A BEAUTIFUL COMPLEX FLOWER

This flower can really “pull you into its orbit.” I spotted it in a neighbor’s yard and was immediately overwhelmed by the beautiful but confusing array of colors in the central-flower area. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It took some time and effort to determine its genus/species, and it was a quite a journey into the very confusing world of flower-inflorescence jargon.

                                  LANTANA CAMERA Linnaeus 

Classification:

Kingdom Plantae

4 clades

Order Lamiales

Family Verbenaceae

Genus Lantana

Type Species L. camara

  -about 150 known species

Brief Description:

-a spreading, thorny perennial shrub 3 to 6 feet tall

-leaves heart-shaped, ovate, round, can be wrinkled; margins scalloped

-flowers clustered in compact heads

-flowers can be orange, pink, deep red, purple, or yellow [all on a single flower!]

-grows as dense stands, crowding out forage plants: therefore, can be an invasive plant 

- likes full-sun conditions

- repels mosquitos

Four images of different Lanatana-flower complexes on the same plant (total height about five feet tall). Each image is about 4 inches in width:

The type of inflorescence found in these flowers is axially corymb: the flowers are small, tubular, and each has four petals arranged in cluster at the terminal ends of the stems. The  sequencial progression of color changes (e.g., from yellow to orange to pink or red) is largely triggered by the pollinators. In sum, Lantana has inflorescences that are two- or three-colored!

Note: It was not easy, but I finally discovered a website that really helped a beginner (like me) in trying to understand the overwhelming and very jargon-filled, confusing world of inflorescence: please check it out.

https://aurovilleherbarium.org/contents/descripton-flower.php?id=115

The associated glossary found at this above-mentioned website will provide you with all the images and details you need in order to see and better understand the details of Lantana, as well as many other genera. It won’t be a waste of your time! The Auroville Botanical Gardens in India deserves an award in excellence for their website that is truly a virtual herbarium! This site also has a glossary and an extensive bibliography. It is a truly outstanding website!