Lunaria annua L., Sp. Pl. 653 1753. (Syn: Crucifera lunaria E.H.L.Krause; Viola lunaria Garsault [Invalid]; Lunaria biennis Moench; Lunaria inodora Lam.): Honesty, silver dollar plant, Moneyplant; Lunaria annua L. (Honesty plant, Money plant, Chinese coins) from Kashmir: Lunaria annua L., Sp. pl. 2:653. 1753 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. 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 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. References: |
Lunaria annua
Updated on December 24, 2024