Physalis are a plenty

Ripe fruits of Physalis minima or 'Letup-Letup' in Malay.

There are plenty of ripe berries of the Physalis minima at the park right now.  This plant though imported a few of years ago to the park seems to like the environment here and are 'self-propagating' naturally through its ripe seeds.  It requires very little maintenance though a good dose of fertiliser would surely make the stems stout and more fruit-bearing.  When available the berries make good menu for vegetable  salad for they taste very much like tomatoes (see below). 

Ripe to eat

The lantern-like covering that hides the soft berry inside turn yellowish when fully ripe.
Location : Butterfly Garden, Zone C

The fruits of the Letup-Letup are now just ripe to eat.  The fruits are contained in a lantern-like structure that is in reality an enlarged calyx.  The fruits are soft yellowish berries when fully ripe and rounded and taste just like tomatoes.  I like to eat them freshly plucked or can also be served as dessert or in mixed  salad.  The fruits are called 'Letup' because once pressed in a clapping motion between our palms the lantern-like structure breaks and produces a popping 'top-top' sounds, thus the name Letup in Malay.

The Letup-Letup ( Lesser Bladder Cherry) - Physalis minima belongs to the Tomatao family ( Solanaceae)

Just nice for dessert

Grass Yellow at Butterfly Garden

Chocolate Grass Yellow ( Eurema sari sodalis) attracted to wild flowers on the garden floor
Location : Butterfly Garden

Common Grass Yellow
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 The smaller types of butterflies that are often seen at the park belongs to the Grass Yellow variety.  Two distinct species are the Common Grass Yellow and the Chocolate Grass Yellow.  Both have bright yellow wings and are seen abundantly at the park especially at the Butterfly Garden.  The Chocolate Grass Yellow has the characteristic brown apex  on the underside of its forewing. They are attracted to many small flowers on the garden floor and  also to the fragrant Sui-mui flowers (Religiosa wrightia).  The Butterfly Garden is slowly shaping up as more plants are added to its planting list.  Of recent interest is the Letup-Letup plant or the Lesser Bladder Cherry (Physalis minima) which has produced an abundance of edible fruits and tiny pale yellow flowers.

Common Grass Yellow ( Eurema hecabe contubernalis) at the Sui-mui flowers ( Wrightia religiosa)

Letup Letup  plant growing well at the Butterfly Garden (looking south)

Another view of Letup-Letup at the Butterfly Garden (looking east)

Tiny flowers of the Letup-Letup (Physalis minima)

Chinese lantern or "Cipluan' in Malay

 Cipluan (Malay) - Physalis minima

 It was about two months ago that I planted 2 nos of the Cipluan seedlings that I took from the Kuching garden.  Fortunately one of them thrived and is producing lots of fruits.  The fruit is somewhat enclosed in a papery lantern shaped calyx.  Young fruits are greenish and ripe ones turn yellow.  Numerous fruits are scattered on the soil and I hope will germinate in future to produce more seedlings.  This plant was never seen at the park before.  As such it is a new introduction. The birds like to eat the berries.  I normally would eat them raw.  They taste just like tomatoes.  I was told that in France these are served as salad in many restaurants.  I am yet to find out the many ways it can be served...

Numerous fruits fallen on the soil hopefully will germinate