Sir, there is some variation in Dr. Almeida's keys(Proof -reading errors?) and the description following each species of Eranthemum. As per your observations of E. pulchellum the following description from the flora matches for E. pulchellum for the bracts -I am quoting the entire description: " A shrub 0.6-1.5 meter high, Leaves upto 20 cm long and 10 cm broad, ovate, lineolate, apex acuminate entire or blunt crenulate. *It has white, concave, ovate, acuminate* *bracts green nerves and veins and blue flowers in uninterrupted spikes often forming a terminal panicle." * ** Again for E. roseum the detailed description of both bracts and bracteoles is given I quote " Peduncles* *quadrangular,bracts 9mm long , obovate, with a reflexed mucro, white with very prominent raised green nerves, densely hairy on the midrib and ciliate on the margins with long hair; bracteoles as long as or slightly longer than the calyx , narrowly linear, acute , densely clothed on the back and ciliate with long white hair * *
Before going through both the description I was sure your plant is not E. roseum but the fading flowers turning red as seen in one of your pictures, is it also a charecterisitic of E. pulchellum. If so than the riddle is solved . regards, Rashida. On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 8:36 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > I think the riddle for me and Dinesh ji is finally solved, thanks to > Shrikant ji's key and Pankaj ji's attachment > > Eranthemum roseum and E. pulchellum are clearly very distinct > > In E. roseum the spike is much longer but narrower usually longer than 7 > cm, bracts are obovate, mucronate and strigose. This can be clearly seen in > photographs by Dinesh ji and Nikhaje ji > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/315815819/ > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/318353211/ > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/shubhada_nikharge/5256280357/in/set-72157624552174714/ > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/shubhada_nikharge/5255717803/in/set-72157624552174714/ > > In E. pulchellum (syn: E. nervosum) the spikes are much shorter usually > shorter than 7 cm, broader, bracts elliptic, cuspidate and glabrous. This > can be clearly seen in my photographs attached here. > > In both these species the bracts are mottled green and white as against E. > purpurascens where they are uniformally green > > I am not familiar with Almeida's Flora, but notice that his key for > Eranthemum does not seem to be working on more then one counts: > > 1. He records bracts as green in both E purpurascens and E. pulchellum, > whereas they are mottled green and white in E. pulchellum > 2. Spikes are not interrupted in E. pulchellum and bracts clearly longer > than 1 cm > 3. Bracts are densely hairy in both E. purpurascens and E. roseum. > <http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/315815819/> > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > >
