Chasing butterflies

Life in a forest area is not so bad after all. No doubt you are away from the hustle and bustle of the fast city life one is used to, you find yourself getting enchanted by the birds, bees and butterflies who are busy fluttering their wings in the woods from morn till evening. Daytime cocks crow and the swans parade by in a row with their chest raised proudly towards the nearby lake where the white water lilies are in full bloom. Evening time they parade back home gracefully happy and contented. When the sun sets and the forest becomes dark, it is then the turn of the fireflies to glow and dance. Totally an enchanting experience. Now, a very sweet village girl of about 12 years has become my friend and guide in this forest land. She is the one who told me about the Neejara(waterfall) deep in the forest and I decided to hike along with her one morning to have a look at the waterfall which she is so eager to show me. It was a lovely walk along the path amidst tall teak trees and big aged Calliandra(Fairy duster) trees all in bloom. Wild flowers and weeds covering the ground and their flowers providing nectar to the butterflies and bees visiting them. We walked on but stopped frequently to click pictures of the fluttering  butterflies. They seemed as if they are nymphets dancing in the enchanted forest while the fairies are there sitting on their Powderpuff trees dusting the sky overhead. I could not help but chase the butterflies  and try clicking their picture. Managed to get a few shots which I am sharing below. Now, about the waterfall,  it turned out to be one as cute and beautiful as Niku herself. Lo! it is a fall of barely 2 ft. I smiled to myself and thanked her for showing me her treasured spot. We spend some time there and then returned chasing butterflies all the way back. A day to remember for both of us. I started addressing Niku as Neejara and now she is Neejara to everyone.

A few pictures of the butterflies we chased are posted below. Hope you like them.

Butterflies,bees, dragonflies and fireflies; Lakes and ponds and streams and waterfalls; Lotus and lilies, ducks and swans; Mynahs and Egrets, cattles and lambs; Weeds and reeds and teaks and fairy dusters ....only thing missing is the Unicorn. An enchanted forest I am in right now. 

"Life can be beautiful in any place. Only thing is  you got to find and feel it's beauty in the simplest of things."  - Diana Raj Kumari.

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The Red Moon of 9th October 2014

Evening sky-watchers in much of Asia and early risers in America were treated to the incredible sight of the moon turning red in Wednesday’s lunar eclipse, the second of  the lunar tetrad of 2014-2015. It is a series of four successive total lunar eclipses, with no partial lunar eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons). The first was on the night between 14-15th April 2014, second was on this 7-8th October and the following two will occur on 4th April 2015 and 28th September 2015. The last time a tetrad took place was in 2003-2004, with the next predicted for 2032-2033. In total, the 21st century will see eight tetrads.

Astronomically, the term Blood Moon was not used in quite this way before this year, but now the term has become widespread in the media. The origin of the term is religious and the term Blood Moon in Biblical prophecy appears to have been popularized by two Christian pastors, Mark Blitz and John Hagee.

Astronomically, religiously or as simple spectators, people in most parts of the world watched the spectacular event but unfortunately, I missed the red moon on the night of the eclipse. Right now being in a forest area of Assam collecting data for a project, I happen to be basking in the lap of nature. Chasing butterflies in the  morning and watching fireflies dancing in the evening.   Now yesterday evening at around 5.45 PM the electricity went off and it was a total blackout.  I sat quitely on the patio watching the glowing fireflies darting in and out of the grilled iron gate and dancing in the pitch dark garden. An enchanting sight it was. After about half an hour, something within made me look  up in the sky and I saw  the amazing red moon coming  out from behind a tree.  Since it was the day after the full moon, the moon rose late and was just coming out from behind the tree that moment. I quickly rushed inside to get my camera and then captured a few shots before it turned back to its original colour. I am not an astronomer who can explain why the moon is red when it was supposed to be so the day before. But I am glad that I managed to get a few shots of the moon who decided to show me it's beauty when it turns red. Sharing a few of my shots (taken between 6.05PM to 6.25PM.) with you all.

"The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. "

Just quoting the Biblical Prophecy. I do not wish to go into a deep discussion about it. All I wish is to share this beautiful red moon of the evening of 9th October  2014 viewed here in Assam, India.

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Kharam Leishok - Holmskioldia Sanguinea Retz

Kharam Leishok Angangba – This beautiful red flower was once plucked from the abandon Kharam village gate  and given to Sunurembi by King Pakhangba as a token of his love during his expedition. The flower is at times referred to as Sunurembi Toukhamlei meaning, the forbidden flower of Sunurembi after a decree was announced prohibiting any commoner from wearing it.

Kharam Leishok Angangba : Picture Curtesy-Yaisana Huidrom 

Holmskioldia Sanguineai - Pronounced as: holm-skee-OLD-dee-uh san-GWIN-ee-uhs , is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the subtropical Himalayan region but widely grown as an ornamental in warm climates and often naturalized. Kharam Leishok, commonly Known as Chinese Hat Plant, Cup and Saucer Plant, Mandarin Hat, Tahitian Hat Plant is an erect shrub that loves to climb. This shrub produces spectacular narrow, trumpet shaped flowers with crimson petals and red to orange or yellow-green calyces. Other colors we find are those of scarlet red, coral red to bronze, yellow citrine to green copper, copper red, purple, green edged, pale pink, green etc. We commonly see the scarlet red variety in Manipur. This plant blooms from summer to fall. It grows up to 10 feet in height and can get up to 6 feet wide. 

