The Reap & The Ruin
A sturdy sprig of Barnyard Millet scientifically called Echinochloa crus-galli, rising beautifully above the amber fields of almost harvest ready Rice. This beautiful plant is usually considered as a weed among other cash crops but sometimes cultivated and used as a staple food. Although, in Japan it is used to make dumplings & macaroni, the roasted grain can also be used as a substitute for coffee and in India it is commonly known as “Samvat ke Chawal” or “Samak” and is used in many traditional preparations and can also be used as a replacement of rice during fasts.
I was travelling through the countrysides of Chhattisgarh when I stopped by a farm distribution to take some pictures and after a few random shots I noticed this weed standing above the produce all alone and so I decided to take it with me in my memories.
A Comb Of Cones
Plumed Cockscomb or Silver Cock's Comb scientifically called Celosia argentea is considered a weed in India and is popularly known as "Sarwaari" or "Safed Murga" in Hindi. I was returning from Bargarh, Odisha after spending a few days with my Mom, Dad & Brother and on our way we stopped for getting some fresh air and I was this beautiful & tender cluster of a Celosia flower blooming on the side of the road. The conical flowers painted in white & magenta give this flower a divine appearance and the lime coloured centre & twig create a perfect harmony with the green background.
A Weedy Sunset
Feather Fingergrass or Feather Windmill Grass scientifically called Chloris virgata and is a hardy grass which grows in tropical and temperate areas and is known as weed in many areas.
When I was pursuing my degree in Photography from the Asian Academy of Films & Television, all the students were asked to find some good compositions around the campus and as I am a nature and wildlife photographer, I wandered a bit far away to find something in the lesser visited part and frankly I was expecting to find some reptile in a area that was filled with these weeds other plants. It was golden hour and the Sun behind me was giving the grass a warm and summery glow.
The Beauty Of Patterns
Scented Grass scientifically known as Chrysopogon gryllus is a member of the Poaceae family and is a perennial herb that forms strong and self supporting branches. They grow to a height of 1.5 meters and the seeds are highly nasty as they cling to clothes, shoes and socks and cause itching and irritations to the skin.
This picture was again taken on the same date as on the last post above and as I was looking into a less visited area expecting to find some reptiles I saw these not-so-skin-friendly weed growing out and I was mesmerised by the wonderful patterns it's branches were making and I decided to take a shot of them with the beautiful golden light coming and was amazed by the results. And when after taking a few shots I walked away I came to know a very specific detail about these weeds, never go too close to them as they can really give you a hard time as it's seeds cling to the clothes and cause irritation to the skin, but still all that was worth the shot.
An Uncharted Mission
Mission Grass scientifically known as Pennisetum polystachion is another weed from the Poaceae family and it's a very beautiful one because of it's wonderfully vibrant spikelets.
Found this one again from my college campus which was surrounded by weeds during the winters of 2019. I saw this tiny weed growing into the uncharted parts of the campus and it attracted me instantly and I was yet again regretting to not have bought a dedicated macro lens for such occasions.
