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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Kadam flower


Binomial Name: Neolamarckia cadamba
Common Name: Kadam

A fully mature Kadam tree can reach up to 45m in height. It is a large tree with a broad crown and straight cylindrical bole. It is quick growing, with broad spreading branches and grows rapidly in the first 6-8 years. The trunk has a diameter of 100-160 cm, but typically less than that. Leaves are 13-32 cm long. Flowering usually begins when the tree is 4–5 years old. Kadam flowers are sweetly fragrant, red to orange in colour, occurring in dense, globular heads of approximately 5.5 cm diameter.

Kadam flowers are an important raw material in the production of ‘attar’, which is Indian perfume with sandalwood base in which one of the essences is absorbed through hydro-distillation.

Know more about the uses and cultural significance of the tree on its wikipedia page.




Thursday, October 04, 2012

Balloon Plant




Binomial Name: Asclepias physocarpa
Common Names: Balloonplant, Balloon cotton-bush or swan plant