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
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 →
Few plants enliven a savanna as much as a glorious blossom of orchids. This is definitely the case with the Leafy Hyacinth-orchid (Dipodium ensifolium). The blossoms are showy, and bear a structural resemblance to a hyacinth, with up to 20 … Continue reading →
Orchids are always a delight. As a botanist with a bit of a history with orchids (I once interned at an Orchid cultivating laboratory), I have a soft spot for orchids. While cultivated orchid varieties are always glamorous, I have … Continue reading →
Dreaming of a white Christmas- The beautiful Christmas Orchid (Calanthe triplicata) gracing the entrance to the Centre for Rainforest Studies, Yungaburra. I came also seemingly marking the start of some good heavy rains. This glorious orchid is unmistakable when in … Continue reading →
Members of the mint family (Lamiaceae) feature prominently in the European pharmacopeia, and thus we know of peppermint, spearmint, catnip, melissa, sage, thyme and others. Much less is known about the medicinal properties of species of Lamiaceae in Australia, but … Continue reading →
It took me a while to realise what this was but after staring at my photo for I while I realized that this was a species of wild tobacco. True to its name, the leaves are amplexicaul, meaning that the … Continue reading →
Plant life is believed to have begun from aquatic origins. As any biology textbook would show, the oldest lineages of land plants (i.e. bryophytes – liverworts, hornworts and mosses) are highly dependent on water for sexual reproduction, and are therefore … Continue reading →
This herb, also known commonly as pignut or chan, is a native of tropical regions of Mexico, Central, the West Indies, and South America. It has been widely naturalized in tropical parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. It grows to … Continue reading →
Phytolacca octandra is a very descriptively named soft-stemmed shrub or herb by Linnaeas (Greek: “phyton” meaning plant; Neo-Latin: “lacca” meaning lacquer, alluding to the red dye of the berries). The common name Inkweed is also an allusion to the red … 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.
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Leaf Whispering in the Tropics 