FFF175 - CLEOME TRIBUTE

Cleome is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae. Previously it had been placed in the family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae genera to be more closely related to the Brassicaceae than the Capparaceae. Species of Cleome are commonly known as spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants.

I'd like to take the opportunity here to offer condolences to all affected by the GermanWings Flight 9525 tragedy. May the souls of the victims rest in peace.

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FFF175

1.	LEMON-SCENTED TEATREE	13.	Jesh StG	25.	Frauke | Germany	37.	guild-rez Canada
2.	FRENCH LAVENDER	14.	Katarina - Sweden	26.	Anne Seltmann	38.	Alexa T
3.	HIBISCUS	15.	willothewizp	27.	Moni	39.	Vilt og vakkert
4.	PROTEA 'PINK ICE'	16.	Vita, Germany	28.	Marcowy kolaż	40.	Lenas Trädgårdsrum
5.	Maboe	17.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	29.	Dawn	41.	Spring Fowers Belgium
6.	NatureFootstep Photo	18.	Anemone Hepatica	30.	WoollyMuses	42.	Jutta K. Deutschland
7.	Gunilla	19.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	31.	CROCUS SATIVUS	43.	veredit
8.	Helleborus Orientalis	20.	Sara Chapman #2	32.	christines welt	44.	ann nz
9.	Ulla Laiho	21.	Sara Chapman #3	33.	Lemapi	45.	Zauberpalme
10.	Christa, USA	22.	Sara Chapman #4	34.	Chasing the Blooms	46.	DAISY CHAIN
11.	BirgittaB	23.	Sara Chapman #5	35.	Heidrun	47.	ann 2
12.	Aletta - Nowathome	24.	Linley S	36.	Rose Garden Malevik

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FFF174 - BLUE LOTUS

Nymphaea nouchali, or by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, or by name star lotus, red and blue water lily, blue star water lily is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is the national flower of Sri Lanka and of Bangladesh. This aquatic plant is native from the Indian Subcontinent to the Australian region. It has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and Myanmar to decorate ponds and gardens. In its natural state N. nouchali is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of little to moderate depth.

Nymphaea nouchali is a day-blooming nonviviparous plant with submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are submerged, while others rise slightly above the surface. The leaves are round and green on top; they usually have a darker underside. The floating leaves have undulating edges that give them a crenellate appearance. Their size is about 20–23 cm and their spread is 0.9 to 1.8 m.

This water lily has a beautiful flower which is usually violet blue in colour with reddish edges. Some varieties have white, purple, mauve or fuchsia-coloured flowers, hence its name red and blue water lily. The flower has 4-5 sepals and 13-15 petals that have an angular appearance making the flower look star-shaped from above. The cup-like calyx has a diameter of 11–14 cm.

N. nouchali is used as an ornamental plant because of its spectacular flowers. It is also popular as an aquarium plant under the name "Dwarf Lily" or "Dwarf Red Lily". Sometimes it is grown for its flowers, while other aquarists prefer to trim the lily pads, and just have the underwater foliage.


Nymphaea nouchali is considered a medicinal plant in Indian Ayurvedic medicine under the name Ambal; it was mainly used to treat indigestion. Like all waterlilies or lotuses, its tubers and rhizomes can be used as food items; they are eaten usually boiled or roasted. In the case of N. nouchali, its tender leaves and flower peduncles are also valued as food. The dried plant is collected from ponds, tanks and marshes during the dry season and used in India as animal forage.

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FFF174

1.	PRAIRIE ROSES	11.	Gunilla	21.	Chasing the Blooms	31.	Debbie at Travel with Intent
2.	PEPPERTREE	12.	WoollyMuses	22.	Eva	32.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA
3.	PASSIONFLOWER	13.	March Garden - Bring on Spring	23.	Katarina - Sweden	33.	Sara Chapman #2
4.	PINK DAISIES	14.	Crocuses	24.	christines welt	34.	Sara Chapman #3
5.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	15.	Moni	25.	HoodPhoto OR-USA	35.	Andrea
6.	BirgittaB	16.	Znowu bedzie zielono	26.	Heidrun	36.	ann nz
7.	Maboe	17.	Anne Seltmann	27.	lemapi	37.	Lenas Trädgårdsrum
8.	Jesh StG	18.	Vilt og vakkert	28.	Villroses hage	38.	Zauberpalme
9.	Aletta - Nowathome	19.	Dawn	29.	Prunus and this & that	39.	Ulla Laiho
10.	Simone, Germany	20.	anotherday2paradise	30.	Linda	40.	Zauberpalme

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FFF173 - CASSIA FISTULA

Cassia fistula, known as the golden shower tree and by other names, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. The species is native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia. It ranges from southern Pakistan eastward throughout India to Myanmar and Thailand and south to Sri Lanka. In literature, it is closely associated with the Mullai (forest) region of Sangam landscape. It is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand's national flower. It is also the state flower of Kerala in India and of immense importance amongst the Malayali population. It is a popular ornamental plant and is also used in herbal medicine.

