Author: Henry NoltiePage 3 of 6
14. Dichroa febrifuga Loureiro HYDRANGEACAE Hindi: basak This shrub is related to the hydrangea. It has attractive blue berries and is widespread in subtropical South-East Asia, occurring up to…
15. Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. assamica (Masters) Kitamura THEACEAE Tea; Hindi: chai, चाय The source of the world’s major caffeine drink exists in two wild varieties – the…
16. Magnolia hodgsonii (J.D. Hooker & Thomson) H. Keng This large magnolia is native from Central Nepal to Northern Burma eastwards to Thailand and Yunnan. Its name commemorates…
17. Trachycarpus latisectus Spanner, Noltie and Gibbons PALMAE The Windamere palm On an RBGE expedition in 1992 two trees of this hardy palm were spotted growing outside the Windamere…
18. Musa sikkimensis Kurz MUSACEAE Unlike the cultivated bananas, the fruits of this wild species are full of large, hard seeds. Whereas most species of banana are truly tropical,…
19. Carex baccans Nees CYPERACEAE Whereas most sedges have green or brown fruits, this species is unusual in having brightly coloured ones. Although the specific name ‘baccans’ means bearing…
20. Rhaphidophora glauca (Wallich) Schott ARACEAE This is a climbing member of the aroid family. It resembles a smaller form of the familiar Swiss-cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), a popular…
21. Cupressus cashmeriana Carrière CUPRESSACEAE This tree, with very attractive, drooping, grey foliage appears to be a cultivated form of the native East Himalayan species Cupressus himalaica which can…
22. Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner NELUMBONACEAE Sacred lotus, Egyptian Bean; Hindi: kamal, कमल This aquatic plant is important in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu iconography. The beautiful flower (which can be…
23. Oryza sativa L. GRAMINEAE Rice; Hindi: dhan, धान, chaval, चावल; Bengali: chal The grain of this cereal grass is the major carbohydrate source throughout tropical Asia. Cultivated for…
24. Saccharum officinarum L. GRAMINEAE Sugar cane; Hindi: ganna, गन्ना Sugar cane is a giant grass, widely cultivated for the juice expressed from its crushed stems, from which sugar…
25. Cycas pectinata Buchanan-Hamilton CYCADACEAE This species is a native of North-East India and mainland South-East Asia, where it occurs on subtropical hill slopes at altitudes of up to…
26. Calamus flagellum Griffith PALMAE This is one of the native Indian species of rattan (climbing palms), occurring in subtropical parts of the East Himalaya, North-East India and Bangladesh,…
27. Crinum asiaticum L. AMARYLLIDACEAE Hindi: Nagadamani, नागदामिनी This large, bulbous herb is widely cultivated in the tropics, and as a hothouse plant in temperate regions. It is native…
28. Molineria capitulata (Loureiro) Herbert HYPOXIDACEAE A herbaceous plant of the shady floor of subtropical and tropical forests in South and South-East Asia. In India it occurs in West…
29. Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland GRAMINEAE Hindi: bans, बांस A tree-sized species of bamboo, widely cultivated in the tropics, but probably native to South and South-East Asia including…
30. Reinwardtia indica Dumortier LINACEAE Hindi: basanti, बसंती A member of the flax family which is unusual in having individuals with three different flower forms (a condition known as…
31. Duchesnea indica (Andrews) Focke ROSACEAE In its creeping habit and red fruit, this plant resembles a small strawberry, but its flowers are bright yellow and the fruits are…
32. Polygonatum oppositifolium (Wallich) Royle CONVALLARIACEAE This subtropical relative of the native European Solomon’s seal was discovered by Nathaniel Wallich on his expedition to Nepal in 1820 to 1821….
33. Rhododendron dalhousiae J.D. Hooker ERICACEAE Lady Dalhousie’s rhododendron Native of the Eastern Himalaya, this species, which has fragrant flowers, often grows as an epiphyte on mossy tree trunks….