ALEXANDRA ROAD

I was here at the Alexandra Village for lunch more frequently in April 11 than I had for the last 3 years.


This bed of Tradescantia sp., from the Family Commelinaceae, nearer the road is growing so well under the shade. As I walked into the open towards the bridge over AYE, there was a grass bed full of wild weeds such as Cleome rutidosperma and Tridax procumbens. There were a few small butterflies from the Lycaenidae Family flitting from flower to flower but I did not manage to capture them on my photos under the blazing sun.


The railway track that led from the old Tanjong Pagar train station to Malaysia is still there and up on the slope were a few beautiful and flowering Delonix regia (common name: Red Flame, Flame of the Forest). If I wasn't going back to you, I would love to explore the area.

WEEDS

These were some of the weed plant photos taken in the nursery.


The Tridax procumbens (common name: Coat Button; Family: Asteraceae / Compositae) is a very common garden weed but its small flowers are also nectar plants to some smaller butterflies. A link on this plant is shown below:


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

Elodea infestation in waterways is a huge problem worldwide. This monsoon drain is not spared, as evident by the amount of growth amongst the white waterlily. When in large amounts, they tend to float up to the surface and its unsightly look makes the water body aesthetically unappealing. A link on this noxious weed is attached below:


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

The last is the climber Cissus hastata (synonym: Vitis hastata; common name: White-Stemmed Button Vine; Family: Vitaceae). As can be seen in the photos, it can be an aggressive climber that smolders the host plant it climbs on. Its red tendrils are what caught my attention. A link on this weed is shown below:


http://keys.trin.org.au:8080/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Cissus_hastata.htm

WEEDS

I am always happy that the planting areas along the drain of Pasir Panjang Road are not often pruned off the plants. This gives the opportunity for the weeds to colonise the drainage reserves so that they can grow beyond the tolerable standards.

The Oxalis barrelieri contrasted very well in texture and colour with the dark drainage wall.

The weedy Tridax procumbens (common name: Coast Button) from the Asteraceae (Compositae) Family, shown in the 3rd and 4th photos, looked interesting and its flowers do provide nectar to some butterflies. A link is shown below for reference.

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

Even the wasp loved the Melastoma malabathricum (common name: Sendudok, Singapore Rhododendron) shown in the 5th to 8th photos and flit from flower to flower to collect nectar.