Tropical plants

Fresh fruit  bunches of the oil palm(Elaeis guineensis)

Oil palm fruit

Both the oil palm tree and the Cempedak tree are chiefly tropical plants.  The oil palm belongs to the Palmae family and though majority are tree-like there are others in the family that are climbing, a characteristic common in the rattan or 'Rotan' in Malay .    The  Cempedak is a species of woody plant and placed under the Fig family (Moraceae).  Members of the  fig family that are planted for their fruits here are the Artocarpus - Cempedak (Artocarpus integer), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and the Ong Lumok or Terap (Artocarpus odiratissimus).

 Cempedak tree (Artocarpus integer)

Rendang is the perfect arch

Fruiting head have male and female flowers, but its the female flowers that bear the fruits.
The male inflorescence is a cluster of furry, simple spikes which resembles a hand.

 The oil palm tree is a tough plant that can live for more than 100 years.  The species Elaeis guineensis is the one planted here. This species is also called African Oil Palm.  Besides having a long life it is also the most productive oil crop in the world.  Here it is expected to give an economic life of about 20 -25 years.  The Malays have a good word to describe the health of the oil palm tree.  The conditions of the leaf especially the bottom most ones  must look graceful, curved in a semi-circular arch by the weight of the combined leaflets which is best described by the Malay word - " Rendang".  It is partly due to this Rendang arch that the oil palm tree can be made into an ornamental plant provided it is well-maintained, of robust growth, with a crown of shiny, green fronds or leaves.  The Rendang look also symbolizes gateway or protection  and for thousands of small holders in Bintulu the oil palm is thus a passport to prosperity.  Depending on the size and age of the holdings, this  'green gold' can be harvested on daily or weekly basis.  The demand will keep on increasing with unstoppable growth of world population because the minimum a breadwinner needs to keep his or her family happy and alive is cooked vegetables or fish on the dinner table.  The cheapest commercially available cooking oil in the world now is the palm oil.

Lines of graceful curves

Oil palms thrive exceeding well in the Bintulu for its tropical climate.  Epiphytes such as erns and orchids grow on them.

Provinsi Rumbia

The feather-like leaves of the Sago Palm or Rumbia (Malay) are seen next to the oil palm leaves at middle of the picture.
There are lots of grass reserves at the provinsi  to act as breeding grounds for the Kruak (White-breasted waterhen)

 The sago palm ( Metroxylon sagu) is also called Rumbia in Malay.  I have named a small plain area at Zone F as Provinsi Rumbia because the intention is to cultivate some sago palms here for posterity.  Sago is a palm of great economic importance to many people in Borneo.  I know the Penans who live a nomadic life style in Sarawak depend greatly on sago starch as a staple diet.   In Bintulu, sago processing was a time-honoured occupation among the young men in the 40's to 50's. Sago is cooked into pellets, puddings, biscuits etc..Many people love the grubs that are found in the rotting trunks or pitch after being felled.  These grubs are actually the larvae of beetles.  It is interesting to note that the large sucker roots of the sago palm creep for some distance before turning upwards and produce another tree.  The sago palm has a clumping habit.  The leaves are armed with slender spines.

View of Provinsi Rumbia, looking west
Location : Zone F

Young leaves of the Sago has a soft maroon colour.

View of Provinsi Rumbia, looking south
Location : Zone F