50 Flowers

[e-mail]

Kadupul

Rareness and beauty are the features which makes kodupul flower so special, found in forests of Sri Lanka. Only a few people got chance to feel the beauty of kadupul flowers, because they bloom at midnight and perish before the dawn. The blooming of kodupul flower will take place only under very specific circumstances. It is a very fragrant flower and one of most expensive flowers because of its shorter life span. Until today no botanist can give correct explanation about the sudden death of kadupul flowers.

Jade Vine

The jade vine is a rare woody vine native to the tropical rainforests of the Philippines. It is a member of the pea and bean family and is closely related to kidney beans. The plant carries claw shaped flowers which grow from hanging trusses; they can reach up to three meters in length. The flower’s color can vary from blue green to mint green. The species has proven extremely difficult to propagate, and is considered an endangered species due to the destruction of its habitat and a decrease in natural pollinators.

Bouvardia

Bouvardia is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. It contains about 50 species of evergreen herbs and shrubs native to Mexico and Central America, with one species extending into the southwestern United States (B. ternifolia, in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas). The genus is named in honor of Charles Bouvard (1572–1658), physician to Louis XIII, and superintendent of the Jardin du Roi in Paris.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus are large shrubs or small trees that produce huge, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers over a long season. Other common names include Chinese hibiscus and tropical hibiscus. Hibiscus flowers are featured on the 15 cent coin in the Bahamas.

Cow Parsley

The hollow stem of the Cow Parsley grows to a height of 60–170 cm (24–67 in), branching to umbels of small white flowers. Flowering time is mid spring to early summer.

Delphinium

Delphinium is a flower genus native to the Northern Hemisphere and often confused with Larkspur. The plants are very nearly identical. Growing up to six feet tall, most varieties of Delphinium only reach about six inches tall. With a busy appearance, Delphinium has a main stem that grows upwards covered in flowers in spikes. The leaves are lobed and stiff. The spiky florets can come in nearly any color as the species consist of 250 variations.

Corpse Flower

This fascinating flower is found mainly in low lying tropical rainforests of Indonesia. This is one of the world’s rarest, most endangered and largest flowers and it can reach a total width of over a meter. The corpse flower’s survival is totally dependent on the Tetrastigma vine. As the Rafflesia is a bodiless, stemless, leafless, rootless parasite, it requires the vine for nourishment and support. It is also a carrion plant, which means that it releases a pungent rotten flesh smell when in bloom to attract flies and carrion beetles to aid in pollination. Once in bloom, the flower will only last about a week before dying.

Franklin Tree

This tree is a part of the tea family but is the sole species in its genus and a very rare flowering plant. The tree is native to the Altamaha river valley in Georgia, but has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century. In fact this beautiful tree is only known today because of the Bartram family, who were avid horticulturists and propagated the tree before its extinction in the wild. The plant, which has fragrant white blooms and leaves that turn into a bright red color in fall, is now a popular ornamental plant. All the examples of this tree today stem from one of the trees propagated by the Bartram’s.

Hyacinth

The genus name Hyacinthus was attributed to Joseph Pitton de Tournefort when used by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is derived from a Greek name used for a plant by Homer, Ὑάκινθος (Hyakinthos), the flowers supposedly having grown up from the blood of a youth of this name accidentally killed by the god Apollo.

Daffodil

The name "daffodil" is derived from an earlier "affodell", a variant of Asphodel. The reason for the introduction of the initial "d" is not known, although a probable source is an etymological merging from the Dutch article "de", as in "De affodil". From at least the 16th century, "Daffadown Dilly", "daffadown dilly", and "daffydowndilly" have appeared as playful synonyms of the name.

Parrot's Beak

This is a beautiful flower that has been classed as exceedingly rare since 1884. It is believed to be completely extinct in the wild, but a few individuals might have survived. This plant is endemic to the Canary Islands and is believed to have originally been pollinated by sunbirds, which have long since become extinct in the Canary Islands. This could help to explain the scarcity of the plant.

Daisy

A Daisy is a perennial whose evergreen leaves form a basal tuft or a rosette. The flowers open at dawn and the leaves are edible. Daisies have a prostrate fashion or a growing habit of spreading rapidly. Daisies can be propagated by division in spring or through sowing seeds in spring or late autumn. English Daisy is a serious weed in the northwest United States.

Birds of Paradise

The lovely Birds of Paradise is native to South America, where it is commonly referred to as a crane flower. This genus is Strelitzia and there are five variations of this flower. The name Birds of Paradise comes from the appearance of the bloom, which resembles a brightly-colored exotic bird mid-flight. Each bloom has three orange and blue petals. Some variations have yellow hues as well. The foliage of the Birds of Paradise is made up of two ranks of leaves shaped like banana leaves. While this plant can grow up to 10 meters, most varieties only grow to three or four meters tall. The leaves themselves can be six inches wide and up to 18 inches long.

