WHAT’S THE name of your bougainvillea? Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan or Ash? No? Not these? Then ask a scientist from the National Botanical Research Institute. He has a list of about 300 names, and your plant might have one of them.
The range of names is as wide as Wajid Ali Shah, Chitra, Shubhra, Mrs Butt, Begum Sikander etc. Several varieties of bougainvillea, have been named after the personalities or scientists themselves.
There are some of 400 species of bougainvillea with half-a-dozen colours. “Naming plants is not an easy task,” said Dr S C Sharma scientist (retired) NBRI.
The names have to be given as per the International Code of Nomenclature, he said and added since different scientists hade developed varieties of the bougainvillea, they have named the plants after them or the relatives or the renowned personalities. About Wajid Ali Shah, Dr Sharma said the plant had been named after the colourful personality of the nawab, while Begum Sikander, because the research was successfully completed in the Sikandara bagh (adjacent to the NBRI). The above mentioned varieties excluding Mrs Butt have been developed in the NBRI. Other varieties that are famous in the world are; Mahatma Gandhi, Tetra Mrs, Mc Clean, Lady Hudson, Los Banos Beauty, Manoharchandra, Lady Hope etc.
The issue had come up at a National Conference on bougainvillae being held at NBRI. Institute director Dr Rakesh Tuli said there were about half-a-dozen colours of the plants, but the institute was making an effort to develop blue or royal blue plant that could add to the range of existing colours, including white, red, yellow, purple, orange, magenta.
{{/usCountry}}The issue had come up at a National Conference on bougainvillae being held at NBRI. Institute director Dr Rakesh Tuli said there were about half-a-dozen colours of the plants, but the institute was making an effort to develop blue or royal blue plant that could add to the range of existing colours, including white, red, yellow, purple, orange, magenta.
{{/usCountry}}As regards an effort to add aroma to the plant, the director said an effort would be initiated in this direction to develop a plant that could emanate scent. The plants are robust and can survive even in adversities.
“The ornamental quality of the plant is in demand,” added Dr Tuli.