An unusual Begonia kingiana

This small and delectable species is named after Sir George King, head of the Royal Botanical Garden in Calcutta during late 1800s. There are lavish photos of 2 forms of this plant in Ruth Kiew's brilliant book "Begonias of Peninsular Malaysia" - one showing nicely variegated round leaves and the another very dark indigo leaves of similar shape but bearing crimson flowers instead of white/pink. There are other forms available and most of them have peltate, thick, dish-like leaves that feel like plastic to touch.

During a recce trip I found this rather unique form that had long drooping leaves with angular margin and a tapering drip point. Each dark coloured leaf has 5-6 light bands radiating from the centre - its quite distinct from the forms shown in Ruth's book. I observed that this plant is very exact in its requirement, preferring dark, humid limestone cliffs and forming patches of dense vertical cover on a particular hill, yet apparently absent at neighbouring hills.

This species is endemic to west Malaysia and is closely related to the extinct B. eiromischa.

Check Mate

The reckless nymphette Fed-Exed herself into the wanton arms of an aging web master....her body, wrapped in the best nuptial silk, is nevertheless emptied of vital vigour as toxic mastication morphed it into a phantom ship ....

Out in the field trying my new gadgets when I stubled upon this Parawixia dehaani gift wrapping a Cicada. This is a commonly encountered orb-web spider widely distributed in SE ASia.

Bulbophyllum sumatranum Garay 1996

Bulbophyllum lobbii is a widely distributed taxon from the very horticulturally interesting section Sestochilus which has many large flowering species. Its found throughout SE Asia and New Guinea and due to this wide geographical range, many forms exist.

In 1996, Dr Leslie Garay and other experts published this new species from Sumatra - Bulbophyllum sumatranum, which many scholars from a different camp considered to be simply a variation of Bulbophyllum lobbii (var. breviflorum to be exact) described some 88 years earlier. Personally. I think it just looked like a smaller version of lobbii with very red lateral sepals.

You can compare this with B. claptonense - another delectable, if debatable, species and make your own conclusion.

Ref: Garay et al, Lindleyana 11: 230 (1996)

Yellow

Subjugated by darkness and dull drone of a midnight torrent, my mind wandered off to a coronal cartwheel that swirled with bursts of imperial yellow and perfumed with a cheerful tinge of fruit that had yet to form.

It felt like a new sunny morning already.

Gardenia gjellerupii is a smallish tree with nice mango fragrance bloom.