Flowers of Rajasthan
1/11
Cadaba fruticosa
हबब, काळी टाकळी, डाबी
Capparaceae
Large shrub. Observed this as a medium size tree with strong girth and rough, cracked bark.Cylindrical, undulating pod.
2/11
Anogeissus sericea var. nummularia
रेशीम धावडा
Combretaceae
Dry deciduous tree with ash colour bark. This is a RED listed species. Only plant I could spot during my travel, this one was a planted one and not wild.Simple leaf, the size of the thumb, tomentose. Peduncles are not branched. Spherical head inflorescence. The whole tree burst into flower heads, quiet a spectacle to watch. Green yellowish flowers give out pleasant smellFlowers don’t have petals.Fruit is a 2-winged, packed into a dense head
3/11
Senna holosericea
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Caesalpiniaceae
Perennial shrub, was seen all around Marvaad region of Rajasthan.Petiolate unipinnate leaf. No glands. Small pointed stipules.Paripinnate leaflets in about 6-8 pairs of pinna.Yellow flowers are arranged in raceme inflorescence.Filament is straight, less than 1 cm. Stamens varied in length. Style is light green, straight or curved.Characteristic flat and broad pods, length of a thumb.
4/11
Calotropis procera
रूई
Apocynaceae
Large shrub. All parts of the plant has milky latex a typical Apocynaceae family character. Observed abundantly in Marvaad region of Rajasthan.Petiolate, ovate, acute, coriaceous leaf with rounded basel lobes almost clasping the stem.Base of the leaf has bristle like hairs.Individual flowers are arranged in umbel type of inflorescence - flowers appear to be arising from a single point and forming a shape like an umbrella.Flowers are lavender in colour. Flower buds like "pedha".Corona lobes equalling or exceeding gynostegium. Petals form a cup shape around gynostegium.The fruit is a follicle, curved and appears inflated.Fruit breaks open on maturity exposing numerous seeds with long, silky, parachute like hairs. Seeds disperse over wind.
5/11
Citrullus colocynthis
तुंबा, कडू वृंदावन
Cucurbitaceae
Perennial climber, spreading along the ground, resembling watermelon. Found in abundance in Marvaad region of Rajasthan. Vine dries up in summer but revives itself in a suitable condition.Simple leaf with a presence of tendril opposite to the leaf.Leaf with palmate lobes, lobes subsequently pinnately cleft (lobes further split into pinnate shape). Petiole and leaf lamina with stiff hairs.Flowers are solitary.Male and female flowers are born on same plant. Male flowers are produced in large number.Female flower has a small ovary below the calyx.Young fruit has green stripes. It is perfectly circular, shining, yellow size of an orange when mature. It is extremely bitter and is not eaten my any animal. Seeds are embedded in a white pulp, shining brown in colour.
6/11
Vachellia tortilis
इज़राइली बाभूळ
Mimosaceae
Flat top, T shaped tree profile. Dark bark with deep vertical fissures on the trunk. During my observation in Rajasthan, trunk texture appears to be the only difference I found when comparing it with Vachellia planiforns. My visit to an exhibition at National Research Center on Camel, Bikaner; states V tortilis as a food source for camels (and not V planiforns). As per ILDIS: geographical distribution of V tortilis is in Rajasthan while that of V planiforns in Southern India. Cook's flora documents V planifrons stating its distribution as South India. Rajasthan was not part of Bombay Presidency, for which the Cook's flora is limited to. Thus Cook's flora is in sync with ILDIS. Flora of Rajasthan by B. V. Shetty & V. Singh still need to be referred. Till further investigation this website differentiates V tortilis & V planifrons only by the bark texture and all other features are considered similar.Bipinnately compound leaf, small in overall size. Two types of stipular spines are observed - pair of white, straight, conical, pointed, hard spines and pair of short curved spines. Absence of glands on rachis.Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets.Small white, creamy heads are observed at the leaf node, 2-3 together. Very small scaly bract on Peduncle.Pods are spirally twisted and turgid.
7/11
Vachellia planifrons
***
Mimosaceae
Flat top, T shaped tree profile. Smooth, grey bark with horizontal markings on the trunk. During my observation in Rajasthan, trunk texture appears to be the only difference I found when comparing it with Vachellia tortilis. My visit to an exhibition at National Research Center on Camel, Bikaner; states V tortilis as a food source for camels (and not V planiforns). As per ILDIS: geographical distribution of V tortilis is in Rajasthan while that of V planiforns in Southern India. Cook's flora documents V planifrons stating its distribution as South India. Rajasthan was not part of Bombay Presidency, for which the Cook's flora is limited to. Thus Cook's flora is in sync with ILDIS. Flora of Rajasthan by B. V. Shetty & V. Singh still need to be referred. Till further investigation this website differentiates V tortilis & V planifrons only by the bark texture and all other features are considered similar.Bipinnately compound leaf, small in overall size. Two types of stipular spines are observed - pair of white, straight, conical, pointed, hard spines and pair of short curved spines. Absence of glands on rachis.Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets.Small white, creamy heads are observed at the leaf node, 2-3 together. Very small scaly bract on Peduncle.Pods are spirally twisted and turgid.
8/11
Capparis decidua
नेपती, कैर
Capparaceae
Grows to a medium size tree with strong trunk. Mature tree has a rough, cracked bark. Observed all around Marvaad region of Rajasthan.This plant looks like a bare leaf, thorny bush with dark green, smooth, spreading branches; giving it its characteristic appearance. Two short, straight or curved, sharp spines at the stipule.Leaves are small and narrow, appear on young branches and soon fall off.Flowers appear singly or in a group of 3-5 at the node.Very attractive pink, red flower. It actually shines on a barren, deserted landscape.Many stamen bursting outward, a typical Capparaceae family character. Flower has a gynophore: stack that supports gynoecium (ovule producing part of the flower, turns into fruit), elevating it above the branching points of other floral parts. Can be seen very clearly protruding out, among many stamens.Fruits are round, pointed, green turn red when ripe.
9/11
Senegalia senegal
***
Mimosaceae
Medium tree with glowing creamy, yellow bark.Bipinnately compound leaf with 4-6 pinnae. Stipular spines - characteristic three sharp, curved spines. Lenticel observed on first and last pair of pinna.Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets. Leaflet clasp during night. Long tail like, white, fragrant, catkin inflorescence.Flat pods. Pods show circular imprint of seeds.
10/11
Prosopis cineraria
शमी
Mimosaceae
Medium size tree with rough cracked, gray or ash coloured bark.Bipinnately compound leaf with 2 pinnae, auriculate (ear shaped) stipule and interpetiolar spines are the distinctive (different from rest of the similar looking species) & persistent (available throughout the year, even is absence of flowers) characters. Branches are drooping and leaves have a typical dirty green or ash green appearance, giving the tree its characteristic profile. This tree is found all over Rajasthan state.Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets, oblique and pointed.Long tail like, yellow, catkin inflorescence with pleasant smell.Turgid, long, pointed pods.
11/11
Salvadora persica var. indica
खारी जाल, मेस्वाक, खाकण, मिरजोली, पिलु
Salvadoraceae
