Rhynchanthus longiflorus - East-Indian Beak-Flower

East-Indian Beak-Flower is a tree-dwelling perennial herb. Leafy shoot are 60-100 cm long, drooping; leaves 10-12 in number, stalkless, strap-shaped; blade 16-22 x 4-6 cm, glossy, dark green on the upper side, lower side pale green, hairless, tip tapering, base rounded with entire margin. Flowers are borne at branch-ends, in lax, unbranched spikes, on a short flower-cluster-stalk, bright red, axis slightly curved upwards. Bracts are 5-6 in number, 4-5 x 0.8-1 cm, oblong-lanceshaped, bright red, each bract subtending a single flower. Flowers are 5-6 in an inflorescence, 9-10 cm long, arranged in two rows, all directed upwards. Sepal-cup is tubular, translucent orange, 3 cm long, three-toothed at the tip and with a unilateral split. Flower tube is 2-2.5 cm long, shorter than the sepal-cup, reddish, petals unequal; dorsal petal elliptic-lanceshaped, 5 x 1.5 cm, yellowish-green in the centre, dark violet to the tip and periphery; lateral petals linear, elliptic-lanceshaped, 4.5 x 1.2 cm, yellowish-green in the centre and deep violet to the tip and periphery. Filament is 4.8-5 cm long, curved, tubular, swollen in the middle, boat-shaped, bright yellow towards the tip, dark violet towards the base. Capsules are 2 x 1 cm long, reddish-green, finely velvet-hairy with many seeds in each chamber. East-Indian Beak-Flower is found in East India to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand. Flowering : July-August.