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Friday, March 23, 2012

Argyreia nervosa - Elephant Vine


Scientific name: Argyreia nervosa
Synonym: Argyreia speciosa

Common name: Elephant Vine, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, Woolly Morning Glory
 Family: Convolvulaceae
Origin: India
 Category: Perennial climber
Photo taken at: Penang Butterfly Farm

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Tacca integrifolia - The Purple/White Bat Lily Flower

Tacca integrifolia
Scientific name: Tacca integrifolia

Common name: White Bat Lily, Bat Flower, Tiger Whiskers, Devil's Flower

Chinese name: 丝蒟蒻薯 si xu ju ruo shu (Source: Flora of China, here)
Malay name: Misai harimau, janggut adam, belimbing tanah, keladi murai, kelemoyang air (refer here).

Family: Discoreaceae / Taccaceae (yam family)
Origin: Southeast Asia e.g. Malaysia
Photo taken at: Penang Butterfly Farm

More pictures in My Nice Garden blog here.

Note: The 2 species of Taccas that are popularly as ornamental plants are:
a) T. chantrieri, the Black Bat Flower, Bat-head Lily, Devil Flower or Cat's Whiskers
2) Tacca integrifolia, the Purple or White Bat Flower.

This plant is native to Malaysia. It was among one of the native plants used by Amphibian Designs for the Tourism Malaysia Garden which won the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010 Gold award. Read more here.

This is my entry for Cottage Floral Thursdays #17, my grateful thanks to Fishtail Cottage. To participate and view other entries around the world, please click here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle King'


Scientific name: Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle King'
Synonym: Guillainia purpurata

Family: Zingiberaceae
Origin: Hort.
 Category: Perenial herb

Photo taken at: Putrajaya Floria 2010

Note:
Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle King' is differentiated from Alpinia purpurata 'Red' by the white flowers which appears among red bracts.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Apinia purpurata 'Jungle Queen' - Pink Ginger



Scientific name: Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle Queen'
Synonym: Guillainia purpurata


Common name: Pink Ginger
Chinese name: 紅花月桃 (hong hua yue tao)
Malay name: Alpinia merah

Family: Zingiberaceae
Origin: South West Pacific
 Category: Perenial herb

Photo taken at: Putrajaya Floria 2010


Note: 
There are some hybrids, e.g. Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle Queen' which has white flowers among its pink bracts and Alpinia purpurata 'Jungle King' has white flowers among red bracts.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Alpinia purpurata - Red Ginger


Scientific name: Alpinia purpurata
Synonym: Guillainia purpurata

Common name: Red Ginger, Purple Alpinia, Ostrich Plume
Chinese name: 紅花月桃 (hong hua yue tao)
Malay name: Alpinia Merah

 Family: Zingiberaceae
Origin: South West Pacific
 Category: Perenial herb

Photo taken at: The Secret Garden of 1-Utama

Note:
There is another variety of Alpinia purpurata with pink flowers.
Growing conditions: Full to partial sun, lots of water, well-drained fertile, moist soil.
Make a good cut flower for the vase where it can last between 5-7 days

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Alocasia sanderiana - Kris Plant

1. Photo taken at my home garden

2. Photo taken at the Secret Garden of 1-Utama

Scientific name: Alocaisa sanderiana


 Common name: Kris Plant (it resembles the Kris, a malay dagger), African Mask Plant

Malay name: Keladi Keris Hitam (Black Keris Yam), Pokok Senteh Keris Hitam

 Family: Araceae
Origin: Philippines
 Category: Perennial herb

Grow in partial shade

Notes:
Alocasia sanderiana is also known as the kris plant because of the resemblance of its leaf edges to the wavy blade of the kalis dagger (also known as kris or keris). It is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Source: Wikipedia)

Alocasia 'Amazonica' is a hybrid while Alocasia sanderiana is a botanically described species, although they look alike in physical appearance.

References for further reading:
1. Kurt Edelmann

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Aglaonema hybrids


Scientific name: Aglaonema hybrid
Common name: Chinese evergreens 
Family: Araceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
 Category: Foliage Plant
Photo taken at: Secret Garden of 1-Utama


    Friday, March 16, 2012

    Agave desmettiana - Curvy Century Plant


    Scientific name: Agave desmettiana
    Common name: Curvy Century Plant

    Family: Agavaceae
    Origin: Horticulture
    Category:  Accent Plant

    Photo taken at: The rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

    Notes:
    • a medium-sized plant
    • about 3ft tall and wide
    • flowers once, usually after 6 years, then dies.
    • grow in full sun, prefer well-drained soil
    • propagation by plantlets formed at the flowering inflorescences.

    Thursday, March 15, 2012

    Agave victoria-reginae - Queen Victoria Agave


    Scientific name: Agave victoria-reginae
    Common name: Foxtail, Lion's Tail, Swan's Neck, Dragon Tree,
    Goose Neck, Elephant's Trunk, Spineless Agave, Soft-leaf Agave

    Family: Agavaceae
    Origin: Mexico
    Category:  Cactus and succulents

    Photo taken at: The rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

    Notes:
    • a small plant
    • leaves 15-20cm long and 3cm wide, have white margins
    • flowers once only in the form of an erect spike 2-4m tall after 20-30 years, then dies.
    • grow in full sun, drought tolerant
    • propagation by seeds and suckers formed at the base of the stems

    Wednesday, March 14, 2012

    Agave attenuata - Foxtail Century Plant


    Scientific name: Agave attenuata
    Common name: Foxtail, Lion's Tail, Swan's Neck, Dragon Tree, Spineless Agave

    Family: Agavaceae
    Origin: Mexico
    Category:  Cactus and succulents

    Photo taken at: The rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

    Notes:
    • medium sized with semi-woody short trunk
    • a variegated variety exist
    • stems 20-60 inches (50-150cm) length
    • flowers are produced annually, not once in a lifetime
    • flowers in the form of an arched spike
    • grow in partial to full sun
    • propagation by plantlets

    Tuesday, March 13, 2012

    Agave americana - Century Plant, Maguey, American Aloe



    Scientific name: Agave americana

     Common name: Agave, Century Plant, Maguey, American Aloe

    Chinese name:黃边龙舌兰 (huang bian long she lan - yellow edged dragon tongue orchid)
    Agave is 龙舌兰 (long she lan) in chinese 

    Malay name: Agav Amerika

    Family: Asparaceae
    Origin: Mexico
     Category: Giant plant with short trunks
    Photo taken at: The rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama


    Notes:
    • a giant plant with short trunk in the form of a spreading rosette (3m or 13ft wide) of grey green leaves
    • the sharp and pointed leaves can extend to 2m long
    • the plants can live up to 20-30 years
    • variegated and green form 
    • flowers only once in its 'long' life
    • flowers are a spike in the form of a cyme with big yellow flowers that can reach a height of 8m (26ft)
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