After breakfast at Minggu, we left our cabins to begin a two and a half hour walk around the Nature Reserve guided by the head guy. I was more than happy to have extra time in this delightful area, time to photograph more of the plants. As I don’t live in the tropics, many of the plants and their flowers were new to me… all rather exotic. Any help with the identity of those marked as ‘unknown’ is welcome?
A sleepy volcano created a wonderful backdrop to the resort.
Some of the plants were quite common in the gardens that we visited, like this one, the Peacock Flower, (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)… here in close up, a single flower.
Also in close up, in all its crinkly beauty, is the previously seen Crepe or Malay Ginger (Costus speciosus) with its ballerina like tutu petals.
This dragonfly was flirting around a small ornamental pond. Thankfully, it settled long enough for this photo. What a beauty it is!
Perhaps, the dragonfly wanted to take a longer look at this waterlily, as did I.
Bleeding Heart (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) comes from Central Western Africa but is grown in many parts of the tropics.
Droplets of water clinging to a waxy leaf.
Unknown. Just one of the many that I hadn’t seen before.
A well camouflaged caterpillar eating its way through the leaves of its food plant. It was close to 10 cm. (4 ins.) in length.
An unknown member of the ginger family.
A whorl of spiralled leaves.
More raindrops on a waxy leaf.
This leaf has delightful symmetry and texture. However, some chewing insect decided to upset the balance.
A large, female spider sits on her silky web while her diminutive suitors look over her larder. They, no doubt, had other things on their mind, but we know what happens then!
Unknown… but superb don’t you think?.
Another unknown but delightful flower.
The deeply fringed petals of this (Hibiscus schizopetalus) lead to its name. The species name translates to “cut petals”. It originates in tropical eastern Africa.
The trellis supports a vine producing very large passion fruit.
Unknown to me… but it must have a common name referring to a leopard!
And yet another plant unknown to me.
A St Joseph’s spider showing its knobbly yellow ‘knees’.
I don’t think this spider bites but it looks as though it would at the first opportunity.
At the conclusion of the tour around the grounds of the resort, we crossed a road and headed off along some paddy bunds to a nearby village… but more of that anon.
David
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