South-Indian Chaff-flower is an erect herb, commonly
found as a wasteland herb. It can be distinguished from the more common
Prickly Chaff Flower by the fact that
the tiny flowers are distinctly pink, whereas they are greenish in Prickly
Chaff Flower. It is a perennial nearly-erect under shrub up to 1.5m tall.
Leaves are deciduous; dimorphic, lower ones large
15-22 x 6-10 cm; upper leaves gradually decreases in size, elliptic
or elliptic-lanceshaped, pointed or tapering; nearly hairless above,
velvet-hairy beneath; margin entire, slightly wavy; leaf-stalk 1-3 cm.
Flowers are borne in spikes, densely
arranged on axis; axis thick, 21-40 cm long, densely velvet-hairy,
whitish. Buds erect, pointing towards tip of the inflorescence; flowers
spreading up to 1.2 cm in diameter, rosy or purplish. Bract persistent,
linear, membranous with distinct midrib, smaller than the longest tepal,
up to 5 mm long, with rosy tinge at the base. South-Indian Chaff Flower is
found in West and South India.
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke
Photographed at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled South-Indian Chaff Flower is ...