Wild Flowers

Ceropegia Oculata

(Picture taken at Masai Pathar, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in August 2014)

Ceropegia Oculata is a twining herb growing in areas with high rainfall in the western ghats. The leaves are long stalked and lance-shaped to ovate. Flowers are showy. The lower part is quite swollen and takes about a third of the flowers total length. The flower-tube is thin, but broadened upward, colored pinkish beige with some darker spots. The close-knit petals are very dark ruby-colored, almost black and show a white stripe in the upper third. The tips are joined and emerald green.  

 

Ceropegia Huberi

(Picture taken at Amba Ghat, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in August 2014)

Ceropegia Huberi is a climbing plant, which build an underground tuber. The leaves are lance shaped, about 6 cm long and up to 1.5 cm broad. They arise from an about 1 cm long stalk. The flowers are tiny, only about 1 cm long. They stand together in small groups on a up to 3 or 4 cm long stalk and show a very strange shape. The petals are formed roof-like. The really tiny flower-tube is purple, the petals are bright white. This species is now, like almost all Indian species, very endangered. Huber's Ceropegia is endemic to Western Ghats. 

 

Ceropegia Media

(Picture taken at Amba Ghat, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in August 2014)

Ceropegia Media is a slender twinning climber 1-2 m long. Stems are slender, purple, and root tuberous. Oppositely arranged leaves are narrowly linear, lance shaped, 5-15 cm long. Leaves are hairy with a rounded base. Flowers arise in leaf axils in clusters of 2-4. The stalk carrying the cluster is 2-4 cm long. Flower-stalks are 1-2 cm long, hairy. Flowers are 2-3 cm long, with a 2 cm long tube, slightly inflated at the base. The tube enlarges at the top, to a purple mouth. The petals at the top are purple, 1 cm long. Medium Ceropegia is found at higher elevations in the Western Ghats. 

 

Ceropegia Hirsuta

(Picture taken at Kolhapur, Maharashtra in August 2014)

Ceropegia Hirsuta is an upright or climbing plant with a subterranean tuber. The 6.5 cm long and 3 cm broad, elliptic to ovate leaves are covered with hair on both sides. Leaf stalk is about 2 cm long, hairy. The 5 cm long flowers of this species are very showy, the lower part is slightly swollen. The flower-tube is light beige colored and mottled olive-brown or purple upwards. The petals are very broad and yellowish or apple-green colored. In India the tubers of Hairy Ceropegia are eaten as a vegetable. 

 

Dancing Lady Orchid

(Picture taken at Amba Ghat, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in August 2014)