Exotic Beauty (12) : Indian Cress
The past 2 years I made several visits to the conservatories of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium where 10.000 (!) plant and tree species originating from the tropics and the subtropics are growing in the greenhouses over there.
Thanks to the warm and moist climate in the conservatories and the intensive maintenance, it’s really amazing what an immense great variety of exotic flowers from all over the world can be seen there, even in the cold winter season !
Flowers whose natural habitat is situated in the rainforest, the mountain forest, isolated islands, deserts, etc……. Places that most of us will never or seldom visit.
Some of the flowers are very rare, extremely colourful or specially shaped.
Others were introduced in Europe by men and became a cultivated species or ornamental houseplant.
I selected the –to my personal taste- most beautiful flowers that I saw there and made a series of them.
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Dutch name : Oostindische kers
German name : Grosse Kapuzinerkresse
Latin name : Tropaeolum majus
Country of origin : Andes mountains, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia
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Both leaves and flowers are edible and can be used in salads, giving a peppery taste.
In its natural habitat, the Indian Cress is an important source of food for Hummingbirds who like to insert their long bills into the flower spurs to sip the nutritious nectar.
Vera Shulga 28. Oktober 2010, 17:42
EXCELLENT photo!sailor466 10. Februar 2010, 8:57
hallo - very nice with these colors! its a great and important contrast to our real weather!! many thanks!!m.l.g. dieter
Angelika Ritter 5. Februar 2010, 18:48
a beautiful flower.very good photo.
lg angie
EdelS 5. Februar 2010, 11:02
So eine kleine Blüte aber so wunderschön.Tolles Foto
Liebe Grüße Edelgard
Die Mohnblumen 5. Februar 2010, 7:00
Klasse präsentiert in der von Dir gewohnten guten Qualität.LG K-H
Adele D. Oliver 5. Februar 2010, 4:03
Magnificent capture .... beautifully lit with the orange literally jumping out of the green leaves. We call this beauty nasturtium - if I am not mistaken.greetings, Adele
Annick 4. Februar 2010, 22:39
Une jolie fleur de capucine, des couleurs qui explosent, superbe !!!Amitiés
Annick
Jan Rillich 4. Februar 2010, 22:18
very nice flowers in this series - i love itJan
Mohr Wilfried 4. Februar 2010, 20:43
Fantastische Schärfe.Gruß Wilfried
† Ushie Farkas 4. Februar 2010, 20:23
VOM ALLERFEINSTEN,Mark !!! Salut UshieVitória Castelo Santos 4. Februar 2010, 20:10
Just WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Gunther Hasler 4. Februar 2010, 19:40
Eine sehr schöne Blüte, Mark, die durch Deine Perspektive einen faszinierenden Blick in das Innere gewährt!Die kleine Schwester hatten wir voriges Jahr im Garten.
Gruß, Gunther
Andrea Sagawe 4. Februar 2010, 19:24
Wonderful! That intense red against the green leaves.andrea
Charly Roggow 4. Februar 2010, 18:42
sehr schön vor dem grünen Hintergrund, so straht die Blume fastLG Charly
Heinz Janovsky 4. Februar 2010, 17:40
Prächtige Farben, wunderschönes Licht.Gruß Heinz