Nature’s delights – Page 4

07/04/202205/04/2022

Ficus religiosa

I am participating in the April AtoZ Blogging challenge and my theme is Plants featured on Indian Stamps. This is my eight attempt at the AtoZ.

My theme is inspired by an online talk by Daniel L Nikrent of Cornell University, USA held by Maharashtra Vriksha Samvardhini about Parasitic Flowering Plants featured on Stamps.

I am not a stamp collector nor a fan of stamps. Hence almost all my posts are purely based on research on the internet. I have tried to cross check the info before posting here. Please do share correct info and links to the same in case of discrepancy.

India Post has a very strong network reaching deep deep into the interiors of the country and I depended on it for news from home when we were posted in far away places. In this age of smartphones, Internet, how many of us really write letters – snail mail as they are now called? Despite this , I find that new stamps are being issued and we have stamps on diverse topics including Armed Forces, Films, Personalities, Wildlife, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Food and so on.. It is amazing!

The India Postage Stamps website has a complete catalogue of stamps. Please click the link to see many many wonderful stamps.

Colnect is a comprehensive portal for Stamp collectors. It gives detailed information about every listed stamp. Click here for detailed info about Stamps – what is a stamp, types, formats, water marks, perforations and much more.

Do visit tomorrow for some more beautiful plants on stamps.

05/04/202205/04/2022

Dillenia indica

I am participating in the April AtoZ Blogging challenge and my theme is Plants featured on Indian Stamps. This is my eight attempt at the AtoZ.

My theme is inspired by an online talk by Daniel L Nikrent of Cornell University, USA held by Maharashtra Vriksha Samvardhini about Parasitic Flowering Plants featured on Stamps.

Despite this , I find that new stamps are being issued and we have stamps on diverse topics including Armed Forces, Films, Personalities, Wildlife, Handlooms, Handicrafts and so on.. It is amazing!

D has a unique flower namely Dillenia indica of the Dilleniaceae family. It is a native tree and the large downward facing fragrant flowers are quite uniquely shaped. Its leaves are very beautiful being dark green, with a serrate margin and deeply impressed veins. While earlier, it is was not very common in Pune, now I see is very often in gardens and even roadsides.

Here is an image of its leaf and flower from my collection.

Here is the stamp with the lovely Dillenia flower on it. It was issued in 2005 and its denomination is 5 INR. Category: Commemorative (Flora and Fauna of North East India)

Post of India, GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons

The India Postage Stamps website has a complete catalogue of stamps. Please click the link to see many many wonderful stamps.

Do visit tomorrow for some more beautiful plants on stamps.

Till then, Take Care and Stay Happy!

02/04/202231/03/2022

Bougainvillea

I am participating in the April AtoZ Blogging challenge and my theme is Plants featured on Indian Stamps. This is my eight attempt at the AtoZ.

My theme is inspired by an online talk by Daniel L Nikrent of Cornell University, USA held by Maharashtra Vriksha Samvardhini about Parasitic Flowering Plants featured on Stamps.

B was an easy alphabet and India Post has stamps depicting the Butea monosperma, Bauhinia variegata and Bougainvillea glabra. Bougainvillea belong to the Nyctanginaceae family and are climbers. However they can be grown as a hedge and also in pots. In fact, Bougainvillea make excellent Bonsai.

The species is named after Louis de Bougainvillea, an explorer and Admiral from France who brought this plant to Europe from Brazil.

1985 had two different stamps commemorative stamps of the Bougainvillea denomination of 50np and 1 INR. Here is one of them.

The India Postage Stamps website has a complete catalogue of stamps. Please click the link to see many many wonderful stamps.

We come up to the first weekend of the blogging challenge.

See you all on Monday for the alphabet C.

Till then, Take care and Stay Happy!

01/04/202205/04/2022

Arisaema nepenthoides

I am participating in the April AtoZ Blogging challenge and my theme is Plants featured on Indian Stamps. This is my eight attempt at the AtoZ.

My theme is inspired by an online talk by Daniel L Nikrent of Cornell University, USA held by Maharashtra Vriksha Samvardhini about Parasitic Flowering Plants featured on Stamps.

Without much ado, lets begin.

Arisaema nepenthoides belongs to the Araceae family and grows from tubers. Its flower or Inflorescence is a Spathe that looks like the hood of a cobra. This species grows at 2000-3000m altitude in eastern part of the Himalayan range. It blooms from April -June.

Other Arisaema varieties grow elsewhere in the country so you may have seen a variety of this plant.

Here is an image of the stamp

India Post has issued a Commemorative stamp under the Theme Flowers -Plants (Flora) of denomination 5 INR.

Yet another beautiful stamp is of Anacardium occidentale which is Cashew of the Anacardiaceae family.

Here is an image of Cashew flowers from my collection

The India Postage Stamps website has a complete catalogue of stamps. Please click the link to see many many wonderful stamps.

Do visit tomorrow for some more beautiful plants on stamps.

Till then, Take Care and Stay Happy!

