SENTOSA - PART 9

I always love to see a Flame of the Forest or Red Flame. It goes as far back as my Primary School when I saw a beautiful drawing of it on my science textbook Science Today. Ever since I laid eyes on it, there was no more turning back.

Back then, I love learning about the life cycles of the frog, chicken, lizard etc. Too bad such books are no longer found anywhere because I would love to get hold of a copy of them. I also love the geography books when I was studying in Secondary School and remember collecting a pristine copy of them.

Back to this post, we saw a peahen (a female peacock) and there was a chick in toll. Unfortunately, I couldn' capture a photo of the young one. Near the back of the signboard is an Aphelandra sinclairiana shrub.

Wow, I just realized I use 5 "back" in this post alone.

APHELANDRA SINCLAIRIANA

From the Acanthaceae Family, this uncommon Aphelandra sinclairiana (common name: Panama Queen, Orange Shrimp Plant) was planted at Floral Walk since day one now.

They may not be very free-flowering, but the pinkish-salmon coloured bracts and pink flowers do look pretty, don't they?

Two links on the plant are attached below:

1. http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/APHELANDRA_SINCLAIRIANA.htm
2. http://www.rareflora.com/aphelandrasi.htm

APHELANDRA TETRAGONA

This was another shrub that I purchased from Australia.

Also known by its synonym Aphelandra cristata or by its common name Red Aphelandra, this South-American shrub from the Acanthaceae Family has very interesting orange to scarlet flowers that are held on a zig-zag pedicel.

This shrub does not like waterlogged conditions and likes to be fertilized regularly. The flowers remind me remotely of a similar Justicia spicigera (common name: Orange Plume Flower, Mexican Honeysuckle).

3 links are provided below:

1. http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=APHELANDRA_TETRAGONA
2. http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_8cc9.html
3. http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/aphelandra-tetragona-care-and-maintenance/

APHELANDRA SINCLAIRIANA

This is yet another plant from the Acanthaceae Family. With the photos captured on 12 Jan 10, this tall shrub can be found at Floral Walk.

You can notice the contrast between the unusual pink flowers subtended by the erect prawn-coloured bracts and the green leaves.