Saturday 11 April 2020

SecretGarden of SeriPinang : Cliffhangers



The cliffhangers are super-determined plants that grow on the rubble wall.   The vertical wall of stone is never too harsh for them to colonized.   

Once the plants managed to grow on rubble wall, they should be immediately remove.  Else their root will grow deep into the cracks and hole on the wall.  When the plants grow, so do the roots.  The root will grow in size and eventually ply the hole/crack bigger, till one day when we least expected, the wall collapse.    

To get rid of them is inevitable, especially the Ficus species.

Getting rid of them can be by manual, but I’s a tedious job.  Chemical, as usual, is the best choice.  A broad spectrum herbicide should be sufficient to take care of the job.


Asplenium adiantum

 
Pteris vittata
 

Euphorbia hirta

Pilea microphylla

Spermacocoe latifolia

Passiflora suberosa

Ficus religiosa

Praxelis clematidea


Torenia crustacea

Ficus benjamina


Oldenlandia corymbosa






SecretGarden of SeriPinang : Over the Fence



Epipremnum aureum
Epipremnum aureum is native to Mo’orea, in the South Pacific Ocean.  It is a very popular potted plant, but has become naturalized in tropical and sub-tropical forests worldwide.



Dieffenbachia sp.
Dieffenbachia is native to the New World Tropics.    There are about 56 species of Dieffenbachia recorded.    Some species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants, and have been naturalized in tropical regions worldwide.


Artocarpus heterophyllus
Artocarpus heterophyllus is known as nangka (jackfruit).  It is originated from the Malesia region.  Immature nangka can be consumed cooked, ripened fruit is a very popular local fruit.



Alocasia macrorrhizos
Alocasia macrorrhizos is originated from the Malesia region.  It’s corm is poisonous but edible if cooked to remove the calcium oxalate.


Musa sp.
Musa includes aroub 70 species of bananas and plantains. Cultivated Musa are sweet and their seeds are tiny.  Some wild Musa are edible, but with bigger seeds, small fruit and less sweet.




Macaranga tanarius
 
M. tanarius is native to S.E,Asia.  It is a common pioneer species in disturbed land.




Mallotus paniculatus
M. paniculatus is native to S.E,Asia.  It is also a common pioneer species in disturbed land.



 Carica papaya
Papaya originated in the tropics of the Americas.  So unattended stand outside the fence is probably a escaped one.



Dillenia suffruticosa
Dillenia suffruticosa ( simpoh air ) is found throughout tropical S.E.Asia secondary forest.    The big hardy leaves were once used as wrapper for food and fresh produce in market.   



Piper aduncum
Piper aduncum is from tropical America.  Like its cousin in the Piperaceae, P. aduncum has a peppery scent.  It is therefore used as a condiment,







Friday 10 April 2020

SecretGarden of SeriPinang : Graminoids

Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid ( gasss-like ) monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges.   The family consists of some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera.

Cyperaceae are widely distributed, with center of diversity for the group occurring in tropical Asia and tropical South America.  Sedges may be found growing in almost all environments, from wetlands to poor soils.




Cyperus compressus



Cyperus mindorensis 




Juncaceae are also a family of graminoid ( gasss-like ) monocotyledonous flowering plants known as rushes.   The family consists of some 464 known species described in about 8 genera.

Rushes often grow on infertile soils in a wide range of moisture conditions.

Juncus tenuis


Wednesday 8 April 2020

Melastoma malabathricum : ssp & var

Melastoma malabathricum ( Malay  : Senduduk ) is native to Indomalaya, Japan and Australia. 

Melastoma consist of about 50-70 species distributed all around Old World.  M. malabathricum is divided into 2 subspecies:
M. malabathricum ssp malabathricum
M. malabathricum ssp normale





On rare occasions, M. malabathricum consists of 3 varieties :
• petals with purple-magenta colour
• petals with light-magenta colour
• petals with white colour





M. malabathricum can grow on a wide range of soils : cleared land, waste late, roadside, plantation, etc ; ranging from sea-level up to an altitude of 3000 meters.

M. malabathricum is a hyperaccumulator of aluminium and as such can be used for phytoremediation.



Source :





SecretGarden of SeriPinang : Compositae



Youngia japonica





Cyanthilium cinereum





Praxelis clematidea





Emilia sonchifolia