small but rare

This precious little gem is a Phalaenopsis appendiculata var. alba. It was given to me by one of Singapore's most prolific orchid collectors, Jason Ong. I saw it for the first time during the recent Singapore Garden Festival as J had used two in his display. They're very costly, considering the fact that the flower is no bigger than my finger nail. Still, this is truly a collector's plant which I fear, are in the wrong hands, namely mine. So far, it is still blooming, but the real challenge lies in keeping it alive and growing it. * Update, as of 1 July 2011, I am happy to announce that this is still alive!

Like most Phalaenopsis, the appendiculata alba is an epiphytic plant, with fleshy roots and a short stem completely covered by imbricating leaf sheaths. There are a few fleshy leaves which are elliptic or oblong which are about 7 cm long, 3,5 cm wide. The flower stalk is much more shorter than the leaves. The flowers are produced in succession and are no bigger than 8 to 10 mm.

golden banana

This was given to me as a pup over two years ago. I grew it in a pot and neglected it somewhat, occasionally feeding it with bonemeal. I'm surprised how it has survived, given that many other musas which are supposedly easy to grow have died in my care including Musa velutina, Musa uranoscopus, Musa Thai Red and the Musa white variegated. The only musas I have left today are Musa ornata, Musa, laterita and Musa Sumatrana (Blood Banana).

The Musa siamenisis or Thai Gold Banana a newly discovered species from Southern Thailand. It is considered rare in cultivation. It is closely related to the more common Musa laterita and grows to similar heights. This species grows to about 6 to 8 feet tall and is best grown in medium to full sun, though mine has appeared to flower under a canopy of tall trees. It enjoys rich soil and regular applications of organic fertiliser. I tend to feed it with a handful of Australian bonemeal. The rhizomes form quickly, and when planted in a pot, tends to fill up almost the whole pot. Like the Musa laterita, it has runners and will pup some distance from the mother plant. For this reason, this species is best grown in a container or a confined space.

Melastoma malabathricum - Singapore rhododendron

One of the plants which is native to Singapore is the Melastoma malabathricum or Singapore rhododendron. It is found throughout Singapore, usually growing wildly along roadsides and in particular, wastelands. I chanced upon these growing in the garden at my new house. There were possibly various species but the more common ones had pink and white blooms. I like how it grows into this dense and compact shrub which makes it ideal as a potted plant. In fact, this plant has medicinal qualities, which explains why AMK nursery is selling them at the herb section.

An article by Wilson Wong of GreenCultures 20 August 2008 is reproduced below:-

Melastoma malabathricum, commonly known as the Singapore Rhododendron, is a flowering shrub that can be found growing locally in wastelands. As a result, it is not surprising to know that most Singaporeans regarded it as a weed and this plant is seldom considered as a candidate for planting a home garden. The Singapore Rhododendron belongs to the Melastoma family, Melastomaceae. It is alternatively known by its Malay name, Sendudok.

Although the name “Singapore Rhododendron” may make M. malabathricum sound as if it can only be found here, the plant, in fact, has a wide
distribution around this part of the world. It has been reported to be found growing wild in the Indian Ocean Islands, throughout South and South-East Asia, China, Taiwan, Australia and the South Pacific Ocean.

For those who have seen M. malabathricum before, they would have noticed that it is a showy plant that seems to be perpetually in flower, even under
challenging environmental conditions encountered in wasteland, where the sun is glaring and nutrients and water are lacking. It deserves more attention and can be a potential fuss-free flowering ornamental plant to grow in the garden. A shrub that usually grows to about 1 m, the reddish stems and leaves of M. malabathricum are rough to the touch as they are covered with fine bristles. Each leaf is long and narrow and pointed at both ends. It has 3 distinct ribs and the fine bristles can be found only along on the ribs located on the leaf’s underside.

The attractive flowers produced by M. malabathricum, measuring up to 7 cm in diameter, are produced in a cluster at the tip of each shoot. Each flower
has five petals and the most common flower colour is deep mauve. Occurring less commonly is the white flowered cultivar that is known as M. malabathricum ‘Alba’.

