Capsicum annuum L.

Vernacular name: Chillies, Peppers and Capsicums or Bell Peppers

Nativity: South and Central America (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Annual herbs. Leaves oblong- ovate, margin entire. Flowers solitary, axillary, white or sometime purplish, pedicel bent downward. Fruit berry, green, yellow, orange or red, varies in colour and size.

Flowering period: July to September

Propagation Methods: Grown by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ VRC 

Capsicum frutescens L.

Vernacular name: Chillies, Red chillies

Nativity: Bolivia and Brazil (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Annual herbs. Leaves oblong- ovate, entire. Flowers fasciculate, 2-4 together, in axil of branches and leaves, white or sometime purplish, pedicel erect. Fruit elongated berry, apically acute. 

Flowering period: July to September

Propagation Methods: Grown by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ VRC 

Datura metal L.

Vernacular name: Devil's Trumpet, Dhatura

Nativity: Texas to Colombia (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Stout annual herbs. Leaves ovate- lanceolate. Flowers solitary, axillary, corolla tubular from below, above trumpet shaped and double or triple. Fruit globose, spiny.

Flowering period: March to September

Propagation Methods: Grown by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ Yamunotri Bhawan 

Petunia × atkinsiana (Sweet) D.Don ex W.H.Baxter, (=Petunia × hybrida hort. ex E.Vilm.)

Vernacular name: Garden Petunia

Nativity: Of hybrid origin (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Erect annual herb. Stem with glandular tricomes. Leaves elliptic- lanceolate to ovate, glandular tricomes on both surface. Flower funnel shaped, varies in colours, infundibuliform.

Flowering period: Fabruary to June

Propagation Methods: Propagated by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ Ta Colony 

Solanum lycopersicum L. (=Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Vernacular name: Tomato (English); Tamatar (Hindi)

Nativity: Peru (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Annual herbs, stem covered withglandular tricomes. Leaves pinnatifid or pinnatipartite. Flowers in axillary or extra-axillary cymes. Fruit oval or rounded, with green persistent calyx.

Flowering period: Throughout the year

Propagation Methods: Propagated by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ VRC 

Solanum melongena L.

Vernacular name: Brinjal, Egg plant (English); Baingan (Hindi)

Nativity: China South-Central, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Annual herbs or subshrub. Leaves ovate to oblong-ovate, oblique, margin sinuate-lobed, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary axillary, rarely reduced racemes. Fruits large, oblongoid or elliptic, shiny.

Flowering period: Throughout the year

Propagation Methods: Grown by seeds (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ VRC 

Solanum tuberosum L.

Vernacular name: Potato (English); Aalu (Hindi)

Nativity: Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Colombia, Argentina South Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela (POWO, 2019).

Common Characteristics: Erect perennial herb with underground tuberous stem. Leaves imparipinnate. Flowers in corymbose cyme.

Flowering period: January to March

Propagation Methods: Propagated by bulbs, tubers (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ Phool Bagh Colony 

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal

Vernacular name: Indian ginseng (English); Ashwaganda, Asgandh (Hindi)

Nativity: S. Europe to Central China, Africa to Myanmar (POWO, 2019)

Common Characteristics: Undershrub. Leaves elliptic-ovate, apex acute. Flowers sessile to subsessile, yellow- green.

Flowering period: December to June

Propagation Methods: Propagated by herbaceous stem cuttings and from seed (Dave’s Garden)

Photographed @ MRDC