Chocolate Cosmos

This is a dark red to brown species of Cosmos, native to Mexico. Sadly it has been extinct in the wild for over a hundred years. The species survives today as a single non fertile clone, which was created in 1902 by vegetative propagation. The flowers which are produced by the plant are a rich deep red to brown color and grow to about 3-4 cm in diameter. The flowers have a lovely vanillin fragrance in the summer (also found in vanilla beans, some coffee beans and some cacao beans), which also makes it a wonderful ornamental plant.

Gladiolus

Gladiolus do well in a row, like vegetables, forming a wall of brilliant flowers.

Koki'o

This is an extremely rare tree, endemic to Hawaii. It was discovered in 1860, at which time only three specimens could be found. The tree proved difficult to propagate, and by 1950, after the last seedling died, it was deemed extinct. In 1970 a sole survivor was found, which was sadly destroyed in a fire in 1978. Luckily one of the branches of that last remaining tree was saved, and grafted into 23 trees that exist today, all of which are situated in various places in Hawaii. The Kokai is a small tree that grows to about 10-11 meters high. Their most striking feature has to be the hundreds of bright red flowers that mature trees produce annually. Sadly that is a rarity which few will be privileged to see.

Edelweiss

CAPTAIN:


Edelweiss, Edelweiss


Every morning you greet me


Small and white clean and bright


You look happy to meet me


Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow


Bloom and grow forever


Edelweiss,Edelweiss


Bless my homeland forever.



CAPTAIN, MARIA, THE CHILDREN AND CHORUS:


Small and white clean and bright


You look happy to meet me


Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow


Bloom and grow forever


Edelweiss,Edelweiss


Bless my homeland forever

Ghost Orchid

The Ghost orchid is a fascinating rare plant that was presumed extinct for almost 20 years, only recently did it rear its head again. The plant is so rare because it is basically impossible to propagate. It has no leaves, does not depend on photosynthesis and does not manufacture its own food. This plant needs a specific fungus in close contact with its root system, which feeds it. The Ghost orchid never grows leaves, and will therefore always depend on the fungus for its nourishment. The Ghost orchid can live underground for years, without showing any external signs and will only bloom when all conditions are optimum.

Lilac

First cultivated in the Balkans, It is not regarded as an aggressive species, found in the wild in widely scattered sites, usually in the vicinity of past or present human habitations

Middlemist Red

Few flowers can compare to the rarity of the Middlemist Red or Middlemist’s Red. Also known as the Middlemist camellia, this flower was once indigenous to several regions in China. However, time and the expansion of the industrial world have altered this plant to the point of a severe decline in its population. How severe is this decline? Only two are left in the entire world.

Heather

Despised until the 19th century for its associations with the most rugged rural poverty, heather's growth in popularity may be paralleled with the vogue for alpine plants.

Gibraltar Campion

A species of Campion found only on the cliffs of Gibraltar, The Gibraltar Campion was believed extinct by the entire scientific community outside Gibraltar in the 1980s. A few specimens were recovered in the following years but by 1992 all traces of the plant had vanished and it was declared extinct. In 1994 a single specimen was discovered by a climber on the inaccessible cliffs and the species came back to life. It was propagated at the millennium seed bank and specimens are grown at The Almeda Gibraltar Botanic Gardens as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.

Alstroemeria

With its small stature yet beautiful detail, alstroemeria is often called or known as a Peruvian Lily. It's likely if you ask a florist for this flower by either name they will know what you are looking for. As a colorful filler flower, Alstroemeria can be used with an assortment of other blooms. Commonly used flowers in arrangements with Alstroemeria include Roses, Lilies, Gerbera Daisies, and Asters. Alone in an arrangement, Alstromeria may carry the meaning of friendship.

Peony

Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony, giving it the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. While the peony takes several years to re-establish itself when moved, it blooms annually for decades once it has done so.

King Protea

This novelty flower is the largest in the protea family and features a huge white fuzzy center that gently slopes upward to a soft point. Spiky pink petals surrounding the center give it a regal look; from the side it looks like a crown. Leathery green petals cradle the heavy head and a thick stem supports it. A member of one of the oldest families of flowers on earth, proteas date back 300 million years and, according to Greek legend, are named after the shape-shifting Proteus, son of Poseidon. Entirely magical, protea flowers symbolize transformation, diversity and courage.

Hydrangea

Having been introduced to the Azores, H. macrophylla is now very common, particularly on Faial, which is known as the "blue island" due to the vast number of hydrangeas present on the island.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA Clean Air Study. In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Croatia), incurve chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are used only for funerals or on graves, while other types carry no such symbolism; similarly, in China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and/or grief. In some other countries, they represent honesty. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful, with New Orleans as a notable exception.

Iris

The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris, first occurs in its modern use as the emblem of the House of Capet. The fleur-de-lis has been associated with France as Louis VII adopted it as a symbol in the 12th Century. The yellow fleur-de-lis reflects the Yellow Iris (I. pseudacorus), common in Western Europe. Contemporary uses can be seen in the Quebec flag and the logo of the New Orleans Saints professional football team, and on the flag of Saint Louis, Missouri.

