Common name: Flowering Rush
Scientific name: Butomus umbellatus 花藺
Genus: Butomus 花藺屬
Family: Butomaceae 花藺科*, flowering rush family
Remarks*: It is the only species in the family. '藺' is pronounced as '吝' in Cantonese.
Origin: native
Date: 29th June & 18/8 (at different location)
[252] (took on different location at 18/8)
A tall, erect perennial, can grow up to 150 cm. Individual flower stalks up to 10 cm.
[253] (took on different location at 18/8)
[371] Leaves triangular in section.
[370] Flower bud. Green bracts are closed now.
[372] Green bracts open and an umbel (繖形花序)-like inflorescence (a single terminal flower surrounded by three cymes 聚繖花序) of individual flower buds could be seen now.
[372_1] Green bracts and an umbel like of inflorescence of individual flower buds.
[259] (took on different location at 18/8)
[368] Attractive flowers.
[254] (took on different location at 18/8)
Early open flower with possible pollinator -- hoverfly.
[258] (took on different location at 18/8)
Hoverfly with the mouthparts could be seen now.
[257] (took on different location at 18/8)
An early open flower. 3 pink sepals and 3 larger petals; 6-9 stamens (still not yet open).
[380] An later flower. Some of the stamens had open and turn to yellow.
[373] Note that the styles of the carpels in the middle of the flower still aligned close to each other in this flower.
[269] (took on different location at 18/8)
A much upper view of the view showing clearly the 3 pink sepals and 3 pink larger petals; 6-9 stamens and 6-9 carpels (the styles are separated now) in the middle of the flower.
[375] An older stage of a flower. The anthers turn brown and withering. Every stigma (style?) seems to have a slit at their tops.
[267] (took on different location at 18/8) An older stage of a flower. Ovaries are enlarged. Styles of adjacent carpels are further apart. Each style has three stigmas could be seen.
[271] (took on different location at 18/8)
An umbel like inflorescence of flowers of different stages.
An umbel like inflorescence of flowers of different stages.
[263] (took on different location at 18/8)
Fruiting now. The sepals and carpels turned brown and persisted.
