From tiny buds to scented flowers

A flowering jungle vine or liana
Location: Provinsi Liana, Botanic Island Two

Flowers are mildly scented

 One of the strict standards of performance at the park is the preservation of jungle lianas or climbers, especially those that form the natural biodiversity here. There are at present four botanical islands that act as sanctuaries for these jungle climbers.  Today I encountered one species of a jungle climber which has just about to start flowering.  Just the other day, I took photographs of the buds alone.  Today the buds have burst into flowers.  The flowers are  creamy yellow or pale yellow in colour and are mildy scented.  Not many studies are done on lianas in Sarawak or the big island of Borneo especially their role in the jungle ecology.  So what I think  urgently important is just to preserve them for posterity and later research.  One intriguing aspect of the climbers I find in the park especially in the botanic islands where they abound is their habit of climbing over the tall canopy of big trees and with their weight often snap the top section of the trees.  This act bring down big masses of forest cover and slowly decompose as dead matter on the forest floor.   In the long run, I think they selectively remove the forest ecology of weaker pioneer species to give way for more permanent tall and hard tree varieties.  Secondly, the rotting masses enrich the forest floor with nutrients and cover for the newer and stronger species to thrive.

Jungle vine with flowers.  Species is still unknown.

Highlights today at the park - 6 Sept'14

Chinese hat plant ( Holmskiolda sanguinea)

A flowering jungle liana or climber at Provinsi Liana

Eastern Crimson Sunbird sipping nectar from the Chinese hat plant flower
Location : Zone C

Provinsi Liana

Provinsi Liana
Zone E

Great Mormon
Papillio memnon agenor

 I was checking out the Botanic Island Two this morning and decided to add another provinsi to the area surrounding the island.  The Provinsi Liana will house the many types of lianas or climbers present there.  The main feature of the Provinsi Liana area the tall trees packed closely together and transversed by a complex web of woody climbers or lianas,  These 'tarzan ropes' are right at my back door.  No need to go to the virgin jungle to see them.  This is the great pleasure of having your own nature park.  To my surprise this morning I encountered the Great Mormon butterfly that was fluttering and flying around the lianas.  All said, I am looking forward to do more work at the Provinsi Liana in the near future.

Pholidacarpus sumatrana palm at center
Provinsi Liana

Paku Kelindang (Iban) - Blechnum orientale

Twisted and coiled into a nice weave pattern

Strong 'tarzan ropes'

From tree to tree...a liana tranversing

Close up of a liana successfully twinning itself to a nearby  tree

Great Mormon (Papillio memnon agenor) among the lianas