Queen Crape Myrtle –
Lagerstroemia speciosa (Wikipedia)
Lagerstroemia speciosa (giant crepe-myrtle, Queen's crepe-myrtle, banabá plant, or pride of India, or "Queen's Flower" or "Jarul") is a species of Lagerstroemia native to tropical southern Asia. It is a deciduous tree with bright pink to light purple flowers.
| Lagerstroemia speciosa | |
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| Flowers on a tree in Kolkata, West Bengal, India | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Lythraceae |
| Genus: | Lagerstroemia |
| Species: | L. speciosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Lagerstroemia speciosa | |
| Synonyms | |
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The name "Queen's Flower" is derived from the specific epithet 'reginae' or 'flosreginae', which means "imperial or flower of the queen". The tree bears beautiful attractive flowers in profusion in purple, lilac or pinkish-violet colours, and lasts for many months. Its timber is next only to teak in its strength. It is called Queen Crape myrtle as its flowers look like delicate crape paper.