Familiar Indian Flowers: with Coloured Plates/Mussœnda Macrophylla

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The subject of this illustration belongs to a genus of rather large shrubs, with heavy dense foliage, of oval-shaped, deep, dull green leaves.

There is very little difference between the species; they blossom during the hot and rainy seasons, and bear numerous corymbs of bright, star-formed orange-coloured flowers.

The hairy white leaves which constitute the principal ornament of the plants are developed from the calyxes of one or two flowers in each corymb; they make a pleasing contrast to the dull and sombre green leaves.

The orange flowers are bright and dazzling, but they are small, and, were it not for the white or cream-coloured leaves, this bush would not be much sought for as an ornament to our gardens.

If left unchecked, the Musscenda becomes very straggling and scandent in its growth, reaching at times over large mango trees, where its creamy leaves and bright flowers are seen to great advantage amongst the shining glossy foliage of the mango.

During the rains its growth is very rapid, and it spreads considerably, forming quite a jungle of any shrubbery or plantation; it is therefore necessary to prune it well in the cold season when it has shed its leaves.

Ferminger mentions that it seeds abundantly, but this is not the case all over India. I have never been able to get any, nor have I noticed young self-sown plants. It takes easily from cuttings, which is the usual mode of propagation.

Roxburgh remarks that "in some parts of India the white floral leaves are brought to table as an excellent herb.”

It is a very woody, hard-limbed shrub, a native of India, and occasionally found in a wild state in the jungle.

The flowers generally grow in pairs, the stems and calyxes being covered with small fine hairs; the star-like flowers surmount a long narrow tube of a pale yellow colour. ​