Sunday, April 17, 2011

Update: The PWD park at Kotturpuram

While at Chennai I also met up with friends from Nizhal at the PWD park. Work at the park continued thanks due to dedicated Nizhal volunteers, old and new.


 That line of white along the banks is a row of cattle egrets.While at the park, I spotted a very curious wildflower. The plants seemed to me like a herd of miniature dinosaurs because of their curious shape.



There were many other wildflowers as well, all of which made me realize that buying Isaac Kehimkar's Indian Wildflowers was long overdue.



Beautiful copperpods in bloom across the road.



May 2011 update:

Yes!! Kehimkar's book has helped me identify the 'dinosaur' as the Indian Turnsole - Heliotropium indicum. (Nakki poo in Tamil). Some interesting information about this wildflower - it is stated ot be an 'aromatic hairy herb with a woody stem and is attractive to milkweed butterflies. The leaves and seeds are used in traditional indian medicine. The latin name is from the greek word for sun (helios) and to turn (trope).

Too bad i didn't know all this when i spotted it - i missed a chance to see what it smells like! Ah well, the next time!

2 comments:

radha said...

Wildflowers are also very beautiful, aren't they? Lovely pictures

A. said...

yes thank you! must get the book to identify them.