THE SMALL GINGERS - GLOBBA

                                                         The small gingers

 

These are growing throughout our farm in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia on the beautiful island of Borneo.

      This first one I do not have a name for other than the genus of Globba,

                                      ^^ This plant is 30-45 cm. tall growing in filtered light ^^                                                      

        This next one is Globba muluensis, it is 30 - 40 cm. growing beside a stream in full sun.

CORYMBORKIS VERATRIFOLIA

                                   CORYMBORKIS VERATRIFOLIA

 

I discovered this wonderful plant by scent as I was walking through the back of our over grown property. What a delightful scent waffing through the air, I noticed it 5 meters away, like a strong  jasmine. It is tall plant with one stalk at 320 centimeters tall, which had just finished flowering. The other one was 190 centimeters tall and full of blooms. The size of that infloresence  was about  36 centimeters, it was huge.

 

Being a newcomer to Sarawak and having much to learn about my new world of plants, I was stumped. Was it a lily or maybe an Angraecum  orchid of some sort? I took photos with my phone cam and of I went to research my diamond. I poured over my orchid and plant books to no avail then turned to the net. Again nothing. Hating to admit defeat, I reached out to Sarawak Biodiversity as well as iNature and thankfully they provided the answer for me, Corymborkis veratrifolia, a terrestrial orchid. So thank you both for your help. 

 

All the photos I have seen so far on the net seem to have smaller plants and infloresence, I have yet to see one this tall. Made my day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE OCT. 5, 2020 

Went out to take a look at the orchid to see if it was still in leaf or starting to decay. To my surprise it was in great shape. A closer inspection showed that the plant was in bud and was going to flower again. I decided to measure the two flower stalks, the taller one was 326 centimeters and the shorter one was 198 centimeters, still growing.  

 

^^ The flowers early Oct.^^

 

^^ Using the tripod to show plant size ^^

                                                          ^^ Corymborkis seedling ^^

                                                           ^^ Corymborkis seedling ^^

                                                      ^^Seed pods from Oct. flowering ^^

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REDDISH SCOPS OWL

REDDISH SCOPS OWL

OTUS RUFESCENS

 

                                                ^^  The owl caught in a mist net ^^
          The mist nest are around the rice fields to protect the rice crops from Munias

      I  freed the owl and placed it in my car cause I was on a one lane road and a car had come                   in behind me so had to move. The owl sat very still while I moved to where I could pull

      over. Opened the door and placed my hand under the owl, he climbed on and I took him out 

      for some photos and release. Cute little fellow, very calm as you can see in the video.

Thanks to the folks at:

info@borneobirdimages.com

for their help in identifying the owl.