Regions: north

The third triphala fruit, from a broad-crowned tree of dry deciduous forest.

A white-rooted asparagus of the north-western hills, grown on terraces and bunds.

A dry-hill root used to colour oil a deep red; slight above ground, tough below.

Near-indestructible succulent for a bright sill; water only when the soil is dry through.

An unfussy evergreen shrub with white throated flowers that carpenter bees work.

A low monsoon weed of wet ground, gathered for hair oil for as long as anyone remembers.

A slight winter annual of dry western fields, grown for the husk of its seed.

Fine blue-white flowers over ferny leaves, then the black seed of the spice box.

Feathery winter foliage, then umbels that hoverflies and small wasps work all day.

A winter annual of the north-west, grown for the thyme-scented seed.