Proiphys amboinensis flowers continously from November till February

It didn't rain at all in March this year 2019 in Thiruvananthapuram unlike the same time last year. The days and nights have been much hotter too this year. Yet the lily with the luminescent flowers Proiphys amboinensis flowered throughout January and February this year unlike last year. The flowering which began with the November rains in 2018 continued till February this year. The fragrance and the luminosity of the flowers remained the same throughout the flowering period from November till February.

With the shortage of water this year, rice water which is the left over from the cooking of rice was used for watering the plants. Could it have been the rice water which caused this continuous flowering?

 Proiphys amboinensis flowering in February 2019

November Rains -Three

After flowering earlier this year, the lily with the luminescent flowers -Proiphys amboinensis flowered again this November. The buds came some time in mid-November with the rains. A fluffy insect crawled all over Proiphys amboinensis when it had its buds.

Proiphys amboinensis with buds and a crawling fluffy insect

The fluffy insect just crawled all over the plant without eating any part of the plant. 

The Lily with the luminescent flowers/Proiphys amboinensis

After five days the buds started blooming. The flowers stay open even through the night and remain attached to the stalks for as long as two weeks. 

The Lily with the luminescent flowers/Proiphys amboinensis in Thiruvananthapuram

Days of heavy rainfall before the scheduled South West Monsoon

… and unusual blossoms.

The South West monsoon which hits Kerala is scheduled to begin in 1st June or end of May. A map of this year’s monsoon by the Indian Meteorological Department is given below.

 

The website of the Indian Meteorological Department is very interesting and informative.

This year the season rainfall from 1 March to 20 May was much higher than the normal rainfall in all the districts of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram district recorded 598.1mm of rainfall . The normal rainfall during this period is 277 mm. The percentage departure is 116% -an excess

Last year in 2014 the premonsoon rainfall was normal in all the districts of Kerala except in Thiruvananthapuram and Wynad which showed an excess percentage of departure.

The excess rainfall in all the districts of Kerala, this year has brought flooding of rainwater into homes. Many roads and streets are still waist-deep with water. There is coastal erosion causing  havoc to human life, much before the scheduled monsoon.

The laterite soil sprung some wonders after the first heavy downpour.

Fire Ball Lily / Foot Ball Lily (Haemanthus multiflorus)

Where did the bulbs come from ? 
There was a surprise from an old coconut tree. An Ipomea growing from within its narrow hollow gave forth blossoms. The lichens still linger on the old coconut trees.

An Ipomea growing from within an old coconut tree, blossoms

Reference: 
1. Indian Meteorological Department (Ministry Earth Sciences, Government of India)