Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Townshend Stith Brandegee (1843-1925)

Shrimp Flower

11 Mar 2010 203
This is one of the many tropical plants that grow in the new Enmax Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Quite a delicate looking flower and easy to miss. "Justicia brandegeeana (Mexican Shrimp Plant or Shrimp Plant; syn. Beloperone guttata Brandeg.) is an evergreen perennial shrub in the genus Justicia, native to Mexico. It grows to 1 m tall (rarely more) with spindly limbs. The leaves are oval, green, 3-7.5 cm long. The flowers are white, extending from red bracts which look a bit like a shrimp, hence the shrub's common name, shrimp flower. The species is named after the American botanist Townshend Stith Brandegee (1843-1925); the scientific name is commonly seen mis-spelled "brandegeana". From Wikipedia.