Lunaria annua L., Sp. Pl. 653 1753. (Syn: Crucifera lunaria E.H.L.Krause; Viola lunaria Garsault [Invalid]; Lunaria biennis Moench; Lunaria inodora Lam.):
Honesty, silver dollar plant, Moneyplant;
Lunaria annua L. (Honesty plant, Money plant, Chinese coins) from Kashmir: Lunaria annua L., Sp. pl. 2:653. 1753
Common names: Honesty plant, annual honesty, money plant, silver dollar, Chinese money, Chinese coins, penny-flower
Branched hairy annual or biennial herb with broadly cordate coarsely toothed leaves, lower stalked, upper sessile; flowers violet to pink, on up to 20-flowered racemes, without bracts; petals 2-3 cm long, obovate, strongly veined; fruit nearly orbicular, flattened, up to 4 cm long, slightly less broader; seeds few.
Photographed from our house garden in Balgarden, Srinagar Kashmir on May 5, 2012.
I have feeling that plant depicted on Flowers of India is not correctly identified. It has much narrower leaves and fruits are linear and not coin-like. It may be Hesperis sp.
Fascinating and beautiful plant. New to me. I wonder why it is called honesty plant!
Brassicaceae Week: Lunaria annua L. (Honesty plant, Money plant, Chinese coins) from Kashmir: Lunaria annua L., Sp. pl. 2:653. 1753 Common names: Honesty plant, annual honesty, money plant, silver dollar, Chinese money, Chinese coins, penny-flower
Branched hairy annual or biennial herb with broadly cordate coarsely toothed leaves, lower stalked, upper sessile; flowers violet to pink, on up to 20-flowered racemes, without bracts; petals 2-3 cm long, obovate, strongly veined; fruit nearly orbicular, flattened, up to 4 cm long, slightly less broader; seeds few.
Photographed from our house garden in Balgarden, Srinagar Kashmir on May 5, 2012.
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# Species- Seed plants (families) > A---L (families & genera) > B > Brassicaceae > Lunaria >
