05 October 2010

STROPHANTHUS GRATUS

I have not posted about this beautiful plant before. But seriously, it is also one of my newer favourite shrubs in recent years.

From the Apocynaceae Family, this plant is known by its synonym Roupellia grata and its common names Rose Allamanda, Climbing Oleander or Cream Fruit. The young floral buds do remind me of unopened roses. The leaves are typically hard, glossy and leathery and are probably unpalatable to most plant eating insects. Interestingly, the throat of the pink flowers is surrounded by a circle of red frills.

A link is attached below and in the last photo, a Common Palmfly is captured on its leaves.