Inside the NOG

Inside with the UPM peeps - from all over Malaysia with some from Indonesia, Iran and Bangladesh. I managed to click easily with the Malaysian Chinese gals ^^ Very friendly. The rest a bit more quiet and reserved though. maybe I spoke too fast.

Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) in flower before the mist house



@ the mist house







@ the YPMN Bromeliad house

All the ong lai











Other brommies















An expansive/ expensive display of Tillandsia xerographica





One Portuguese visitor exclaimed that she did not pay money to come to the zoo


I decided that I suddenly like green green flowers and foliage (jade green, not the other erhmmm kinda green). Hoped to get one of these Vriesea imperialis if I can buy landed property next time (and rent an apartment to grow orchids =p)









Nice shade of green hor? But I gurantee an uneducated NEA officer will confirm freak out if he/she see this

Elephant vine AKA Hawai'ian Woodrose (Argyreia nervosa)





Used to decorate the winter zone of the gardens because of its silvery hairy underside of the leaves. Pollinated by the Asiatic Carpenter Bee, just be careful where you tread.

Some thing new from here:
"The elephant creeper (Argyreia nervosa) is a perennial climbing vine. Native to the subcontinent and introduced in numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa and the Caribbean, it can be invasive, although it is prized for its aesthetic value. The seeds of the plant are sometimes used as a legally obtainable hallucinogen, though it is illegal to consume them. The leaves of the plant are used to treat wounds and boils. "

Do not take the samples from SBG as they were treated with systemic pesticides - the plant can't take our local climate so the immunity is low - unless you wanna get cholingeric s/e.

@ the cool house:

Some non-orchids. People ask me what they are, I just give blank look (lol?)







Coconut scent filled the waterfall area because of Maxillaria tenuifolia





orange when flwoered in the tropics, red when given cool conditions

Dendrobium crepidatum syn. D. sulawesiense



Suddenly realised this flower boh lip one...

Dendrobium rhodiscticum



Cymbidium lowianum



Stelis sp. One of those small things that I can't take sharp pictures of.....





Paphiopedilum lowii again



Paphiopedilum rothschildianum in full bloom





A little something from my Malaysian group. TY Prof S. from UPM ^^

Dillenia suffructicosa

Managed to catch the plant in flower this time



Normally fading when i do guiding in the evening. The flower opens from 0400 to 1600

Saw a picture that suddenly hits me on why it has a famous other name.

Interestingly there's another plant with the same reference, the Blue Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) used in Peranakan cuisine

Went to do guiding for a group of students from UPM

Set the alarm at 0530, hoping to give myself some time to dilly dally before I set off at 0730 but for some reason, I konged off back to bed and worke up at 0700. =.=.

So I watered my precious (luckily fertilised the day before), bathed and zipped off. Decided it was late when I reached Clementi and decided to grab a cab (got one whole line of cabs - sooo lucky and got my fave Comfort Cab, i dunno why, I just prefer Comfort).

Halfway at the junction of Holland V and the Road leading to Nam Lee, some tootsified woman driver (I've nothing against woman drivers - saya orang also tak drive, but happened to be a female human behind wheels that time) decided to turn and blocked off 1.5 lanes - never gave way. This lead to 2 cars colliding in front. Thank goodness that my cab driver was alert if not I'll be late =.= .

Reached there a bit early. Snapped a few photos at the ginger garden.





Super pang ginger lilly



The torch ginger hidden behind the waterfall



A variegated thingy



An unknown ginger with pretty orchid-like flowers





Another ginger




Some plant with fruit



Our visitors took the wrong turn in their bus and my co-guide told me that they went to the Tanglin Road Entrance, so I decided go there and fetch them while she stayed behind. Apparently, she thought the Visitors' Centre was at Tanglin, not Clunny, so I had to walk back to the meeting point =.=

Anyway at the coach alighting zone, saw some pretty flowers