Flower Identification Please

[Briggsy]

A lady at work asked me what the English name (or scientific name) is for these flowers.

She makes and drinks an infusion of them daily. She also uses them to make a skin lotion. She called them dork anchan ดอกอัญชัน???

[BambinA]

It is dork Un chun (ดอกอัญชัน)

Scienctific name : Clitoria ternatea Linn.

Common name : Butterfly Pea

Edited February 22, 2007 by BambinA

[Briggsy]

Thank you.

How did I know it would be you to come up with the goods! I should've just PMed you!

[BambinA]

Making a thread here is a good idea because it can be useful for other poster

[sbk]

Butterfly pea is a climbing vine, very pretty but no odor. There is a double version that I am lusting after (anyone have seeds?) as well as white and double white.

Butterfly pea grows easily from seed and climbs easily by twining tendrils. It seems to be a short-lived plant, never lasting more than a couple of years at my house back when I had some growing.

A double:

a white double:

and the standard Butterfly pea:

It is commonly used in herbal shampoos here, I understand it helps make black hair shiny.

[tutsiwarrior]

hmmm...looks inneresting fer de magnificent new back terrace...does de whole thing wither an' go away or just de leaves an' de flowers?

[sbk]

It takes a while tutsi, but the whole thing dies. It grows back from seed quite quickly tho, so if you want a vine that doesn't need constant maintenance (pruning etc) then this might be the plant for your terrace.

[Jamie]

I'm unsure of the scale in that photo but it looks more like Blue Flag (Iris Versicolor). The rhizome is used in herbal medicines as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, stimulant and laxative among other things. Also supposedly good for skin conditions since it flushes the liver of toxins.

[sbk]

I'm unsure of the scale in that photo but it looks more like Blue Flag (Iris Versicolor). The rhizome is used in herbal medicines as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, stimulant and laxative among other things. Also supposedly good for skin conditions since it flushes the liver of toxins.

The OP said the lady called it Anchan which is, as Bambi correctly pointed out, the Thai name for Blue Pea (or Butterfly Pea). Also, looking closely at the flowers they look like dried Butterfly pea flowers to me.

Blue Flag is an aquatic plant native to North America as well, and is a hardy plant so unlikely to be widely found in the tropics:

[owenjones]

Here, here!

Four years on and I was asking the same question.

Thanks for your answer.

Owen

[sbk]

Butterfly pea is a lovely vine, there is a double ruffled one that I have always wanted and a white one too.

[GarryP]

Very good for washing dark hair. They supposedly make black hair blacker. I see a lady in the soi I live on picking the flowers twice a week or so. She swears by the flowers for her hair. I have no idea how she makes the wash though.

[sbk]

I think its done by soaking the flowers but not sure either. There are many butterfly pea derived herbal shampoos out there already for those less inclined to pick flowers and make their own.

Apparently its also quite a healthy tea to drink, albeit blue

Recipe: Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea) Tea

10 dried flowers per cup of tea are recommended

Scald the dried flowers with boiling water to clean them.

Drain the flowers through a sieve and pour the liquid away.

Than scald the flowers again with boiling water and let them infuse about 5 – 10 minutes.

Drain again through a sieve and serve the flower tea hot or chilled, sweeten with sugar or honey.

You can add the flowers to other fruit- or herbal tea mixes as well.

Alternatively add the infusion to fruit juice or cocktails.

http://www.the-foodist.com/recipes/clitoria-ternatea-butterfly-pea-flower-tea-recipe/