Regions: South India

The sanjeevani of the rocks — curls up bone dry, then greens again in an hour of rain.

The squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills.

The kodo of the Deccan and central hills — drought-proof and long-storing.

A rosette epiphyte that grows on a tree fork or a shaded wall bracket.

A white-backed fern that colonises damp walls and cut slopes on its own.

Fan-shaped leaflets on black wiry stalks — the fern of a shaded bathroom window.

The kopou phul of Assam — hanging foxtail sprays, and the flower of Bihu.

A tiny creeping mat for the wet edge of a tub — the softest possible ground cover.

The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity.

The wild ancestor of cultivated rice, still standing in eastern wetlands.