# Calling all botanists...What are these plants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667 "2005-08-18T22:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tio\_Gringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Tio\_Gringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tio_Gringo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667/21 "2005-08-20T23:00:32Z")
**Colibri** , **Blake** , **jayjay** , **Doobieous** , **Jeff Lichtman** , **picunurse** , you all are the best. If you ever come through Houston, the beers are on me. Now, on to the next batch. #1. Just some happy yellow flowers that the bees seemed to like. [Pic 1](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=75280084308) [Pic 2](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=95280084308) #2. A five-petaled light blue flower. [Pic 1](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=50650084308) [Pic 2](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=70650084308) #3. This plant’s flower/leaf/bract was so thick and waxy, I initally thought it was plastic. A very interesting (if mildly obscene-looking) plant. [Pic 1](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=22650084308) [Pic 2](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=42650084308) [Pic 3](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=42650084308) [Pic 4](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=13650084308) #4. These flowers reminded me of radar dishes. They seem to be tailor-made for hummingbirds. [Pic 1](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=33650084308) [Pic 2](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=53650084308) [Pic 3](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=53650084308) #5. These were a very pretty four-petaled, pastel-colored flowers. [Pic 1](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=44650084308) [Pic 2](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=64650084308) #6. Based on **picunurse’s** link, this has got to be a hanging lobster claw flower. Thanks **picunurse**! [Pic](http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=52439974308&photoid=27691084308) I guess I’ll stop here for now. I’ll post a final batch of photos in a day or two. Ta-ta for now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667/22 "2005-08-20T23:24:40Z")
#1 looks like it could be some sort of Composite. Realizing, of course, that that’s sort of like saying of an insect, “It could be a beetle.” #2 LOOKS like a plumeria flower, kind of. Growth habit would be helpful here. Maybe a plumbago, but I think they’re mostly bluer. #3 is Anthurium (Flamingo Flower). Not sure of the species. And it’s actually none of the above…the red part’s a spathe. The yellow club is a spadix, and it’s actually the inflorescence. #4 I don’t know. WAG judging from what the flower looks like, some kind of columnea or cuphea (two totally different genera in totally different families, I think, but the flowers of the cultivated varieties both look a little like this). #5 looks like a hydrangea flowerhead. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667/23 "2005-08-20T23:25:54Z")
#2. Plumbago #3. Anthurium #4. Cypress Vine, if the foliage is feathery #5. Hydrangea ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667/24 "2005-08-20T23:56:03Z")
#1 is definitely some kind of Composite, but yellow comps are popularly known by botanists as DYCs, Damn Yellow Comps, since there are so many of them #2 I agree with Plumbago #3 I agree with Anthurium, specifically a cultivar of _Anthurium andreanum_ #4 It doesn’t look like Cypress vine to me, but I don’t know what it is. #5 I agree with Hydrangea #6 is some kind of Heliconia (some of which are called lobster-claw flowers), but since there are a lot of similar species and cultivars I won’t try to be more specific. It’s not native to Hawaii, but to tropical America [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-botanists-what-are-these-plants/317667.md?page=1)