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Scarlet Ixora- Flame of the Woods

Scientific Name: Ixora coccinea
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
It is an evergreen ornamental shrub native to tropical Asia and Africa. 
It is the national flower of Suriname. In Sranantongo, the lingua franca of Suriname it is called Faya Lobi- meaning Passionate Love. 
It grows to a height of 4-12 feet with rough, grey branches.
It has oblong, smooth leaves, which appear in pairs- occasionally in threes with underneath clear veins.
The flowers are massed in heads of various sizes mostly as immense round trusses.
Each flower is long, slender tube dividing into four spreading petals from the bases of which spring four stamens.
Tubular tetra- petallate flowers
Each individal flower has 4 petals with 4 yellow colored stamens
All shades and colors are found except blues and purples.
It flowers throughout the year, but it is best during rainy season.
As the flowers remain fresh for a long time after plucking they are well suited for indoor decoration.
The fruit is black and about the size of the cherry and supposed to be favored by peacocks.
It propagates through cuttings or seeds.
Its roots are made into medicine to alleviate stomach troubles and cures dysentery. A decoction from flowers is claimed to relieve bloodshot eyes, to cure sores and ulcers.
Ixora is associated with God Ixora. The term Ixora is distorted version of Ishvara- who is Shiva.
Picture of Lord Ixora in the book Grand Voyages by Theodorus de Bry (around 1590CE)
Other species of Ixora:
1)Ixora rosea- the Pink Ixora is a straggling bush rarely reaching 4 feet.
Pink Ixora- Ixora rosea
A dwarf variant of Pink Ixora
2) Ixora chinensis- Prince of Orange or Chinese Ixora
Orange Chinese Ixora- Ixora chinensis
3) Ixora parviflora- It is a small tree with many branches and fragrant whitish flowers but it is not particularly attractive. It is also called small flowered Ixora or the Torch Tree. 

Ixora parviflora- the Torch Tree
White Ixora- Ixora parviflora
 

Comments

  1. RAMAJune 14, 2020 at 8:44 PM

    A very beautiful information igot ...
    Thnx I'm regularly watching ur updates....

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 18, 2020 at 6:24 AM

    Each good page every week will make a excellent book in the end .

    ReplyDelete

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