Red Powder Puff Flower - Sensitive Briar

Close up photo of tropical red Powder Puff Flower or Sensitive Briar. On a closer look, Powder Puff flower look like a Mimosa Pudica flower.



Calliandra haematocephala is a fast growing shrub that can grow tall but also spreads wide. If desired it can be kept smaller by trimming. Interesting enough the leaves close at night.

The buds before the flowers open look like raspberries. This large shrub can
be grown indoor if trimmed and grown in a pot but it will be best if you can grow it outside in a warm climate.



Powder Puffs come in white as well. Power Puff originated from Bolivia.

Recommended reading:
* Photo of Dillenia Suffroticosa - Simpoh Air
* Ixora Petal And Water Droplets
* Pitcher Plants, Nepenthes, Monkey Cup

Four-angled Bean Flower

Photos of four-angled bean (or a winged bean) flower.





The Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), also known as the Goa bean (kacang botol in Malaysia) and Asparagus Pea and Winged Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus), is a tropical legume plant native to Papua New Guinea. It grows abundantly in hot, humid equatorial countries, from the Philippines and Indonesia to India, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. It does well in humid tropics with high rainfall. There are also varieties that can be grown in most areas of the U.S..

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Bunga Misai Kuching - Orthosiphon stamineus

Orthosiphon stamineus or Misai Kucing (Malay for "Cat's Whiskers") is a traditional herb that is widely grown in tropical areas. The two general species, Orthosiphon stamineus "purple" and Orthosiphon stamineus "white" are traditionally used to treat diabetes, kidney and urinary disorders, high blood pressure and bone or muscular pain.



Also known as Java tea, it was possibly introduced to the west in early 20th century. Misai Kucing is popularly consumed as a herbal tea. The brewing of Java tea is similar to that for other teas. It is soaked in hot boiling water for about three minutes, before being added with honey or milk. It can be easily prepared as garden tea from the dried leaves. There are quite a number of commercial products derived from Misai Kucing.




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Tallest Bougainvillea In Miri

Photo of the tallest Bougainvillea (pokok bunga kertas) plant in full bloom. The photo was taken from a room at Park Hotel, Miri.


The tall Bouganinvillea used a pine tree as a support. The pine tree could be over 100ft tall.



From far, the pine tree look like it was infest with a blooming parasite plant.


Above: Shot taken from underneath the plant.


About Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea (pronounced /ˌbuːɡɨnˈvɪliə/) is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. The plant was discovered in Brazil in 1768, by Philibert Commerçon, French Botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation.

They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4-13 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colors associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The fruit is a narrow five-lobed achene.

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Photo of Dillenia Suffroticosa - Simpoh Air

Dillenia Suffroticosa (Wormia suffruticosa), known as Simpoh Air in Bahasa Malaysa and Buan in Bidayuh. This distinctive shrubby tree grows vigorously on eroded soil, wasteland, forest edges and swampy areas. Everything about it is large. It has large leaves, and large yellow flowers. Dillenia, is a name derived from the personal name Dillenius, a German botanist (1684-1747).

Dillenia Suffroticosa bloom


Dillenia Suffroticosa fruits or flower buds


Dillenia Suffroticosa fruits or flower buds

The unopened fruits are surrounded by thick red sepals. To distinguish them from flower buds, the fruits face upwards while flower buds face down. The ripe fruit splits open also at 3 am, into pinkish star-shaped segments to reveal seeds covered in red arils. The plant blooms from age 3-4 and can live for 50-100 years! Plants in the Simpoh family (Dilleniaceae) hiss when the trunk or a branch is cut (you have to put your ear to the cut to hear it). The sound comes from the air that is sucked into the cut vessels.

Uses of Dillenia Suffroticosa's Leave

The large leaves of the Simpoh Air were used to wrap food such as tempeh (fermented soyabean cakes), or formed into shallow cones to contain traditional "fast food" such as rojak as well as being used to wrap cooked rice.

The Simpoh Air sends out very deep tap roots to reach underground water sources. So much so that their presence suggests an underground water source, and some people use the plant as a guide to decide where to dig a well. The timber is not useful because it is twisted and very hard.

Traditional medicinal uses of Dillenia Suffroticosa

Simpoh Air is used to staunch bleeding wounds, and the fruit pulp may be used to wash the hair (Brunei).


SEO: Bunga Simpor | Dillenius | Simpor Bini (Dillenia suffruticosa) | River Simpor (Dillenia beccariana) | Ayer Muleh | Family Dilleniaceae

Lemon flower photo

This post is about some close up photo shot of lemon flower. Lemon fruit is the common name for (Citrus limon). The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world. The fruit is used primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, primarily in cooking and baking. Lemon juice is about 5% (approximately 0.03 moles/Liter) citric acid, which gives lemons a tart taste, and a pH of 2 to 3. This makes lemon juice an inexpensive, readily available acid for use in educational science experiments.


Purplish lemon flower


Lemon flower bud blooming with white petals.

Ixora Petal And Water Droplets

These photos are macro shot of Ixora coccinea's petal with tiny water droplets (from morning dew).

Ixora is also known as the Jungle Geranium, Flame of the Woods, and Jungle Flame.


Red Ixora petal with water droplets


Red Ixora petal with water droplets - part 2


X marked the spot. Red Ixora petal with water droplets - part 3

Related posts:
* Ixora coccinea flower, Flame of the Woods, Jungle Flame
* Black butterfly, Yellow Ixora

White Spider Lily - Hymenocallis Caroliniana

Hymenocallis means "beautiful membrane" which refers to the the corona that connects the stalks of the stamens for a portion of their length. This is a large spectacular flower that is exciting to find unexpectedly.

Similar Species: There are several species in other areas which may be distinguished by minor details, some by range. Shinners Spring Spiderlily, perhaps better known as Texan Spider Lily (Hymenocallis liriosme has a distinct yellow center). Alligator Lily (Hymenocallis palmeri) is found in southern Florida and has a yellow center. Crinum Lily has purplish/violet flower. Higanbana Lycoris radiata is the Red Spider Lily.


Photo of tropical White Spider Lily - Hymenocallis Caroliniana