Thats interesting, most probably because they look like chords!! :) Thanks a lot for sharing. Pankaj
On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:27 PM, Satish Phadke <[email protected]> wrote: > Observing the responses I was wondering what is so interesting in this > flower . No doubt the flower is large, beautiful, colourful. I read the > description from Dinesh carefully. The meaning of Strophanthus: 'Twisted > cord flower' appeared interesting to me but still couldn't understand it. > This prompted me to search on Wikipedia which gave the following result. > > Somehow this feature is not visible here but is present in some other > species of Strophanthus. > > Will post one of the pictures from my collection in separate thread. > > The genus is really interesting!!! > > Strophanthus is a genus of 35-40 species of flowering plants in the family > Apocynaceae, native mainly to tropical Africa, extending to South Africa, > with a few species in Asia, from southern India to the Philippines and > southern China. The name (strophos anthos, "twisted cord flower") derives > from the long twisted threadlike segments of the corolla, which in one > species (S. preussii) attain a length of 30–35 cm. > > The genus includes vines, shrubs and small trees. The leaves are opposite or > whorled, simple broad lanceolate, 2–20 cm long, with an entire margin. > > Several of the African tribes used Strophanthus as the principal ingredient > in arrow poison. > > On 1 November 2010 14:30, Dinesh Valke <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Apocynaceae (dogbane, or oleander family) » Strophanthus gratus >> Synonym: Roupellia grata >> >> >> stroh-FAN-thus -- twisted cord flower >> GRAH-tus -- pleasant, charming >> >> >> commonly known as: climbing oleander, cream fruit, rose allamanda >> >> >> Native to: West Africa >> >> >> Attached view from Chota Kashmir, Aarey Milk Colony, Mumbai. >> ... no more views !! > > -- *********************************************** "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!" Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) Research Associate Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project Department of Habitat Ecology Wildlife Institute of India Post Box # 18 Dehradun - 248001, India