Lily of the Valley

In the "language of flowers", the lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness. Legend tells of the affection of a lily of the valley for a nightingale that did not come back to the woods until the flower bloomed in May.

Tulip

The word tulip, first mentioned in western Europe in or around 1554 and seemingly derived from the "Turkish Letters" of diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, first appeared in English as tulipa or tulipant, entering the language by way of French: tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze"), and may be ultimately derived from the Persian: دلبند‎ delband ("Turban"), this name being applied because of a perceived resemblance of the shape of a tulip flower to that of a turban.This may have been due to a translation error in early times, when it was fashionable in the Ottoman Empire to wear tulips on turbans. The translator possibly confused the flower for the turban.

Ranunculus

Ranunculus is Late Latin for "little frog," from rana "frog" and a diminutive ending. This probably refers to many species being found near water, like frogs.

Black Bat Flower

Black bat flowers are native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, and southern China: particularly Yunnan Province.

Roses

Ornamental roses have been cultivated for millennia, with the earliest known cultivation known to date from at least 500 BC in Mediterranean countries, Persia, and China. Roses smell wonderful.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon is a genus that has been used from the earliest genetic studies of Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin and was used as a model by Erwin Baur. Together with closely related genera, it has a become model organism for the investigation of the genetic basis of plant development, particularly floral development.

Monkshood

Ancient Greeks used Monkshood to poison wild animals. Watch out wolves.

Statices

Grown for both its colorful flowers and its everlasting calyx (the green leaf that encloses the flower bud), statice is also considered an herb, referred to as “sea lavender.”

Sunflower

Sunflowers can be used to extract toxin such as lead, arsenic and uranium from contaminated soil. For example, sunflowers were used to remove toxins from a pond after the Chernobyl disaster and similar projects took place after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Sweet Pea

Henry Eckford (1823–1905), a Scottish nurseryman, cross-bred and developed the sweet pea, turning it from a rather insignificant, if sweetly scented flower, into the floral sensation of the late Victorian era.

Chinese Lantern Flower

Physalis alkekengi, or the Chinese lantern, dries during spring. Once it is dried, the bright red fruit is seen.

Myrtle

Myrtus communis, the Common Myrtle, is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called Mirto by macerating it in alcohol. Mirto is one of the most typical drinks of Sardinia and comes in two varieties: mirto rosso (red) produced by macerating the berries, and mirto bianco (white) produced from the less common yellow berries and sometimes the leaves. The berries, whole or ground, have been used as a pepper substitute.

African Violet

The hairs on the leaves helps the African violet (native to Tanzania) absorb water from the air.

Alpinia

These herbs lack true stems, but have pseudostems usually up to about 3 meters long which are composed of the overlapping leaf sheaths.

Freesia

The plants usually called "freesias" are derived from crosses made in the 19th century between F. refracta and F. leichtlinii. Numerous cultivars have been bred from these species and the pink- and yellow-flowered forms of F. corymbosa. Modern tetraploid cultivars have flowers ranging from white to yellow, pink, red and blue-mauve. They are widely cultivated and readily increased from seed. Due to their specific and pleasing scent, they are often used in hand creams, shampoos, candles, etc

Pointsettia

Featuring the colors red and green, the poinsettia is culturally and commerically important for Christmas floral display, despite its hideousness.

Dill

When used as a companion planting, dill draws in many beneficial insects as the umbrella flower heads go to seed. Fittingly, it makes a good companion plant for cucumbers. It is a poor companion for carrots and tomatoes.

Bells of Ireland

The tiny white flowers of Bells of Ireland are surrounded by apple green calyces which are persistent, and represent luck.

Magnolia

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Appearing before bees did (95 million years ago), it is theorized the flowers evolved to encourage pollination by beetles.

Bougainvillea

Native to South America, Bougainvillea carries several names in the different regions where it is expontaneously present. Apart from Rioplatense Spanish santa-rita and Peruvian Spanish papelillo, it may be variously named primavera, três-marias, sempre-lustrosa, santa-rita, ceboleiro, roseiro, roseta, riso, pataguinha, pau-de-roseira and flor-de-papel in Brazilian Portuguese. Nevertheless, buganvílea [buɡɐ̃ˈviʎ̟ɐ] in Portuguese and buganvilia [buɣamˈbilja] in Spanish are the most common names accepted by people of the regions where these languages are spoken but it is an introduced plant.

Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paw are noted for attracting birds and are endemic to the Southwest of Austraila.

Eustoma

Eustoma is named after the Greek words eu, which means beautiful, and stoma, which means mouth. They are herbaceous annuals, growing to 15 – 60 cm tall, with bluish green, slightly succulent leaves and large funnel-shaped flowers growing on long straight stems: sometimes erect single stems, other times growing on branching stems that can rise to be three feet tall. The flowers can grow up to two inches across and can be found in a variety of colors. They have been found in all shades of pink, purple, white, and blue. In addition, some are bicolored and some are occasionally found in yellow or carmine-red.