Kingdom                 :   Plantae  – plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants

Taxonomic Rank   :    Species  

Subkingdom           :   Viridaeplantae  – green plants  

Infrakingdom         :   Streptophyta  – land plants

Division                   :   Tracheophyta  – vascular plants, tracheophytes  

Subdivision             :   Spermatophytina  – spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames  

Infradivision           :   Angiospermae  – flowering plants, angiosperms, plantas com flor,                                                          angiosperma, plantes à fleurs, angiospermes, plantes à fruits  

Class                        :   Magnoliopsida  

Superorder             :   Asteranae  

Order                      :   Lamiales  

Family                     :   Belongs to Lamiaceae (formerly placed in Verbenaceae) 

Duration:                :   Perennial

Growth Habit:        :  Shrub/Vine  

Genus                       :   Holmskioldia Retz.  

Species                      :  Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. – Chinese hatplant

Citation                    :  HOLMSKIOLDIA SANGUINEA  Retzius, Observ. Bot. 6: 31. 1791.

Subfamily                : V. Subfam. Scutellarioideae (Dumort.) Caruel (1884).

The genus name commemorates Johan Theodor Holmskiold (1731-1793), a Danish botanist who wrote Beata ruris otia fungis Danicis, published in two volumes in 1790 and 1799

Distribution : Himalayas (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar) which have been introduced to South Tropical Africa, Western Indian Ocean, China, Malaysia, Southwestern Pacific, North-Central Pacific, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, Northern South America, Western South America, Brazil which is now widely cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in many places like Southeast Asia, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Mexico, West Indies, Venezuela, etc.

Description : Acandent tall evergreen shrub with long arching branches; leaves opposite, petiolate, ovate-elliptic, finely toothed; inflorescence of lax cymes, grading into a terminal thyrse; bracts much reduced; bracteoles usually present in pairs; calyx actinomorphic, strongly accrescent, 5-lobed, lobes broadly rounded, tube patelliform, subtruncate; corolla bright red, zygomorphic, 5-lobed, lobes with margins recurved, posterior pair smallest, anterior lobe largest, tube curved; stamens slightly exserted, thecae parallel; ovary lobed on sides only, glandular-verrucose; disc poorly developed; nutlets slightly fleshy, tuberculate, glabrous, conspicuously glandular, attachment-scar lateral, 0.5-0.6x as long as nutlet; endosperm present; embryo spatulate.  2n = 32, 36.  One sp.

Uses : Generally grown as a specimen plant or as boarders, it can be grown ornamentally  as a mixed-shrub borders or against a vertical structure such as a wall for added support. It attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds and is often seen in conservatory plant collections, as it's uncommon in temperate climates. The curious flowers of the Chinese hat plant adding color and interest in the northern section of the Franklin Park Conservatory is a beautiful example . In India it is also used in magic or in vashikaran rituals by tantrics.

Medicinal Uses : An Anti-inflammatory agent it is. Crushed fresh leaves and shoots applied in rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis. Extracts of leaves and stem bark taken in dysentery, headache, high blood pressure, leaves of Holmskioldia Sanguinea, Albizia myriophylla and Nymphaea nouchali boiled and taken as blood purifier. In Manipur older generation people grew these otherwise wild flower of Manipur with a double purpose. One as a border fence and the other for medicinal purpose. The leaves and flowers are boiled in Chinghi (rice water) and by soaking a muslin cloth in the lukewarm concoction applies it on the crown of the person who is feeling giddy. The giddiness is said to vanish soon.  

Management : This plant has a less than symmetrical growth habit and a tendency toward thinning

at the bottom of the plant.  With age, the plant also becomes woody and leggy with frequent dropping of its lower foliage, so rejuvenation pruning is required to maintain the shape. It can be rejuvenated simply by cutting back close to the ground every few years. Chinese Hat Plant can be used best toward the back of a shrub border.  Let it grow to its natural height, but hide the bottom of the plant with shorter shrubs planted about 5 feet in front.  This will allow the most unusual flowers to display at the top of the border.  The other technique that will make it more attractive is to grow the plant in an open location receiving all day sun.  Place it far enough away from structures and other plants so that it will not have to be clipped.  Provide regular irrigation when soil becomes dry. Water rarely, about once every 2-3 weeks with 1-2 buckets of water , keeping the soil dry for a few days before watering again; when wetting, do so by avoiding surpluses. If we want to grow these plants in a vase, we should water them a bit more often, compared to plants cultivated in the ground; Every 2-3 years we should renew the substratum in the vase, or enrich with organic amender. As for treatments for Chinese hat plant, a pre-emptive treatment with wide range insecticide and with a systemic fungicide is required to prevent the attack of aphids and the development of fungus diseases, often favoured by a mild and damp climate. Finally for these  shrubs it’s necessary to choose a rich and deep substratum which presents an excellent drainage.

Pests and Diseases : Whiteflies, spider mites, and mealybugs, aphids. 

Soil borne nematodes present the biggest challenge to growing this plant. 

Some images of Kharam Leishok collected from the web.

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