Flowers for Mothers’ Day – some showy flower photos

Mothers’ Day is celebrated around the world today. Here’s a selection of showy flower photographs which I’ve taken in Ecuador. They’re from various locations in Ecuador – just an assortment of natural beauty for everybody on Moms’ Day! Flowers are the mothers and fathers of the flowering plants!

Melastomataceae, maybe Blakea, at Jardin Botanico Las Orquideas, Tena, Copyright T. McDowell, 2013.

Bomarea (Alstromeriaceae) vine in flower near Baños, Ecuador, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Bomarea glaucescens (Alstromeriaceae) in páramo reserve above Salinas de Guaranda, Bolívar, Ecuador, May 2013. copyright T. McDowell, 2013.

Bougainvillea x buttiana flowers with orange bracts. Guayaquil Historical Park, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Yellow Bougainvillea flowers within purple bracts, Guayaquil Historical Park, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Bougainvillea x buttiana flowers, yellow and cream, at Guayaquil Historical Park, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Bromeliad (pineapple family, Bromeliaceae) at Guayaquil Botanical Garden – red bracts enclosing yellow flower bud and brown-purple flower. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Brugmansia sanguinea (Solanaceae) in Salinas de Guaranda, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Brugmansia x candida (hybrid “floripondio”, Solanaceae), Guaranda, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Calceolaria (Scrophulariaceae) flowers, Cascha Totoras, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2008. copyright T. McDowell 2013.

Capanea affinis (Gesneriaceae), in forest at San Jose de las Palmas, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Cavendishia (Ericaceae) flowers at Omaere Ethnobotanical Garden, Tena Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Chuquiraga jussieui (Asteraceae) at páramo reserve below Chimborazo, May 2013.copyright T. McDowell 2013

Cinchona (Rubiaceae) flower and bud, along Sendero de los Contrabandistas, near Baños, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Columnea (Gesneriaceae) flower, at Omaere Ethnobotanical Garden, Tena. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Cymbidium hybrid (Orchidaceae) at National Botanical Garden, Quito, Ecuador 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Cyrtiphyllum macranthes (Orchidaceae), the flower of the Province of Pinchincha, Ecuador, at the National Botanic Garden, Quito, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Epidendrum hybrid (Orchidaceae) at Nat. Bot. Garden, Quito, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Erythrina (Fabaceae) near Baños, Ecuador, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Espeletia pycnophylla, “Frailejón” (Asteraceae) at El Angel páramo. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Etlingeria eliator, “Torch Ginger”, inflorescence with showy bracts, at Univ. Estatal de Bolívar Agricultural Station, Balsapamba, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Euphorbia pulcherrima, “poinsettia” or “flor de Pascua” (Euphorbiaceae), cultivated small tree, Guaranda, Ecuador, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

A species of Fuchsia (Onagraceae), a diverse genus in Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Galinsoga (Asteraceae), with curved styles yellow, near Baños, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Gentiana sedifolia (Gentianaceae) at a páramo reserve above Salinas, Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Gentianella species (Gentianaceae) in pámaro reserve above Salinas, Bolívar, Ecuador, in May 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Kohleria spicata (Gesneriaceae) at Rio Palenque, Ecuador, 2009. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Gossypium (cotton) flower (Malvaceae) at the Balsapamba Agricultural station of Univ Estatal de Bolívar, Ecuador, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Gustavia longifolia (Lecythidaceae) at Balsapamba Agriculture station of Univ. Estatal de Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Heliconia inflorescence, perhaps H. psittacorum (Heliconiaceae), with orange flowers and red bracts. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Heliconia rostrata, (Heliconiaceae) with hanging inflorescence, red bracts, and yellow flowers, at Guayaquil Botanical Garden, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Malvaceae) cultivated at the Guayaquil Historical Park, Ecuador, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Red and yellow flowering cultivars of Ixora coccinea (Rubiaceae) at the Guayaquil Historical Park, Ecuador, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Jaltomato viridiflora (Solanaceae) at San José de las Palmas forest, Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Lamarouxia virgata (Scrophulariaceae) at San José de las Palmas, Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Lavatera arborea (Malvaceae), the cultivated tree mallow, at Salinas de Guaranda, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Caiophora aequatoriana (Loasaceae) at Cajas National Park, Ecuador, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Nototriche pichinchensis (or related species) (Malvaceae) at páramo reserve above Salinas, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Oenothera versicolor (Onagraceae) at páramo of San José de las Palmas, Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Oreocallis grandiflora (Proteaceae) at Cascha Totoras forest, Bolívar, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Oxalis lotoides (Oxalidaceae) at Salinas de Guaranda, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Phaedranassa dubia (Liliaceae/Amaryllidaceae) along Sendero de los Contrabandistas below Baños, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Phragmipedium orchid at Jardin Botanico Las Orquideas, Tena, Ecuador, 2010. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Phragmipedium (Orchidaceae) at National Botanical Garden in Quito. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Polygala (Polygalaceae) flowers in Tena, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Pleurothallis orchid (Orchidaceae) at Jardin Botanico Las Orquideas, Tena, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Psychotria poeppigiana (Rubiaceae), “hot lips”, with yellow flowers enclosed in red bracts. Jardin Botanico Las Orquideas, Tena, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Punica granatum (Lythraceae), “pomegranate”, “granado”, cultivated at the Univ. Polytecinca de Machala, Ecuador, 2012. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Salvia quitensis (Lamiaceae), at Cascha Totoras, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2008. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Siphocampylus giganteus (Campanulaceae) flower at Cascha Totoras protected forest, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2008. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Solandra maxima (Solanaceae) “cup of gold” flower, about 8 inches long, at Hostal La Chimenea, Baños, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Stellis (Orchidaceae) flower, less than 1/8 inch long, at Jardin Botanico Las Orquideas, Tena, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae), “fresno” growing as a street tree in Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Flowers of the chocolate tree, Theobroma cacao (Sterculariaceae/Malvaceae) cultivated at the Guayaquil Historical Park, Ecuador, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Thundbergia alata (Acanthaceae), “black-eye Susan”, a cultivated vine from east Africa, common in gardens in Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Tradescantia cymbispatha (Commelinaceae) flowers with fine articulated hairs on filaments of stamen, growing wild at San José de las Palmas forest edges, Bolívar, Ecuador, 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) flowers, a relative of spanish moss in pineapple family. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Trichostigma or Salvia (Lamiaceae), at Los Arrayanes de San Gabriel, Carchi, Ecuador. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Turnera (Turneraceae) at the Guayaqui Botanic Garden, 2011. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Vaccinium (Ericaceae) flowers at Cascha Totoras, 2008. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Valeriana rigida (Valerianaceae) at páramo reserve above Salinas de Guaranda, Bolívar, Ecuador, May 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Werneria pygmea (Asteraceae) in páramo reserve above Salinas de Guaranda, Ecuador, May 2013. copyright T. McDowell 2013

Happy Mothers’ Day to one and all!

Flower stand near World Heritage site “Cementario Los Cipreses”, Tulcan, Carchí, Ecuador.