Variability Of Quisqualis Flowers

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

A tropical liana with such a beautiful, but difficult to pronounce, name amazes the observer with abundant and bright flowering. Tubular flowers meet the morning sun with white petals that can turn pink during the day, and even bright red in the evening

One of these lianas graced a small gap between houses on the street leading to the beach on the Thai island of Phangan. Liana extended her long and tenacious stems to one of the houses, rewarding it with a picturesque necklace of emerald green, thin oval-shaped leaves with a sharp nose. Simple whole leaves are quite picturesque, to which they owe their veins scattering to the sides from the central vein.

The lower part of the plant is a shrub, from the trunk of which flexible numerous climbing shoots scatter in different directions. Although Quisqualis is an evergreen, its leaves do not last forever. The leaves that have outlived their life, falling off, leave petioles on the branches. The petioles gradually dry up, turning into tree thorns, with which the lianas cling to any support that turns up in their path. A concrete pillar is suitable for support, holding a huge number of wires that deliver electricity to houses; any tree; walls of houses and window frames; any roofs and cornices. To direct the vines in the right direction, special metal or wooden supports are erected, including those made of strong bamboo stalks.

Numerous inflorescences, collected from a multitude of not very large tubular flowers, located on relatively long peduncles, give a special picturesqueness to the vines. Spectacular multi-colored clusters of inflorescences hang in an elegant cascade from the stems of the liana, turning the plant into a living natural carpet.

The ability of flower petals to change their color during flowering so impressed Georg Eberhard Rumph (1627 or 1628 - 06.13.1702), a Dutch botanist, biologist, zoologist … that he gave the plant this difficult to pronounce Latin name "Quisqualis", in which his surprise he expressed in two Latin words: "Quis" and "qualis", which translated into Russian sounds like: "Who" and "what, or what". Georg Eberhard Rumph was the first to describe this plant, having met him on the Indonesian island of Ambon, where he lived for many years, studying the local flora, fauna, and the geology of the island.

Natural tubular flowers of the plant have five petals, above which a pistil with stamens slightly rises. Flowering is accompanied by a pleasant delicate aroma that intensifies towards night. Man made his own adjustments to the nature of Quisqualis, creating plants with double flowers. This is the kind I met on my way. Double flowers give the inflorescence splendor, but exude a less strong aroma. During the day, you need to literally sniff the inflorescences to feel the aroma. In the evening, a light aroma is felt at a short distance from the vine.

I read on the Internet that fans of this spectacular vine, who do not live in the tropics, manage to grow Quisqualis in flower pots. In the summer, the pot with the plant is placed on the southern loggia to pamper the Quisqualis with direct sunlight. In gratitude for such care, the plant responds with abundant flowering, giving joy and pleasure to flower growers.

If someone decides to acquire a spectacular liana, it is necessary to provide the plant with a voluminous and deep flower pot, since the powerful root system of Quisqualis quickly grows in all possible directions; well-drained, light and fertile soil; abundant watering in the summer.

Quisqualis is not only a picturesque plant, but also a healing one. But it's still more interesting for those who live in the tropics. Traditional healers of tropical countries use the healing powers of the roots, leaves and seeds of the plant. Drugs treat fever, rickets, rheumatism and digestive problems