Trochetia boutoniana

Trochetia boutoniana (scientific name: Trochetia boutoniana) is a shrub of the mallow family Malvaceae endemic to the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius), and was chosen as the national flower when Mauritius became a Republic on March 12, 1992. It grows wild on the mountainous dress of Mount Le Morne (556 m above sea level) on Le Morne Brabant, a peninsula located at the southwestern tip of Mauritius. The tree is 2 to 3 meters tall. The leaves are ovate to elliptic. The petals are asymmetrical, and the flowers are orange with a reddish tinge and bloom from June to October. The nectar is scarlet. The Mauritius Ornate Gecko (Phelsuma ornata), a gecko with red dotted lines on a green background, hummingbirds (Trichilus polytmus) and bees (Bees) are pollinators and nectar feeders. It is depicted on a postage stamp of Mauritius. After flowering, a spherical capsule is produced with about 10 spherical black seeds inside.

The genus Trochetia

Common name: Trochetia boutoniana, scientific name: Trochetia boutoniana, also known as boucle d'oreille (Creole), Trochetia, Height: 2 to 3 m, Leaf shape Oval to elliptic, Flower color: orange with reddish tinge, Flowering season: June to October, Fruit type: capsule, Fruit shape: spherical, Seed: 10 black seeds.