Mirabilis Jalapa - Flowers and Color

Flowers and Color

A curious aspect of this plant is that flowers of different colors can be found simultaneously on the same plant.

Additionally, an individual flower can be splashed with different colors. Another interesting point is a color-changing phenomenon. For example, in the yellow variety, as the plant matures, it can display flowers that gradually change to a dark pink color. Similarly white flowers can change to light violet.

The flowers usually open from late afternoon onwards, then producing a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, hence the first of its common names. In Pakistan it is called "Gul Abas" (Urdu: گل عباس‎). In Southern India it is called "Anthi Mandhaarai" (Tamil: அந்தி மந்தாரை). In Andhra Pradesh it is called "Chandrakantha"(Telugu: చ౦దరకా౦త). In Kerala it is called 'Naalumani poovu' (Malayalam: നാലുമണിപ്പൂ, പതിറ്റടിമുല്ല). In Maharashtra it is called "Gulabakshi" (Marathi: गुलबक्षी). In Assamese it is called 'Godhuli Gopal', 'godhuli' meaning evening. In Bengali it is called "sandhyamaloti" (সন্ধ্যামালতি).In Maithili it is called "sanjhaa phool" as it blooms in evening . In Oriya it is called 'Rangani'. In China it is called the "shower flower" (Chinese: 洗澡花; pinyin: xǐzǎo huā) or "rice boiling flower" (simplified Chinese: 煮饭花; traditional Chinese: 煮飯花; pinyin: zhǔfàn huā) because it is in bloom at the time of these activities. In Hong Kong it is known as "purple jasmine" (紫茉莉). The Turkish name is "akşam sefası", which means "evening pleasure". Despite their appearance, the flowers are not formed from petals – rather they are a pigmented modification of the calyx.

The flowers are pollinated by long-tongued moths of the Sphingidae family, such as the sphinx moths or hawk moths and other nocturnal pollinators attracted by the fragrance.