MUCUNA BENNETTII

It has been some time since I last wrote about some uncommon or interesting plants in the Bay South garden.

If one looks at the first photo of the area near the koi pond, it is not surprising to miss an interesting sight that I want to draw attention to.

But if you look closely at one of the trellises that rises from the pond and goes over the footbridge that connects Colonial Garden (Heritage Gardens) and Discover Garden (World of Plants), you will notice a splash of fiery orange against a mass of green leaves. The colour reminds one of the flowers of Spathodea campanulata (Common Name: African Tulip; Family: Bignoniaceae) but a Spathodea it is most certainly not.

If you are able to look at the flowers closely, you will find that it is growing from the tropical woody vine commonly known as the Scarlet Jade Vine or New Guinea Creeper (Scientific Name: Mucuna bennettii; Family: Fabaceae), which is less common compared to the green Jade Vine (Scientific Name: Strongylodon macrobotrys). This highly sought after climber produces thick woody stems over time with clusters of foot long cascading inflorescences supporting crescent-shaped orange flowers which contrast brilliantly against the backdrop of green leaves, where each single leaf is individually made up of 3 separate leaflets.

In time to come, when this vine matures and covers the span of the footbridge, I am certain the blooming would be a more spectacular event not to be missed.

HORTPARK 2

Today's weather - sunny

It is always such a a joy to visit HortPark and sometimes they bring back so many fond memories.


I love this native climber Tetracera indica that I planted at the Irrigation Pond area to conceal the manhole behind it.


The Clerodendrum quadriloculare across the Hands-on-House decided to show its beautiful pink tubular flowers that earn it the deserving common name Starburst Bush.


Over at the Prototype Glasshouse, the attention seeking Impatiens walleriana cultivars and the Tibouchina cultivar were wooing me with its amazingly beautiful flowers.


Then at the Golden Garden, I saw for the first time the unknown red flower Bulbophyllum in bloom. Since planting it, I have never seen it flower and I was definitely secretly excited by the excellent growth exhibited by the orchid on the Rain Tree fork. I hope they don't prune it away someday.


Just beside the Fruited Vegetables Garden, a clump of Strongylodon macrobotrys (common name: Jade Vine, Emerald Vine) flowers were hidden amongst the dense leaves covering the shelter.


Further up at the Floral Stitches, a sun lizard was so well camouflaged against the trunk of the tree that I almost missed it.


The unknown Terminalia was also fruiting for the umpteen time. As someone pointed out, the winged fruits reminded her of the plastic balls commonly used in washing machines to prevent the clothes from tangling together. Instead of having two glands on the underside of its leaves, typical of Terminalia trees, there is only one small gland on this one.


At the former Arbor Garden was a small bed of Lobelia chinensis, which I grew in waterlogged areas in the Car Park Garden in the past and which I have not seen in recent times.

HORTPARK

Everyday on my way to work, I will get to see this beautiful curtain ofQuisqualis indica (common name: Drunken Sailor, Rangoon Creeper) as I walked through the gate. I love this climber so much that I planted it here to remind myself over and over again my love for this plant.

At the Kampung Daze or Fruited Trees and Vegetables Garden, I saw the red fruits of the Canna aquatica. At the shelter beside the Kampung Daze, the ground was waterlogged and I planted it with the fascinating climber Strongylodon macrobotrys(common name: Jade Vine, Emerald Vine; Family: Fabaceae / Leguminosae) but I have not seen it flower until that very day. My colleague suddenly wanted to see this climber and viola, there was a string of the jade coloured flowers when we walked into the shelter to check it out. A link on this plant is shown below:

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

Next to the Prototype Glass House, the variegated Panicum maximum was flowering again.