Common name: Forest Ghost Flower, Ye gu • Marathi: गुलाबदाणी Gulabdani • Hindi: आँकुरी बाँकुरी Aankuri bankuri • Malayalam: കീരിപൂ Keeripu
Botanical name: Aeginetia indica Family: Orobanchaceae (boomrape family)
Native to India, Forest Ghost Flower is a gregarious root parasite seen
on shaded forest floor during monsoon.
Leafless flowers are in one group, red purple or even white
2-4 cm, solitary on a slender erect scape 15-25 cm tall. Flowers have a
curious shape - the sepal tube 2-4 cm long, and is split, from which emerges a
rosy pink flowers tube. They look like rose-buds in brownish holders, which,
literally is what the Marathi name, Gulabdani means.
Occurs on forest floor covered with decayed leaves.
| Photographed in Alibag, Maharashtra. |
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale
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