COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

Now you see it, now you don't.

This Cannonball Tree was finally moved to its permanent location yesterday. I am glad that it can settle down for good.

COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

I know I repeatedly post on the same stuff but sometimes that's because I'm tracking the developmental changes and progress of the plants over a period of time. 

So this Couroupita shed it's leaves not too long ago and now it has regained a full crown of leaves. Plants are so amazing and full of life. The amount of energy that goes into such processes must be immense. I can't imagine the amount of energy reserves it stores in it's trunk, roots etc. 

COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

This is one interesting tree with unique and beautiful flowers. So it never ceases to amaze me whenever I see it's stunning flowers in bloom. 

FLOWERING PLANTS

Flowering Russelia and Zephyranthes

I don't know what title to give this post other than flowering plants or angiosperms. I shall just let the photos do the talking. 

Cuphea hyssopifolia and Zephyranthes rosea

Flowering Couroupita guianensis (Common Name: Cannonball Tree)

Couroupita flowers

Flower buds of Couroupita

DUXTON PLAIN PARK - PART 2

The previous post was on the fauna that I saw at Duxton Plain Park. This one is dedicated to the flora.

This is one of the few locations where this native creeper Geophila repens grows. Other places include Pearl's Hill City Park, Fort Canning Park and a state land along Orchard Road. This creeper has interesting heart-shaped leaves, white flowers and orange berries.

Nearer the main road Eu Tong Sen Street was a tall specimen of a Couroupita guianensis (common name: Cannonball Tree; Family: Lecythidaceae) with beautiful cauliflorus flowers. A link is provided below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couroupita_guianensis

COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

These flowers were redder than the ones I took earlier at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and it is always difficult to ignore such natural beauties.

COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

I took the photos of these beautiful flowers of the CannonBall Tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on 8 Mar 10.

Ironically, on my way to the office following that, I passed by Tanglin Road and saw stands of these trees pruned off the flowers and cannon ball fruits up to at least 2 m from the ground.

It is such a pity and I can imagine the pretty sight lined by the row of flowering trees before the pruning. Seriously, I wonder why they were removed at all.

SARACA CAULIFLORA

This commonly planted Yellow Saraca (accepted name: Saraca cauliflora, Synonym: Saraca thaipingensis) planted by me beside the children's playground at HortPark produced clusters of yellow floral buds recently, as observed by the photos taken on 8 Feb 10.

These trees exhibit cauliflory, that is, the flowers are produced from the trunk or branches, unlike the more common floral buds arising from the leaf axils in most other flowering plants. Other trees that show cauliflory include the Couroupita guianensis (Cannonball Tree), Phaleria clerodendron (Rosy Apple).

I noticed the flowers have opened on 12 Feb 10 but I have yet to find the time to take the photos. Compare the difference between this and the Saraca declinata that I posted earlier. Interestingly, these trees produce pendulous and pinkish new leaf flushes, that resemble soft pink handkerchiefs. Hence they are closely related to the Maniltoa.