Lunaria annua

Lunaria annua L., Sp. Pl. 653 1753. (Syn: Crucifera lunaria E.H.L.Krause; Viola lunaria Garsault [Invalid];          Lunaria biennis Moench;  Lunaria inodora Lam.):

 

 

 

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Kashmir;

Lunaria annua from Kashmir – efloraofindia | Google Groups

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Common names: Honesty plant, annual honesty, money plant, silver dollar, Chinese money, Chinese coins, penny-flower 

Branched hairy annual or biennial herb with broadly cordate coarsely toothed leaves, lower stalked, upper sessile; flowers violet to pink, on up to 20-flowered racemes, without bracts; petals 2-3 cm long, obovate, strongly veined; fruit nearly orbicular, flattened, up to 4 cm long, slightly less broader; seeds few.   

Photographed from our house garden in Balgarden, Srinagar Kashmir on May 5, 2012. 

I have feeling that plant depicted on Flowers of India is not correctly identified. It has much narrower leaves and fruits are linear and not coin-like. It may be Hesperis sp.

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Fascinating and beautiful plant. New to me.
I wonder why it is called honesty plant!

 

Brassicaceae Week: Lunaria annua L. (Honesty plant, Money plant, Chinese coins) from Kashmir:   Lunaria annua L., Sp. pl. 2:653. 1753

 

  

 

 

References:

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2344318