The flowers are interesting as they have two types of stamens – the anthers of five outer stamens, arranged in an outer ring are larger, curved and
violet in colour while the remaining five located in an inner ring are straight and yellow in colour.

Fruits of M. malabathricum are technically classified as berries and when they are ripe, they break open irregularly to reveal the soft, dark purple, sweet
but rather astringent-tasting pulp and numerous orange seeds. The seeds are tasteless and can be eaten and they stain the tongue black. The name
“melastoma” is Greek for "black mouth", a name appreciated by generations of children who have eaten the berries.

Melastoma malabathricum has medicinal properties particularly the white flowered form and is a pretty candidate to grow in a tropical medicinal garden. It
is a well-known herb where its leaves, shoots and roots are prepared in various ways and used to treat stomachache and diarrhoea. The roots and leaves of the M. malabathricum are applied to lesions and wounds to help with the healing process and also in the treatment of haemorrhoids.

This beautiful, medicinal shrub may sometimes be confused with the Rose Myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tormentosa), which is another medicinal plant. Both shrubs
have leaves that have three prominent ribs and are rough to feel. They can be easily distinguished easily as the leaves of the Rose Myrtle end with a blunt tip whereas those of M. malabathricum are pointed.

To add to the confusion, the fruits of both shrubs have a ring of persistent calyx lobes. The fruits of the Rose Myrtle are larger and when they are ripe, the
fruits turn greyish purple in colour. On the other hand, the fruits of M. malabathricum are usually smaller in size and when they are ripe, the fruit’s rind
is reddish brown or green in colour.

The flowers of M. malabathricum are also larger than those of the Rose Myrtle and can be told apart from the latter’s via the appearance of the anthers.
Melastoma malabathricum has ten distinct anthers whereas those of the Rose Myrtle are far more numerous and fine. Only the flowers of the Rose Myrtle
change colour with age – they are pink when freshly open and fade to almost white.

A flowering shrub that should be grown in any eco-garden, M. malabathricum is a plant that attracts many birds including the yellow vented bul
bul, flowerpeckers, doves and pigeons which consume the ripe fruits and help to disperse its seeds. Squirrels and monkeys are also fond of the fruits. The plant is the host for caterpillars of butterflies such as the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas) and the Grey Count (Tanaecia lepidea).

Although the plant has earned itself a “weed” status, in addition to its use in sustaining wild life, it has an important contribution to the wasteland it colonises because it helps to prevent soil erosion. Research has shown that M. malabathricum is a plant that is very efficient in absorbing aluminium ions from the ground where it is grown. Hence it has the potential to be used to remove aluminium from soils that have been contaminated with the metal.

For garden use, M. malabathricum is a full sun plant, judging from its growing habit, i.e. open wasteland. In order for the plant to grow healthily and
flower profusely, the shrub needs to be planted in a location where it can receive direct sunshine.

This flowering shrub is not fussy about soil type and M. malabathricum can also be grown in areas with clayey soil but it definitely does better in soil that
is fertile and friable. It should be noted that its roots should be consistently moist and plants should not be allowed to dry out between watering. It is a suitable candidate as a marginal plant for bogs and water gardens.

Plants should be pruned back to shape them and because of its self-seeding habit, shrubs in bloom should have their spent flowers removed
promptly, that is, dead-heading, is required to limit fruit and subsequent seed production.

Although it is a plant that is adapted to nutrient-poor conditions, M. malabathricum would definitely benefit from a regular dose of a general fertilizer
to promote healthy growth and produce a profusion of flowers. Plants can be easily propagated from seeds if they are taken from fresh, mature fruits. Alternatively, a faster way to get new plants is to grow them from stem-cuttings.

Melastoma malabathricum is seldom bothered by pests and diseases. Being a host plant for certain caterpillars, do expect some damage to the plant’s
foliage when it is the season where butterflies start to lay their eggs. The plant is the host for caterpillars of butterflies such as the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas) and the Grey Count (Tanaecia lepidea).

Being among the first to colonise wasteland, the plant helps prevent soil erosion and to allow regeneration of vegetation in such places.