The golden shower tree is a medium-sized tree, growing to 10–20 m tall with fast growth. The leaves are deciduous, 15–60 cm long, and pinnate with three to eight pairs of leaflets, each leaflet 7–21 cm long and 4–9 cm broad. The fragrant flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 20–40 cm long, each flower 4–7 cm diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. The fruit is a legume, 30–60 cm long and 1.5–2.5 centimetres broad, with a pungent odour and containing several seeds. The tree has strong and very durable wood.

Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flowers, many times with almost no leaf being seen. It will grow well in dry climates. Growth for this tree is best in full sun on well-drained soil; it is relatively drought tolerant and slightly salt tolerant. It will tolerate light brief frost, but can get damaged if the cold persists. It can be subject to mildew or leaf spot, especially during the second half of the growing season. The tree will bloom better where there is pronounced difference between summer and winter temperatures.

In Ayurvedic medicine, the golden shower tree is known as aragvadha, meaning "disease killer". The fruit pulp is considered a purgative, and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts. Though its use in herbalism has been attested to for millennia, little research has been conducted in modern times.

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FFF173

1.	TAMARILLO	12.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	23.	Eva	34.	CathyC, Australia
2.	ANGELWINGS JASMINE	13.	Sara Chapman #2	24.	Vilt og vakkert	35.	Andrea
3.	BOUGAINVILLEA	14.	Sara Chapman #3	25.	Katarina - Sweden	36.	veredit
4.	PERSIAN VIOLET	15.	Sara Chapman #4	26.	willothewizp	37.	Andrea, POG
5.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	16.	Jesh StG	27.	Maribels Garden	38.	psychelyn
6.	Christa, USA	17.	Jim, Sydney, Australia	28.	Sara Chapman #5	39.	bettyl - New Zealand
7.	Maboe	18.	Anne Seltmann	29.	lemapi	40.	ann nz
8.	Ulla Laiho	19.	Enerhagen	30.	Villroses hage	41.	Joe Owens
9.	Heidrun with a primrose	20.	Frauke | Germany	31.	NatureFootstep Photo	42.	Zauberpalme
10.	Aletta - Nowathome	21.	Dawn	32.	Lenas Trädgårdsrum	43.	Chasing the Blooms
11.	Gunilla	22.	COSMOS	33.	Primroses

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FFF172 - RED BUTTERFLY GINGER

Hedychium is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, etc.), southern China, the Himalayas and Madagascar. Some species have become widely naturalised in other lands (South Africa, South America, Central America, the West Indies, and many of the islands of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans) and considered invasive in some places.

The genus name Hedychium is derived from two ancient Greek words, hedys meaning "sweet" and chion meaning "snow". This refers to the fragrant white flower of the type species H. coronarium. Common names include garland flower, ginger lily, and kahili ginger. Members of the genus Hedychium are rhizomatous perennials, commonly growing 120–180 cm tall. Some species are cultivated for their exotic foliage and fragrant spikes of flowers in shades of white, yellow and orange. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which 'Tara' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Hedychium greenii (shown here) is a small to medium sized ginger, usually growing only 1 metre tall, but sometimes up to 1.6 m, if grown in optimal conditions. The foliage is very attractive, reddish-purple stems and undersides of leaves and dark green on the upper sides of the leaves. The flowers are bright red but the flower heads are smaller than many other Hedychiums. Hedychium greenii is unique among butterfly gingers by producing prolific small plantlets from the flower heads. You can pull off these plantlets after they mature a bit and stick them in the soil about 2 cm, and they will root readily forming new plants. This makes them easy to propagate, and it is a very good thing.

Hedychium greenii requires a little more shade than other Hedychiums. It has a tendency to dry out in that much sun, unless regularly watered. Its native habitat is moist, even marshy ground, and it should be kept very moist for best flowering. Hardiness ratings all the way from zone 7 to zone 9.

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FFF172

1.	SUMMER FLOWERS	11.	RANUNCULUS	21.	Frauke | Germany	31.	Katarina - Sweden
2.	ORANGE JESSAMINE	12.	Aletta - Nowathome	22.	Kebo, Italy	32.	Chasing the Blooms
3.	CHINESE GLORY BOWER	13.	Jesh StG	23.	Enerhagen	33.	bettyl - New Zealand
4.	BEGONIAS	14.	Ulla Laiho	24.	Moni	34.	woollymuses
5.	Gunilla	15.	Heidrun with tulips	25.	Maribels Garden	35.	Psychelyn
6.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	16.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	26.	veredit	36.	ann nz
7.	Andea, POG	17.	Valerie, Australia	27.	Liz Needle	37.	ann 2
8.	Lenas Trädgårdsrum	18.	Shiju Sugunan	28.	Dawn	38.	Zauberpalme
9.	Vivishagerom - fotoblogg	19.	Anne Seltmann	29.	CLOVER	39.	ann nz
10.	Magnolia	20.	Gunilla Norrskenets trädgård	30.	Eva

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