Grand Balsam is a perennial robust herb, often
shrubby, erect, 1-2.75 m tall. Flowers are large in umbel-like clusters
of 3-4 on long flower-cluster-stalks, pale rose or white. Lateral
sepals are obovate. Lip is sac-like, blunt or prolonged into very stout
about 4 cm long, conical straight spur. Standard is round,
wedge-shaped, notched. Wings are 2-lobed, spreading; basal lobes
oblong-obovate; distal lobes larger than the basal ones, rounded,
notched. Branches are round, hairless with prominent leaf-scars. Leaves
are confined to tip of branches, alternate, ovate-lanceshaped or
elliptic, pointed or rounded at base, tapering at tip, incurved,
bristly sawtoothed, 8-21 x 3-8 cm, thick, prominently nerved;
leaf-stalk 2-9.5 cm long with 2 stalked glands near tip. Capsules
ellipsoid, obscurely 4 - 5-angled, hairless, 1.5 -2 cm long; seeds
hairless. Grand Balsam is found in Southern W. Ghats South of High
Wavy Mountains, High Ranges and South Tirunelveli hills at an altitude
of 950-1700 m in densely forested ravines, mostly in Tamil Nadu and
Kerala. It is also found in Sri Lanka. Flowering: September-November &
March.
Identification credit: Shrishail Kulloli, A G Pandurangan
Photographed in Kerala.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Grand Balsam is ...