hawaiian flora
TRANSCRIPT
First created 2 May 2016. Version 1.0 - 12 Jun 2016. Jerry Tse. London.
Hawaiian Flora
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An Encounter in the mid-Pacific
A wild Cattleya orchid, the Hawaiian Star (Cattleya puopurata)
Pineapple flower. Pineapple is a bromeliad. It is the only bromeliad that produces a fruit that can be eaten. It is a
native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.
Pineapple
Aechmea blanchetiana is also a bromeliad, from the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. It is mostly grown as
ornamental plant.
Aechmea blanchetiana
Heliconia
Most Heliconia are native to the tropical Americas. They are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests.
Anthurium, native to the Americas. The tiny flowers are all on the elongated spike, called the spadix
Anthurium
Peace Lily or Spath is native to tropical Americas and SE Asia. Flowers in a spadix which can be white, yellowish or
green.
Spathiphyllum – Peace lily
Wedelia – Creeping oxeyes
Wedelia belongs to the sunflower family. This particular one is Wedelia trilobata, found in the Sunday farmer market.
Blue Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) originally from India. This is a wild flower, found along a moutain trial.
Thunbergia grandiflora – Blue Trumpet Vine
Everywhere you look in O’ahu you can see flowering Spathodea campanulata or African tulip tree. The flowering
trees are attractive and they originate from tropical Africa. It has also been nominated as among 100 worst invasive
species.
Spathodea – African tulip
Spathodea – African tulip
Flowers blossom in a cluster or inflorescence, arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch.
Bauhinia x blakeana – Hong Kong Orchid Tree
The tree originated in Hong Kong in 1880. Its leaves are double-lobbed in shape to a heart or a butterfly. It was
surprise to find them in China town Honolulu.
Sanchezia
Sanchezia originate from Peru and Ecuador. Most easily distinguish by the prominent yellow veins on the leaf.
Red Ginger
Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata) native to Malaysia, Indonesia and southwest Pacific. Some of them have pink colour.
Yellow Saraca
Yellow Saraca (Saraca thipingensis), native to Malaysia Peninsula. It is a flowering tree.
Pride of Burma
Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis) is a flowering tree. It is very rare in the wild native to Burma.
Kariya
A huge flowering tree, Kariya tree (Hildegardia Barteri) native to Ivory Coast to Nigeria tropical forest.
Tropical Millweed
Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica, native to tropical Americas. It is very popular for butterflies. They even
like to lay eggs on the plant. However, it is not sure they are good for the butterflies in the long run.
Cattleya orchid
The large petal in the centre is called the lip. It only start flowering after 4 to 7 from seeds.
Spider orchid
Brassia or Spider Orchid (crossed breed?) belong to the genus Brassia. It is an aromatic flower with long, slender
‘spider leg’ sepals.
Brassavola orchid
Brassavola is a genus of 21 orchids. The orcheds are widespread across Mexico, Central America, the West
Indies and South America. The flowers are usually white or greenish white and grow singly or in a small raceme
or cluster. The flowers are star-shaped. The “points” of the star consist of three sepals and two lateral petals, all
of are long, narrow and greenish. The lip of the blossom is broad and often fringed.
Epidendrum orchid
Epidendrum are native to the tropics and subtropical regions of the Americas. Many are grown in the Andes.
They grow in tufts, in racemose inflorescences, which frequently dense.
Moth orchid
Moth orchids, Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular orchids, with many artificial hybrids. They are native to
southern China, India, SE Asia.
Slipper orchid
The slipper orchids, Cypripedioideae is characterised by the slipper shaped pouches of the flowers. The pouch traps
insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode behind which they collect or deposit pollinia. thus
fertilizing the flower.
Dendrobium orchid
Greenish white dendrobium orchids. Dendrobium is a very large group of orchid, including some 1200 species.
Water lilies have large flowers and require a lot of sun to grow properly and in frost-free regions.
Waterlily
Pink Hibiscus
Most of the hibiscus we saw were not the native Hawaii but derived from the Chinese hibiscus.
Yellow Hibiscus
Plumeria grows on tree and use for making lei, which is a Hawaii garland for welcoming guest.
Spider lily or Crinum lily
Crinum lily is sometimes called spider lily. Flowers grow from leafless stems.
Queen Emma lily
The flower is named after the Hawaiian Queen Emma. The flower crinum augustum is a native of the Seychelles.
Agave Attenuata also lion tail
One of the strangest flowering plant, I have seen. The greenish-yellow tiny flowers grow out of the centre the agave
on a 150 cm long inflorescence.
Red Passion flower
The Passion flowers come from the New World. They also produce Fruit. They are named after the Passion of Christ
by the Spaniard rather after romantic sentiments.
Christmas flower
These Christmas flowers grow on a large tree. They are the same flowers as the more familiar flowers, we buy
at Christmas in a pot. Originally they come from Mexico. The “flowers” is compiled of red specialised red
leaves called bracts.
Beach Morning Glory
Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae subspecies brailiensis). It is an indigenous and successful
shoreline flower throughout the Pacific
Golden Shower Tree
The Golden Shower tree (Cassia fistula), native to India, also ranges eastward to Myanmar and Thailand.
Red Jade Vine
Jade vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, there are different colours of Jade Vine – white, blue and red. The blue
is special, I saw it in Malaysia.
Crown of Thorns
Crown of thorns, Euphorbia milii, native to Madagascar, with densely spiny stems and thorns. Legene
associated the flowers worn by Christ.
Coral or Firecracker Plant
Coral or Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis) is fairly common in Hawaii. It is used to hide unsightly
views, as it grows quickly with dense foliage.
Ohi’a Lehua, Metrosideros polymorpha, most common wild tree flowers in Hawaii. The flowers are mostly red
but yellow, salmon, pink and white flower can be found too. The hard wood of the tree is used for furniture and
can grow to 20 feet tall.
‘Ohi’a Lehua
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Available free for non-commercial and personal use.
The End
Music – What a Wonderful World Kamakawiwo’ole