Name of this flower please

Hi jcrian,

Greetings from Atlantic Canada.

Sorry I don't have an answer for you but wanted to relate a similar experience I had in Jamaica a number of years ago. We were young(er) travellers and full of questions. We had seen several different types of geckos around the resort and were curious about the proper names. There were also large white birds which sat on cow's back eating flies and ticks from the cow's hides and finally we had seen large fish in a pond in a botanical garden we had visited. Of course we had eagerly inquired of the locals what were the proper names for these animals which enchaced our vacation experience.

Here is the sum of the knowledge we gleaned from our inquiries:

Geckos
One type was brown, one type was green and one type croaked like a frog. Their names were as follows - Brown Lizard; Green Lizard and Croaking Lizard.

White Birds
We were informed that the name of the bird was "White Bird".

Fish
You have probably guessed by now that the fish were called "pond fish".

We came away from our trip with a real respect for the absolute simplicty in which the Jamaican people lived their lives and the total uncomplicatedness (is that a word?) of their existances. BUT THEY WERE HAPPY - much happier than many people we knew back home; even without knowing the animal's names. But then I realized that they did know the names - it was us who were unsatisfied with that degree of knowledge.

The DR is similar for me. Simple, uncomplicated, happy, friendly, outgoing, proud and helpful are just some of the adjectives which come to mind when I think of the Dominican people - and I haven't even begun to touch the absolute physical beauty of this tropical paridise and it's inhabitants. Simply put, the DR I have seen, does it for me and I see no reason (at this stage of my life) to travel anywhere else in the world to spend our vacations.

jcrian, I wish you well in getting your answer, this group is probably one of the best on the internet to be equipped to answer any question (even if obscure, about the DR) but my vote for your answer is "RED FLOWER". I hope you understand - not a smart answer but one from the heart.

Gregg

Your flower is one of the 300 species of orchid that grows in the DR, what it's actual name is, ???

Nope! It is not an orchid. It is the Flower from a vine but the name escapes me. I'll ask my wife when she gets back. She is the Botonist in this family

Vine? I don't think so, that looks like a flower from a Flamboy?n tree (from the English "flamboyant"?).

Then what is it Tony C, I give up looking.

Well the leaf next to the flower is not from a Royal Poinciana!

No it isn't a flamboyan. I went to see my neighbor's. The flowers look like it but not the leaves.

I give up

Flamboyan

Cayena its called here.

I GOT IT!!!!

Cayena is Hibiscus. And no it is not that.

Nasturtium Majus Mahogany Jewel

A small schrub like vine. Common to the Caribbean. Family of the Nasturtium that grows in California to Alaska.

wow

Nasturtium Majus Mahogany Jewel

Click to expand...

Thanx for the class.

Don't Thank me. Thank my resident Botonist/Horticulturist.....My Wife.

It has classic nasturtium leaves (like dinner plates.) Pib, take note: the ones I grow are edible (both flower and leaves) and make a lovely garnish...

Tony C. could you ask your wife if these are also edible?

Thanks for the info Tony.

To jcrian:
To add a picture click on post reply, click on the IMG button, follow instructions. The site you linked will not let you upload their pictures (hotlink) though.

Orquidia de Pobre

It is not orchid, a vine, a cayena or a Flamboyant and certainly not a Nasturtium Majus Mahogany Jewel.

Locally it is known as an Orquidia de Pobre which means poor persons Orchid. It is also known as Pata de Vaca which means Cows Hoof because of the shape of the leaves. In English it is known as a Red Bauhinia or Orchid Tree. The leaves are more distinguisable than the flower. There are also pink and white flowering varieties. The pink variety is very common in Santo Domingo.

http://www.cuyamaca.edu/oh170/Characteristic Pages/Bauhinia galpinii.asp

Also called nasturtium bauhinia. (Closer inspection reveals the differences in the leaves of nasturtiums and this plant.)

http://www.hear.org/gcw/html/autogend/species/2600.HTM

Interesting. Originated in South Africa and used for medicinal purposes. Called a "weed".

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/BAUPUNA.PDF

Concise information, requires Acrobat Reader.


It's this or shovel snow.

At least my wife got the Nasturtium part right.

In her defense I must say that she is more into Bromeliads, Orchids and annuals.
I, on the other hand, am more into Palms and Grasses.

As I said jcrian, some sites won't allow you to do that. Msn.com is one of them.