The showy, pink mop heads of the tropical Mussaenda are flowering in my garden all summer into winter.
The tiny, yellow star flower are quite attractive too.click pictures.
Mussaenda
Family: Rubiaceae
This shrub is sometimes referred to as "Bangkok Rose".
It produces a showy display in shades of white, pink, salmon to red over an extended period. Unfortunately, the bushes are not so attractive in winter when they can loose their leaves, at least here in Brisbane. Therefore, they might be best in a mixed garden where other plants can provide interest when the Mussaenda is not in flower.
Bracts or sepals?The showy part of the Mussaenda flower is composed of enlarged sepals, either white or variously coloured. In a "typical" flower, the petals are the showy component while the sepals (which form the calyx) are usually green and relatively inconspicuous in the open flower.
Today's Flowers around the world click here
Photos TS.
