Round up for N

N

We just crossed the half-way mark into N. The journey into the land of flowers has been interesting so far. Let's check into the round-up for N.

Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus) from Mythreyee:

Medium: Pen & Ink sketch

Mythreyee has a fantasy sketch of the National Flower of India - Lotus also known as Nelumbo nucifera which has a number of common names, including blue lotus, Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, and sacred water-lily. Botanically, Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn.) may also be referred to by its former names, Nelumbium speciosum (Wild.) or Nymphaea nelumbo. This plant is an aquatic perennial, but if its seeds are preserved under favorable circumstances, they may remain viable for many years.

In ancient Egypt, Nelumbo nucifera was unknown, being introduced only at the time of the Persian invasions, late in ancient Egyptian history. The ancient Egyptians venerated the blue water-lily, Nymphaea caerulea, which was sometimes known as the "blue lotus" or "sacred lotus".N. nucifera was native to a huge area from modern Vietnam to Afghanistan, being spread widely as an ornamental and food plant. In 1787 it was first brought into horticulture in Western Europe as a stove-house water-lily under the patronage of Sir Joseph Banks and can be seen in modern botanical garden collections where heating is provided. Today it is rare or extinct in the wild in Africa but widely naturalized in southern Asia and Australia, where it is commonly cultivated in water gardens.

You can find a photograph of the same flower on Flower Fest under Lotus here.

Nympaea from Sreedevi

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Sree's search for a "N" flower led her to water lilies or Nymphaea. A very common garden water lily, it blooms during the day and shades from light lilac to rich blue. Extremely beautiful almost luminiscent blossoms which have a sweet strong scent. They are about 8-11 inches in height. This beautiful flower is also called "Neelkamal" in Hindi.

Narrow Leaved Sunflower from Shilpa

Medium : Photography

During Shilpa's nature treks and hiking adventures, Narrow-leaved Sunflowers caught her eyes. These are wildflowers native to the United States and belong to the family Asteraceae. The small plant has many stems branching out, the leaves narrow and dark green. They are often found growing wild in swamps, ditches and moist areas. Because of these reasons, they get the common names Narrow-leaved Sunflower and Swamp Sunflower. The flowers are yellow, bright and appear in fall and early summer.

New England Aster from Priya:

Medium: Watercolor on paper

New England Aster is a wildflower that blossoms in pink and purple with tinges of blue. They bloom between August and September and attract a lot of butterflies. There could be anywhere between 30 and 50 petals in a single flower. They like sandy areas and you can find them blooming in the banks of streams.

Nasturtium from Anita:

Medium: Photography

Anita sends in these pictures of her Nasturtium patch. She says: they are the absolute favourite food of butterflies - leaves as well as flowers. The caterpillars eat the nasturtiums and leave all the other plants well alone!

Nasturtiums can be found on Flower Fest by their common name, Indian Watercress.

If you would like to participate in the Flower Festival, do send in your photographs, sketches or paintings to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com.