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi fma. chattaladae

I grow orchids, but do not consider myself a serious orchid enthusiast. For a start, I am only familiar with the more popular orchid genera; dendrobiums, vandas, cattleyas, phalaenopsis etc, but am hopeless when it coms to the full latin names of species or hybrids and can never remember, let alone rattle off names the way "some" orchid people do. Admittedly, my forte lies with bromeliads and costuses.

So Jason has been passing me some of his "prized" collection, and I keep telling him that he's taking a big risk, placing these under my care and supervision. Anyhow, one of the more rare and interesting plants he has given me is the Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi fma. chattaladae.

You can read about the story of the discovery, identification and conservation of this rare and beautiful form of Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi from this website . It is often confused with the more common Phal 'red' cornu-cervi which has been mass produced and often passed off or sold under the 'chattaladae' label.

Schaueria flavicoma - "Golden Plume"

This is a fairly new introduction to Singapore and NParks has been using these to landscape some of the parks and public spaces such as the Hort Park. Originating from Brazil, the Schaueria flavicoma or Golden Plume belongs to the Acanthaceae family of plants. It is an evergreen shrub which can grow to about 3 to 4 ft and is best grown in part shade. It requires regular moisture (dislikes dry hot weather) and prefers well-drained, neutral to slightly acid pH soil. I noticed that it doesn't flower all the time.

I transplanted some cuttings to another pot and placed them in a different area and both are flowering at the same time. As it has been raining quite substantially, bringing down the temperatures slightly, I suspect that they probably flower more readily in cooler, wetter conditions. Anyhow, they are fairly easy to grow and seem to thrive quite well on neglect. Propagation is best done through stem cuttings, just below the nodes.

variegated hebe

Hebe ‘Franciscana Variegata’ forms a fairly compact, rounded evergreen bush, about 2 ft (60 cm) high and wide. The variegated leaves are thick, oval-shaped and irregularly blotched with cream; 1.2–2 in (30–50 mm) long. The flowers are violet, fading to lilac or white.

The parents of this hybrid are Hebe elliptica and Hebe speciosa.

If this Hebe gets too straggly, I just cut it back as severely as guilt will allow, and it always rejuvenates successfully. Some specimens over the water race were cut to ground level, and a few months later were well on their way back to good health.

new hoyas

Got these new hoyas from Woon Leng. I don't know what they are yet but will no doubt look it up. The 1st row is a hybrid while the 2nd and 3rd are species. To-date, I have 27 different hoyas and counting. It's a slow but steady collection.

raphidophora celatocaulis - shingle plant

I received my first Raphidophora celatocaulis (pictured right) from Lyndi several months ago. It is such an easy plant to grow because I merely stick it in a pot of soil, lean it against a wall and in no time, the plant will start climbing and producing offshoots! I got the variegated Raphidophora cryptantha (pictured left) from Woon Leng during the recent SGF but it isn't as vigourous as the celatocaulis.

The Raphidophora is a genus in the family Araceae and it consists up to approximately 100 species.

You can find out more about the Raphidophora here .

Here's a quick pictorial ID guide to the various Raphidophora species.

hoya spartiodes

The Hoya spartiodes, I was told, is one of the rarest hoyas in the hoya kingdom and is therefore every hoya collector's ultimate prize. It may not look like much, but it is truly an unusual hoya. This species is found in the south of Borneo and has been recorded in Sabah and Kalimantan. Although considered a hoya, it is sometimes placed in its own genus, Absolmsia (spartiodes). This plant has no leaves and the green tips are actually the peduncles.

It is not a hoya for the beginner as it is difficult to grew and requires a lot of light and high humidity. The flowers have a citrus flower scent. The rest of the plant does not have chlorophyll - except for an occasional small leaves which are very short-lived. The tiny orange flower clusters open one night only, and has a sharp smell like burning rubber. Seeds of this plant are carried by ants to their nests, usually rotting tree trunks, from which a plant may grow, with its root balls deep within the nest. The ants provide protection and food for the plant.

hoyas (wax flower)

One of the plants I collect is the hoya or wax flower. To-date, I probably have more than 20 different species and cultivars and the numbers are continuing to grow. Just today, I bought another 3 plants from Woon Leng.

