-- With regards, J. M. Garg ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 1 Jun, 2022, 7:21 am Subject: Re: [itpmods:17115] Fwd: [efloraofindia:424361] Best flora photograph and stories on efloraofindia-The elegant Ceropegia elegans To: itpmods <[email protected]>
Yes sir. Imagine I found my first new species when I got off my car for a pee!! Today the plant is called Peristylus sahanii, named after my father. Pankaj On Wed, 1 Jun 2022 at 09:41, Dinesh Valke <[email protected]> wrote: > Superb and thrilling account of meeting the Queen, thank you, TSP ji, for > sharing the wonderful photo !!! > > Dear Pankaj, hope you find again, the white ceropegia someday !!! > Instances of missing flora, most of us, have our counts. Some special ones > haunt us for rest of our lives !!! > > Regards. > Dinesh > > On Wed, 1 Jun 2022, 06:41 Pankaj Kumar, <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Very beautiful image and the story behind. >> I have a similar story of an unidentified and even possibly a new >> Ceropegia from Himalaya. I was in Gori Valley around the cliffs on the >> right hand side of the river crossing through an Oak forest. And it started >> raining heavily. We decided to go down and follow a narrow trail. I >> stumbled upon one lcimber with white flower which I thought to be Ipomea so >> I kind of overlooked it and walked ahead.I have a bad habit that if I see >> something, the memory of that stays in my head. ~ 50 meters ahead I stopped >> thinking, "no it was not Ipomea the head had a crown!!". I was accompanied >> by a good professor friend from the USA. She said, "Let's go fast or we >> will be stuck". I said "no I need to go back, I think I saw something >> unusual. I asked her to keep walking and I will catch up. I walked up and >> as it was a while flower, it was not easy to miss. I took a twig with the >> flower in my hand and as it was pouring heavily, I decided to keep it in my >> hands or the flower might get crushed in the bag (I wanted to take pics >> later on. I returned to find my friend waiting there for me smiling!! "You >> are crazy Pankaj", she said. We walked down slowly (almost 1 hour) through >> bushes and reached the road only to realise that the twig broke off along >> with the flowers. The remaining twig I brought to the forest guesthouse and >> planted in the yard. No idea what happened to that plant and never could >> get an id of the species. By the vague description I had, I couldn't match >> it with any existing species from Himalaya. >> Pankaj >> >> >> On Wed, 1 Jun 2022 at 08:41, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> With regards, >>> J. M. Garg >>> >>> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >>> From: tsp kumar <[email protected]> >>> Date: Wed, 1 Jun, 2022, 12:56 am >>> Subject: [efloraofindia:424361] Best flora photograph and stories on >>> efloraofindia-The elegant Ceropegia elegans >>> To: eFlora of India <[email protected]> >>> >>> >>> 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 "ITPmods" 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/itpmods/CA%2BiuSFDQ9hArd6NFRtQgzTJkaLpy%2BimwV2evZSbPcbjWH02ZiA%40mail.gmail.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/itpmods/CA%2BiuSFDQ9hArd6NFRtQgzTJkaLpy%2BimwV2evZSbPcbjWH02ZiA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> >> >> -- >> >> *Pankaj Kumar* MSc, PhD, FLS >> >> *IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia* >> >> Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. China >> >> *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] >> *Phone*: +852 9436 6251 (mobile) >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "ITPmods" 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/itpmods/CABpo8%3D1HL%2BvLCKDTDCXcz0bhc1AW79ngpUgF0yiA-MQD104%3DDQ%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/itpmods/CABpo8%3D1HL%2BvLCKDTDCXcz0bhc1AW79ngpUgF0yiA-MQD104%3DDQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "ITPmods" 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/itpmods/CABSQqC2bB%3D3PQq4zaPofRANZ%2BfsX2rhx-73nYJhmq_qkjqX9iQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/itpmods/CABSQqC2bB%3D3PQq4zaPofRANZ%2BfsX2rhx-73nYJhmq_qkjqX9iQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- *Pankaj Kumar* MSc, PhD, FLS *IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia* Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. China *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] *Phone*: +852 9436 6251 (mobile) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ITPmods" 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/itpmods/CABpo8%3D18uHH8TkJinurjgnfquTwdKRZAtKyPxhq6vhbKjicaQg%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/itpmods/CABpo8%3D18uHH8TkJinurjgnfquTwdKRZAtKyPxhq6vhbKjicaQg%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%2BiuSFAJC7qxHj6ps6%3DrTxvezBqE88Asj-950pCF99ne__DRgA%40mail.gmail.com.
