davidtngbotany

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An ash tree in the tropics - the evergreen tropical ash (Fraxinus griffithii) 

An ash tree in the tropics to remind us of the tree of life

Temperate botanists might raise an eyebrow at a tropical ash tree. The tropical botanist might not know what an ash tree is. Ash trees, the genus Fraxinus, are mostly temperate, but have both temperate and tropical members (see also my recent post). In the Wet Tropics, the Tropical Evergreen Ash (Fraxinus griffithii) is a commonly cultivated tree. This tree forms more or less neat crowns, and…

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Meet a stately endemic - the Grey Satinash (Syzygium gustavioides)

Meet the gargantuan Grey Satinash (Syzygium gustavioides), one of the largest species of endemic Syzygiums one will find in the Wet Tropics. In my time in the Wet Tropics, I have had the rare privilege of seeing this both in flower and in fruit in the canopy, while doing research and plant collections up in the Daintree Rainforest Observatory canopy crane, some 25-30m up in the canopy. That…

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Enjoying a treat of tropical raspberries - Rubus probus

Temperate raspberries and blackberries are great treats, but I love also the tropical counterparts, if I can get to them before the birds. It is nice to know that the tropics produce “berry” like fruits that are more associated with temperate regions. In the Wet Tropics of north Queensland there are four native species of the genus Rubus, R. moluccanus, R. parviflorus, R. queenslandicus, and…

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Becoming spleenwort savvy - Learning about some European Spleenworts (Asplenium spp.)

In the tropics where I grew up, the so called Bird’s-nest fern (Asplenium nidus) was all around, and that was my very early introduction to the large genus Asplenium, which comprises of some 700 species. When I studied in Tasmania, I learnt of a number of beautiful Southern hemispheric spleenworts (e.g. see my post on Asplenium obtusatum in Tasmania). Encountering their temperate northern…

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Is Portugal becoming an extension of temperate Australia ? - reflections of a forest ecologist

My mom and sister inspect a large specimen of Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) at the Botanic Gardens of the University of Coimbra On a recent family trip to Portugal, we entered the country from the north in the city Porto, and then took buses heading south, first to Coimbra, and then to Sintra, Cascais and Lisbon. It was an eye opener traversing through the landscape by bus. Portugal…

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Gold stamen rays of the Fibrous Satinash (Syzygium fibrosum)

When I first arrived in Far North Queensland, one of the first native Syzygiums I encountered was the Fibrous Satinash. I had seen it at Cattana Wetlands, where I frequented in my free time. “Fibrous Satinash” really is a poor choice of a name for this beautiful native satinash (Syzygium fibrosum). The flowers are showy, and are borne in the leaf axils. Each flower comprises abundant…

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Mini-odyssey by rail through the Scottish Highlands - Scotland 2024 trip Part 3

Just the sound of the words “the Scottish Highlands” invokes imagery of mystical places (see Part 1 of this series of posts), and given our very short amount of time in Scotland, we wanted to make the most of it by taking a Scotrail train from Inverness through the Scottish Highlands and down to Edinburgh so that we could see a cross section of the landscape. Our train departed from the Inverness…

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Exploring the miniature world in ancient Scottish woods - Scotland 2024 trip Part 2

A open paddock with Urquhart Woods in the background On Google Maps, any place that has “forest” or “woods” is like a beacon to me. While we were scanning through Google Maps along the A82 highway beside the Loch Ness, a place of interest called Urquhart Woods showed up and no doubt piqued my curiosity. Urquhart Woods at Drumnadrochit, is according to woodlandtrust.org.uk, is one of the best…

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Connecting with my inner Scot in Inverness - Scotland 2024 trip Part 1

Among the European countries that I can think of, the one on the top of my list to visit would be Scotland. I think that this is due in part to the media that I have consumed about Scotland all my life. I have known about the Loch Ness monster my whole life, seen Celtic symbols in jewelry everywhere, watched various Scottish-themed movies like Braveheart (Mel Gibson), Brave (Disney) and Book of…

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Marsh Parsley (Cyclospermum leptophyllum) in the Wet Tropics

Probably few people would notice, but this little non-native annual herb must be one of the most common members of the carrot family in the Wet Tropics. Now that I am sensitized to its threadlike green leaves and and small umbels of spherical flowers, I see it often in open field or near urban dwellings. Depending on whether it is growing in drier or wetter conditions, the plant can also vary in…

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Leaves without feet - meeting the endemic Rex Satinash (Syzygium apodophyllum)

Delving into the Syzygiums is one of my favourite learning activities as a botanist. There is a strange satisfaction learning about them one by one, and unravelling their individual quirks. The small tree, Syzygium apodophyllum is another one of the many species of Syzygium in the Wet Tropics region, and an endemic of Queensland. At the moment, I have only gotten to know one specific individual…

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Northern blood vine (Austrosteenisia stipularis) - climbing beauty of the Australian Wet Tropics

Let me put it straight to you. Few families do vines like the great Fabaceae. If you think that vines are dainty or feeble little things, it’s time to change your perspective. Come to the tropics to experience the power and majesty of true vines. And vines from the great Fabaceae family are truly some of the most magnificent I have seen. Ok, I’ll concede that the ornamental Wisterias of the…

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Grotesquely spectacular - the exuberant cauliflory of the bumpy satinash

One of the most striking botanical phenomenon in the tropical rainforest is cauliflory, in other words the bearing of flowers or fruits on the main trunks of a tree. Cauliflory does not happen with every species of tree, but it is very conspicuous, and occurs in members from diverse families, including the soursop family (Annonaceae), the Hibiscus family (Malvaceae), the Mahogany family…

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Discovering the links between the temperate and tropical flora

Botany both hot and cold. Join me on my 20+ year and ongoing journey looking for links between the tropical and temperate flora

How are the tropical and temperate floras linked? I spent a good part of my time as a botanist thinking about this. I was born in the tropics, and weaned on a tropical flora. There in the tropics, there is so much variety – enough for lifetimes of study. I thought I would stay there forever, exploring the great southeast Asian tropical flora. Yet, life brought me to the south temperate lands of…

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A visit to the Botanic Gardens of the University of Coimbra

The missus and myself bathing in the morning sun to warm up along a short avenue lined with European limes (Tilia x europaea) at the Botanic Gardens of the University of Coimbra. Thanks Dinah Tng for her people photos. As we travelled through Portugal, we stopped by the city of Coimbra during the new year to stay for a few days. It was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Porto, where…

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An orchid for farmers? - the picture perfect Dendrobium farmeri

Plant folk do get tired of being out in the field. And when they do, they go to the Botanical Gardens. At least I do, when I can. I do love ornamental plants just about as much as native plants. They are native to somewhere. So I was at the Cairns Botanical Gardens, and walking through the observatory I see a picture perfect orchid, the Farmer’s Dendrobium (Dendrobium farmeri), a native of Asia.…

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The native gardenia (Larsenaikia ochreata) - a delight of the Australian tropical savanna

🌼 The Native Gardenia: A Star of the Australian Savanna 🌞 Meet Larsenaikia ochreata, the member of the Rubiaceae family that thrives under the sweltering sun! Discover its beauty, fragrance, and charm in my latest post, complete with a haiku tribute

There is no doubt that the “Rubes” (a term some botanists might use for members of the Rubiaceae) favor the rainforest. But even when they get out of the shade of the rainforest into the tropical savannas of North Queensland they manage to “steal the show” with their showiness and fragrance. The not-so-imaginatively-named Native Gardenia (Larsenaikia ochreata) stands proud and unapologetic in…