Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Wildflower wednesday - Blood flower

Blooms from our apartment complex that Kehimkar's book helps identify as the 'Blood Flower' a.k.a. Scarlet Milkweed, or asclepias currasavica. The blood flower is supposed to be a native of the West Indies, now naturalized in India and SriLanka.

About a week back i got to observe the fascinating way in which this plant propogates. Most of its branches were covered iwth a white 'cotton-like' substance amidst which were pods that were bursting open with the seeds. The 'cotton' would drift with the winds, carrying the seeds with it. No wonder we have so many of these plants all around.


Kehimkar's book lists this plant as the food plant of the plain tiger butterfly. And what did I find on a branch right next to the flowers I photographed ? (albeit the branch belonged to some other plant) The spectacular larvae of the plain tiger butterfly.


1 comment:

radha said...

very nice flowers. Have not seen these anywhere.