I went plant shopping recently and instead of looking at the plants in a pot, I saw some weird looking vegetative growth on the soil.
Out of curiosity, I took a closer look and was pleasantly surprised to see liverworts. From the Marchantiophyta Division, the plant structure consists of a flattened prostrate thallus. The leafy form is not shown here.
They were believed to be beneficial in treating liver ailments. Most of them grow in moist environments although some grow in relatively dry or submerged conditions. What is seen here is the gametophyte and not the sporophyte, which contains the spores.
I was looking at the beautiful red fruits of the palm and the yellow flowers of the Tecoma stans when I saw this little fella perched on the petiole of the palm frond. It was solitary and probably enjoying time away from its pack.
These are some photos of Bay East, taken more than a month ago.
I know I posted this a few posts ago, but I am so intrigued by the new and old leaves of this variegated plant.
I have not posted the flowers of the Sterculia macrophylla, so here they are.
I hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to put this up because the flowering Tecomas are a relatively common sight in our urban landscapes.
Anyway, I am doing it now because I remembered lots of visitors and staff pausing in their tracks when they emerged from the Bayfront MRT exit and whipped out their cameras of camera phones to capture this magnificent phenomenon of the flowering Tecomas on a daily basis from end July to August. This is the welcome greeting one received upon stepping foot into the garden. What is notable was also the fact that the flowers bloomed in the form of various shades of pink and a white.
I have to say since I was involved in the Butterfly Garden project, I am a convert. Whenever I see the caterpillars of the Painted Jezebel, I get really excited. They don't turn me off because I know that someday they will morph into the beautiful flying jewels that I know so well now.
