Growing spaces: ground

The anjan of dry pasture — a fodder grass that greens the Thar within days of rain.

The deep red night-flowering lily of eastern tanks and temple ponds.

Narrow willow leaves and yellow bells; tough, fast and equally poisonous.

Grows on water or wet mud and crops every fortnight through the monsoon.

The chuli of Ladakh and Kinnaur — blossom in April, fruit and kernel oil by July.

Pink blossom in November, out of season by every other measure — the hill wild cherry.

A Himalayan cherry with long fruit racemes that thrushes and bulbuls strip in weeks.

The tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree.

The wild amla of the southern hills, smaller-fruited and tougher than the orchard kind.

The sap palm of Bengal and the Deccan, tapped in winter for nolen gur.