and > genetically depleted. I always searched for them, when on field duty, with > no success whatsoever. They remained as elusive as quicksilver. > 24-06-2014 was another day that I could not keep indoors. It was > mid-monsoon. The call of the Giris, my favorite “beckoning hills,” was > irresistible. The imposing cliffs, winding roads, mesmerizing mist, > blinding rains and its orchid perfume always beckoned me. Unmindful of my > nemesis, those cold, slithery, and bloodthirsty leeches, I set out with my > team hoping to find some orchids. The day was fruitful as we could find > quite a few orchids, terrestrial and epiphytic ones. > The climb was arduous and my nemesis,the leech, had its fair > share of my blood. The sun was already behind the western hills and the > light was falling rapidly. We hastened our descent hoping to get into the > safety of my Bolero before it got too dark. Before getting into the > vehicle, I stopped for a while to fill my lungs and to examine my shoes and > socks, Bent a little, kick-dropped a couple of leeches and looked over my > shoulders…! I thought that a pair of small, greenish, serpent-like eyes was > watching me from among the thickets a few feet away. I stared for a while, > eye-to-eye, and blinked first. Spellbound for a few seconds, I went closer. > My heart missed a few beats as I realized that it was not a serpent, but an > alien looking flower….! Yes. She was a Ceropegia….my Queen…! I had > inadvertently stumbled upon the ‘Queen of Ceropegias’ that was later > identified as Ceropegia elegans by that master explorer of Ceropegia, > Mr.Sushant More. > She has been a lucky mascot for me because later on I could meet > her mates as well during the year. Ceropegia juncea, Ceropegia biflora, > Ceropegia candelabrum,Ceropegia spiralis and the King himself, Ceropegia > gardneri…! > I have been recapitulating 24-06-2014 every now and then ever > since. The images I took that day, in the falling light, are my treasure > and occupy a prime place in my heart and archives as well. > -tspkumar > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "eFloraofIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CAE7sjSNDtiNu8Tp4kOZ3dHtBQRwfB-qGPQD6ZR7oC5WtxHgXKA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CAE7sjSNDtiNu8Tp4kOZ3dHtBQRwfB-qGPQD6ZR7oC5WtxHgXKA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "eFloraofIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFB7%2BQONFB4RPPwh4LUJrpTsToiEEkaHvTaXQfORvps%3Dpw%40mail.gmail.com.
