IXORA CONGESTA

This is the native Ixora congesta, that can be found at the Plaza. The flowers are orange with a tubular corolla that is red at its base.

CLERODENDRUM QUADRILOCULARE

One of my favourite Clerodendrum treelet with pink Ixora-like flowers, they are seldom free-flowering here locally until the onset of the recent dry spell and heatwave across the island. The recent burst of pink flowers make it deserving of its common names Shooting Star and Starburst Bush!

IXORA CONGESTA

The Ixora congesta is unique in its own way and each flower is a bright light orange with a reddish corolla base, unlike the Ixora javanica whose flowers have a uniform colour throughout.

NATIVE PLANTS

Today's weather - sunny

The Ixora congesta has beautiful umbels of orange flowers with red bases. Along the Fragile Forest trail, I saw clusters of the weed Ageratum conyzoides again. The Diospyros areolata (Common Name: Kayu Arang; Family: Ebenaceae) was flushing, not blushing, with new pinkish leaves and it was apparent even from afar.

POSOQUERIA LONGIFLORA

I was shown a sprig of the inflorescence recently and was amazed by its size. The white, fragrant and arrow-shaped flowers are so exotic and has a certain pure elegant beauty about it.


From the Family Rubiaceae which includes the common Ixora, this plant from Brazil has a common name Needle Flower Tree. It is known that such deep throated flowers are often pollinated by moths, or hawkmoths in this case.


It is such a delight to see and plant this rare plant in a garden worthy of its beauty. A link on this plant is attached here:


http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/11/19/3070087.htm

NURSERY

I visited our nursery again and these are some of the beautiful plants:


1st - 2nd photos - Abelmoschus moschatus (common name: Annual Hibiscus, Rose Mallow Seeds, Tropical Jewel Hibiscus; Family: Malvaceae)
3rd - 5th photos -  Justicia fulvicoma (synonym: J. comosa; Family: Acanthaceae)
6th - 8th photos - variegated Hamelia patens (Family: Rubiaceae)
9th photo - unknown
10th photo - Ixora cultivar (Family: Rubiaceae)

SOUTHERN RIDGES 2

Today's weather - sunny

This post is testament again of our poor knowledge on the identity of trees.
I found this 1st tree to be interesting with its pale brown-green droopy new leaf flushes and had to take its photos even though I have absolutely no idea what it is. On the fork of a nearby raintree was a clump of planted native Cymbidium finlaysonianum that was flowering. The flowers may not be as showy as the large Cymbidium cultivars usually sold during Chinese New Year but it is still worth checking out.


I was also delighted to see a peach-coloured Ixora in the Forest of Giants area near the Alkaff Mansion.