Chennai Marathon

some interesting sights while in Chennai for the marathon/10K

Indian Laburnum in full bloom on the way to the Leela to collect the bibs

 

View of the Adyar Poonga from the bridge across to karpagam avenue

 

Neem tree buds on the morning of the run

 

 

The run itself...

 

 

 

This tiny flower, no larger than my thumbnail, had dropped off a tree and almost formed a carpet along the sidewalk. I tried digging through 'flowers of india' to identify the flower/ tree but in vain; if you know what it is , please do leave a comment.

Update - thank you College Gardener! it is most likely the wrightia tinctoria.

 

 

Garlands being sold on adyar bridge

 

 

 

Wrightia tinctoria

It was at a walk by Nizhal that i first encountered the wrightia tinctoria (palai maram in tamil). It's distinguishing feature was the long cylindrical pods that appeared in pairs, joined (or seemingly so) at the ends.

This time i was lucky enough to see it in bloom, its pretty little white flowers all over the branches, truely resembling snow flakes from a distance.

The tree has many medicinal uses. Go check it out at Flowers of India.

Oh and turns out this one belongs to the same family as the oleander and the plumeria - Apocynaceae.