This flowering plant name is Petrea volubilis, also known as the sandpaper vine, Queen’s wreath or purple wreath, is a member of the Verbena family, Verbenaceae. It is a flowering climbing shrub that is grown for its beautiful soft purple flowers that are borne on pendulous racemes.
Purple is a rare flower color in the tropics. Petrea volubilis native to Mexico and Central America. However, it is grown in many tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world. Petrea Volubilis is considered as one of the encahanting purple flowers from the tropical regions.
The sepals stay after the flowers falling off
The name Petrea is derived from the name of Lord Petre who is a famous exotic plant collector in the 18th century. The specific name volubilis means ”twining”, climbing habit of this plant. The sepals are persistent, they stay on the inflorescence for quite some time even after the flowers falling off . However, in a rather gradual phase, these sepals will turn greyish as they age and finally become brown and dry before falling off.
It is interesting that people use the leaves as a substitute for sandpaper for small handicraft work and emery board for filing finger or toe nails! I have never known if it is also used by men who shave the hair off their head, to give a shiny look?….
Turn greyish as they age and finally become brown and dry before falling off.
Nama tanaman berbunga ini adalah Petrea volubilis, juga dikenal sebagai tanaman amplas merambat, Queen’s wreath or purple wreath, anggota dari keluarga Verbena, Verbenaceae. Tanman semak berbunga yang merambat ini ditanam karena bunga-bunganya yang indah dan berwarna ungu lembut tersusun pada tandan yang menjumbai. Warna ungu merupakan warna bunga yang jarang bagi kebanyak bunga yang tumbuh di daerah tropis. Petrea Volubilis berasal dari Meksiko dan Amerika Tengah. Namun, ditanam di banyak negara tropis dan subtropis di seluruh dunia. Petrea Volubilis ini dianggap sebagai salah satu tanaman bunga mempesona di daerah tropis.
Nama Petrea berasal dari nama Tuan Besar Petre, seorang kolektor tanaman eksotis terkemuka di abad ke-18. Nama spesifik volubilis berarti “melilit”, merambat adalah kebiasaan tanaman ini. sepalnya tidak mudah rontok, kuntum-kuntum itu tetap tinggal di perbungaan untuk beberapa waktu bahkan setelah bunganya telah memudar. Namun, dalam fase yang agak bertahap, sepal ini akan berubah keabu-abuan karena usia dan akhirnya menjadi kecoklatan dan kering sebelum jatuh.
Sangat menarik bahwa orang-orang menggunakan daunnya sebagai pengganti amplas untuk mengerjakan kerajinan tangan dan amplas pada ujung jari atau kuku kaki! Saya tidak pernah mengetahui, apakah itu juga digunakan oleh pria yang mencukur rambutnya habis dari kepala mereka untuk memberikan tampilan mengkilap?
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What an interesting flower. Cool shots too!
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This vine ornamental plant is suitable for a small garden because of its slowing growth that makes us easy to maintain it. Thank you 🙂
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Oh, it is heavenly to see this vine again. Is it growing at your house? When I was a child, it used to grow at the house of my best friend. I thought it was so beautiful then but I have not seen it in real life for decades. Sand paper for a shiny head!!! Mmmmmm……I wonder 😀
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I am so glad you could see it again in pictures. I don’t grow this plant, neither available at Nursery here. I used to hide under this shrub at my mother’s house when I was a child and I don’t remember how it was not there anymore. Finding this vine at Botanical garden made my mind flew back to many years passed. Happy to know that you also saw such plant at your childhood. 🙂
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It wasn’t a common plant in my childhood. My friend’s family were the only ones who grew it in our neighbourhood. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find it to grow in your garden?
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I have asked a staff of the seed section at the Botanical Garden if the cutting is available to sell. Unfortunately it is not included in their reproduction program. I would love to have one when found somewhere else.
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Keep looking and best of luck.
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😀 , I will, thank you!
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Your beautifully clear photography, and interesting facts make a delightful page, and create a moment of peace! Thank you for visiting my blog, too.
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Thank you very much for your nice words, Isabel. I will return to your blog as often as I can. :-). Cheers
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These flowers are beautiful in all their color stages.
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Yes they are. The shape and the colors are beautiful, Kathleen.
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I have an orchid that has this color and small petals. I’m not sure if it is the same one.
Lovely photos.
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I guess not, Isadora. Petrea is not an orchid species but I am sure your orchid looks lovelier than this flowers. 🙂
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Another new plant – thank you for that! I love blue in flowers – it’s not so common here either, but they do exist – especially in the spring, it seems to me. And there is the question of very blue blues and more purple blues – the more purple blue flowers are easier to find, the really blue ones, like a sky blue, are more unusual.
I like the persistent sepals,and the use of the leaves. The leaves don’t look like they would be firm enough – maybe they glue the leaf to something?
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Indeed you are right, the flower color is not pure blue, but blue-purple. blue sky is very rarely found in flower color, if there is any, it is very beautiful. The leaves are not rigid but has rough upper surface like sandpaper, so that the people used to smooth wood carving to make it looks shiny.
when rubbed into the forehead, or to the head, there will be a very painful scratches. ( I have done this when I was a child).
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