Hong Kong Flowers

In year 2008, Hong Kong Post issued the specific stamp set features the flowers which available in their country. The depicted flower species are Chinese hibiscus, Tree cotton, Allamanda, Azaleas, Indian Lotus, and Morning Glory.

Chinese Hibiscus

Chinese hibiscus or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, is an evergreen flowering shrub native to East Asia. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, generally red in the original varieties, and firm, but generally lack any scent.Chinese hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, called Bunga Raya in Malay.

There are many varieties, cultivars, and hybrids  with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals.

 

Tree Cotton

Tree cotton  or Bombax ceiba, is tropical tree that has a straight tall trunk and its leaves are deciduous in winter. This species is member  of the genus Bombax and has  red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. It produces a capsule which, when ripe, contains white fibres like cotton. Its trunk bears spikes to deter attacks by animals. The trunk  is useful for timber because its wood is too soft to be very useful.

Tree cotton  is widely planted in Malay, Indonesia, South China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Tree cotton  grows to an average of 20 meters, with old trees up to 60 meters in wet tropical weather.

 

Allamanda

Allamanda, also known as Yellow Bell, Golden Trumpet or Buttercup Flower, is a genus of tropical shrubs or vines belonging to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) and native to South and Central America.

Their year-round production of large, bright flowers have made the Allamanda popular ornamentals. A woody, evergreen shrub with vigorous growth, Allamanda may reach a free-standing height of 2 metres or more. The yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers are 5-7.5 centimetres in diameter; cultivated forms tend towards larger blooms which may also be white, purple, pink or orange in colour.

 

Azalea

Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Tsutsuji (evergreen) and Pentanthera (deciduous).Plant enthusiasts have selectively bred azaleas for hundreds of years. More over 10,000 different cultivars  has produced which are propagated by cuttings. Azalea seeds can also be collected and germinated.

Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe and North America. They are planted abundantly as ornamentals in the southeastern US. Azaleas are generally slow-growing and do best in well-drained acidic soil (4.5–6.0 pH). Fertilizer needs are low; some species need regular pruning.

 

Indian lotus

Indian lotus  or Nelumbo nucifera,  is an aquatic perennial plant in the monotypic family Nelumbonaceae. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.

Indian lotus is  native to the Tropical Asian nations and Queensland, Australia, it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is also the national flower of India and Vietnam.

 

Morning glory

Morning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, Morning glory was first known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds.The seeds of many species of morning glory contain ergoline alkaloids such as the psychedelic ergonovine and ergine (LSA).

Most morning glory flowers unravel into full bloom in the early morning.  They prefer full solar exposure throughout the day, and mesic soils. Some morning glories, such as Ipomoea muricata, are night-blooming flowers.

Morning glory can quickly spread by way of long, creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.