I am David Tng, a hedonistic botanizer who pursues plants with a fervour. I chase the opportunity to delve into various aspects of the study of plants. I have spent untold hours staring at mosses and allied plants, taking picture of pollen, culturing orchids in clean cabinets, counting tree rings, monitoring plant flowering times, etc. I am currently engrossed in the study of plant ecology (a grand excuse to see 'anything I can). Sometimes I think of myself as a shadow taxonomist, a sentimental ecologist, and a spiritual environmentalist - but at the very root of it all, a "plant whisperer"!
This tree must rank among one of the most deserving giants of the Wet Tropics. Without a doubt, it is one of the more (if not most) awe inspiring free standing fig trees in the region. I wonder if this … Continue reading →
Erect savanna shrub that I spotted Paluma a decade ago during my PhD fieldwork. What good (and simpler) times! The days were long and life renewing harvest (of new exciting species to learn) did not seem to have an end. … Continue reading →
Small native herb I found in the savanna of Paluma. Simple alternate leaves. I wish I took better notes of this but all I have is a photo. Looking forward to seeing this again sometime. iNaturalist entry:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/107175346
This is a rather common rainforest tree but I found it be one of the harder species to learn because it does not seem to have any spot characters. But lets enjoy the flowers and fruits first, which are like … Continue reading →
This marvelous tree is an endemic of the Daintree region, although a good sized tree can easily be seen at the Cairns Botanical Gardens. For a member of the Polygalaceae, this tree has pretty large flowers. And they are beautifully … Continue reading →
It’s an attractive shrub with blazing red flowers, and endemic a small area in north Queensland. For obvious reasons, this species is now cultivated widely in Queensland. I was fortunate to see it at last in the coastal heaths of … Continue reading →
Orchids attract my attention. There is something about them as a group is captivating for me and no doubt for many others in a way that leads to a dopamine spike everytime I see an orchid. This applies for even … Continue reading →
During a routine weed survey along a railway track near Redlynch, north of Cairns, Queensland, my friend Gemma Horner and I found an unfamiliar plant – a shrub c. 1.8 m tall and bearing both flowers and fruits on terminal … Continue reading →
The main thing that keep botanists exploring is the prospect of meeting plants they haven’t yet met. A short walk around Millaa Millaa Falls resulting in one such meeting – with the rather little-known Symplocos hayesii. The individual I encountered … Continue reading →
Was shocked to realize that I haven’t yet posted anything on mistletoes in this blog, despite the diversity of these fascinating plants in the region. And there’s no better time to start than when mistletoes are out flowering. Today I … Continue reading →
Been in Australia for over a decade gazing at plants, both large and small, grasses and trees, in rain forest and savanna, in the tropics and in temperate zones. I love connecting with people with similar interests. You can read more about me on my About page and at my personal BLOG.
David Tng botany Tumblr
Leaf Whispering in the Tropics 