08/04/202119/04/2021

Fragrance Overload (ThursdayTreeLove)

As the heat increases at this time of the year, our trees and plants burst into new leaves and flowers. This makes every Nature Walk a magical experience for the splendid colours that it dons. Fragrant flowers and the crunch of dry leaves under our feet, add to this multi sensory joyous experience! After the glorious red leaves of Kusumb, the haunting sweet fragrance of Shirish flowers announce the trees’ celebration of a season change. It beckons you to stand below the tree and drown yourself in its sweetness.

**In March, on the tekdi, Shirish is among the few trees sprouting green and stands out from a distance**

**The Flower Up Close.. Pretty and Light and Fragrant!**

Shirish goes by the botanical name Albizia lebbeck of the Mimosaceae family. The flowers are curiously shaped and look like a bunch of delicate strands that would wilt if we touch. Greenish white in colour, each ‘flower’ is actually an inflorescence. These turn into broad green fruit that dries to white over the year. At any time, the Shirish always bears these white pods which rattle in the breeze.

**Standing under this row of Shirish is a heavenly experince.**

As luck will have it, I am unable to locate the image of the pods but I will get a new one and upload it here. 🙁

This species grows to a fairly large size and is common as an avenue tree in Pune. At times, it is confused with the Rain Tree (Samanea saman) also of the same family but the flower colour, pods are some of the distinguishing features.

Shirish is among my favourite species and in bloom right now. I am sure many of you would have seen it. Enjoy it’s flowering as the tree celebrates a season change.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in.

25/03/202123/09/2021

Red (ThursdayTreeLove)

I had another post with the same title a few weeks ago. So yes, you dear readers, are right in wondering if you have reached the wrong page. But no, this is a different Red, just as spectacular.

I am talking about the spring foliage of a native tree called Kusumb or Schleichera oleosa. It belongs to the Sapindaceae family and is a treat to watch. This deciduous tree bursts into new leaf as winter ends and the tree dons a glorious red. It can be easily spotted from a distance.

The blaze of red one sees when travelling in the ghats in Maharashtra at this time of the year is most likely the Kusumb.

Here are some of the tantalising glimpses we got as we were returning home from a Botany field visit. Finally, we just had to stop and enjoy this beautiful foliage.

Capturing images from a moving bus is so difficult! This is just one Red that we whizzed past.

**All of us trying to capture the red in our cell phones.**

Here is the Kusumb from Pune from our Vetal Tekdi.

My phone camera does not do justice but the red is easily spotted among the bare trees, even from a distance!

**A good camera in the hands of a knowledgeable person captures such great images! Photo credit Pallavi Gharpure**

The Kusumb also bears flowers at this time but the leaves steal the show! Its fruit is very useful among them is being used to make a special kind of hair oil that encourages hair growth.

Schleichera oleosa finds a mention in Trees of Delhi and Jungle Trees of Central India … which means it grows in those regions as well.

Do try to see these gorgeous leaves..because they will turn green soon.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

24/12/202023/06/2023

Tree Love (ThursdayTreeLove)

This is one of the glorious sights on my morning walk on Pune’s Vetal Tekdi. Some may well ask what is remarkable in this image .. the grass has dried, many trees have shed their leaves and so on…

The Sun just peeping out from the horizon on a chilly winter morning (yes Pune does have a few every season 🙂 ) is a glorious sight to behold. Refreshing the mind and soul.

But tree lovers will adore trees in all the seasons in all their natural states. A leafless tree displaying its trunk and branch architecture is as beautiful as one in full bloom. The golden grass carpet crunching below our feet and rustling in the breeze soothes as none other.

As John Muir has said, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

I am sure you all agree!

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. It the hundredth edition this time and I am happy to say I have been participating since the 20th. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

As 2020 ends, let me wish you all, dear readers, a Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy year ahead.

17/12/202017/12/2020

More Morning Hues (Wordless Wednesday)

The sugarcane fields were in bloom and I could not resist trying to capture the glowing inflorescence from the moving vehicle. The camera does no justice to the beautiful scene..

Posting a day late, but I am sure you will enjoy these images of beautiful mornings ..

I am joining Natasha in her #WW blog hop.

10/12/202010/12/2020

Elephant Apple (ThursdayTreeLove)

What is it that first strikes you about this tree?

I am sure you will agree with me that its the glossy leaves that are eye catching. This is the Dillenia indica of the Dilleniaceae family and commonly known as Elephant Apple. This is a native species and its flowers are just as beautiful as its leaves.

The family Dilleniaceae is in honour of Johann Jacob Dillenius who was a Botanist and Botany Professor at Oxford. India Post has released a commemorative stamp of this tree species.

The leaf has a serrated margin and distinct veins

The five petaled fragrant flowers are large, solitary and face downwards.

Apparently the fruit is a favourite of elephants hence this common name! It is about the size of an apple and I have read that the pulp is used in some our our curries etc.

A few years ago, this species was not very common in Pune, and tree lovers made it a point to visit the few known locations where it did grow. However now I have seen it growing at many places , even on roadsides!

Have you seen the Dillenia indica? Do look out for its blossoms in June/July and Oct to Jan.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!