Hoya is a genus consisting of 200-300 species of tropical climbing plants belonging to the family Asclepiad and is mostly native to southern Asia, Australia and Polynesia. Hoyas are mostly evergreen climbing vines or shrubs with typically succulent leaves. One of the main characteristics of the flowers are the way in which they appear - mostly in axillary umbellate clusters at the apex of the peduncles, with repeated clusters of flowers developing sequentially on each peduncle. Each flower is about 1 cm in diameter with five thick, waxy petals. Most have flowers which are sweetly scented and produce abundant nectar. Some species are grown mainly for their attractive foliage which can range from variegated to bright red leaves particularly when grown in sunlight (i.e. Hoya obscura).

Most nurseries in Singapore sell hoyas as trailing/climbing vines in hanging pots. In the wild, they tend to be found on the trunk and branches of trees in the forest, often forming a massive vine around the trunk. Collectors would usually get their supply either directly from the supplier through online transactions or at plant sales/conventions such as the recent Singapore Garden Festival. These are usually sold as cuttings which can be rooted or unrooted.

Hoyas are probably one of the easiest plants to grow. In fact, it is one of the few plants which does best when ignored, just like Tillandsia (air plants). In terms of cultivation, it is relatively easy to grow hoyas from cuttings. Usually, try to use a cutting which has two or three leaf nodes. The leaves from the bottom node should be removed. The end of the cutting should be dusted with rooting hormone powder (available at most nurseries) before burying it in a potting mixture with good drainage. The ones in Singapore are planted in a mix of perlite, vermiculite, wood chips and sphagnum peat moss, although I have seen some potted in just normal soil. Hoyas should be watered thoroughly but it's best to let the soul completely dry out between waterings. Water thoroughly and let the soil dry out before watering again.

Hoyas prefer bright sunlight as opposed to direct sun. As they are true tropicals, they prefer high humidity. They are generally light feeders and do not require too much fertiliser.

Commonly associated with Hoyas are its relative, the Dischidias . There are about 80 known species which all grow as epiphytes and are native to tropical areas of China, India and most areas of Indo-China. Dischidia are closely aligned with the sister genus Hoya. Unlike Hoya, the genus Dischidia, is poorly known and has not been studied as closely.

Most Dischidia grow in arboreal ant nests of different species and some have developed a symbiotic relationship where the plant has developed modified leaves to either provide housing or storage. Of these there are two types of modification to the leaves. Three species develop bullate leaves which are hollow root-filled structures. These are Dischidia complex Griff, Dischidia major (Vahl) Merr. and Dischidia vidalii Becc. Both produce normal leaves in addition to the bullate leaves. These bullate leaves are formed when the outer margins of a leaf stop growing while the center of the leaf continues to grow. As time progresses the leaf margins curl under to close the gap which creates a small hole. A number of species develop imbricate leaves which hold tightly to the growing surface. The underside of the leaf has a space which is filled with roots that the ants take advantage of.

Hoyas and dischidias are available in most nurseries across Singapore, though some have a lot more than others. A good starting place for hoyas would be World Farm at Bah Soon Pah road. Collectors would usually go to Woon Leng as they do have quite a large collection of hoyas. For the ultra rare species, one would need to either import them or procure them from other private collectors. Some of the rarer hoyas I have are the Hoya imbricata, Hoya retusa and the holy grail of hoyas, the Hoya spartiodes.

For more information on hoyas, do check out Tipol Ruangaksorn's website . He is a serious collector of hoyas with some 250 different ones in his collection. His website contains a very comprehensive list of hoyas species and hybrids which serves as a very good ID guide. I also chanced upon a hoya blog and although defunct, it still is an interesting read with lovely photos of hoyas.

If you want to order hoyas online, you can check out this website which ships from Florida to anywhere in the world.

For hoya care, check out Molly's Tropical Plants .

For more general reading, here are some other online resources:-

a. the Hoya Page
b. Dischidia