Denison Balsam is a herb with flowers borne on a
leafless flowering-stem. Flowering stems are twice to four times as
long as leaves. Flowers are numerous, about 2.5 cm long, pink, racemed
towards tip. Flower-stalks are 2.5-3.5 cm long. Lateral sepals are
ovate. Lip is broadly ovate with three broad spreading lobes with dense
cluster of petaloid hairs above conjuction of lobes; spurred. Wings
with a thread-like ear enclosed in long recurved spur. Leaves arise
from the base, are ovate heart-shaped, base deeply 2-lobed, sinus
broad, blunt or pointed at tip, bristly rounded toothed, 7-15 x 7.5-10
cm, hairy above, hairless below; leaf-stalks shorter than leaves.
Capsules are hairless; seeds numerous with spiral hairs. Denison Balsam
is commonly found on moist rocks and tree trunks at altitudes of
1000-1600 m, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is endemic to the western
slopes of Nilgiris. Flowering: July-November.
Identification credit: Shrishail Kulloli, Theurkauf W
Photographed in Kerala.
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The flower labeled Denison Balsam is ...