pigeon orchid

Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Genus:	Dendrobium
Species:	crumenatum
Binomial name
Dendrobium crumenatum

A member of the family Orchidaceae, Dendrobium crumenatum produces white, fragrant flowers with a yellow tinted throat. The bloom cycle is triggered by sudden drops in temperature (at least 5.5 °C or 10 °F), usually as a result of rain, although the same effect can be artificially created. The plant produces a fragrant smell, but only for two days. From the side view, the orchid resemble a flying pigeon; that's how it's known commonly as the Pigeon Orchid. Other common names are Sparrow Orchid and Bag-shaped Dendrobium; "dove orchid" usually refers to the genus Peristeria, but sometimes to D. crumenatum.

A tropical epiphytic plant, this orchid is most common in Malaysia, as well as in Singapore; found growing naturally on trees in the tropical forests, this fragrant orchid is used in landscaping (eg: roadside planting) as a decorative plants. In the University Putra Malaysia (UPM), the plant can be found living on the trunk of Samanea saman (rain tree) along the entrance of the main campus. In nature, the orchid plant can be observed in the Air Itam Dam and Penang Hill in Penang.

In some states of Malaysia, as in Perak and Pahang state, the Pigeon Orchid is associated with spiritual beliefs. The Malay community would plant the orchid in front of their house, usually near to the entrance door, as a talisman for protection. It is believed that the plant 

is able to ward off evil forces from entering the house.

rain tree-samanea saman

locally known as pokok pukul lima

Synonyms 
Mimosa saman, calliandra saman, acasia propinquce, inga cinerea, pithecellobium saman.
Common name 
Rain tree, coco tamarind, acacia preta, french tamarind, saman, monkey pod.

Family

Mimosaceae (Leguminoceae).

Rain tree is a large, tropical tree growing up to 180′ tall with a crown up to 240 ft broad although they are smaller in the sup – tropics. Distribution Native to northern South America.  It is a beautiful shade tree.
The evergreen leaves are alternate bipinate, while the flowers are small pinkish – green.  Rain tree has flat oblong seedpods containing oblong brown seeds.

Axonopus Compressus

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms

                                                                                         

(unranked): Monocots               
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Axonopus
Species: A. compressus

Axonopus compressus is a grass which is often used as a permanent pasture, ground cover and turf in moist, low fertility soils, particularly in shaded situations. It is generally too low growing to be useful in cut-and-carry systems or for fodder conservation.

Its leaves are wide & short, greenish & feeling soft, rooting firmly & trailing horizontally & spritting at each end.

1. Two-petalled leaves are bigger and in dark green color.
2. Three-petalled and in emerald green color.

A creeping, stoloniferous, perennial grass ; flowering culms erect, 15 to 16 cm high, solid, laterally compressed, the stolons strongly branched, rooting at each node; leaf sheaths strongly compressed, finely hairy along the outer margin, otherwise smooth, the nodes densely pubescent; ligule very short, fringed with short hairs; blade lanceolate, flat, 4 to 15 cm long, 2.5 to 15 mm wide, with broadly rounded base and blunt apex, often fringed with hairs; inflorescence with slender peduncles, two to four, seldom eight, developing successively, the secondary and succeeding inflorescences remaining hidden inside the sheath but ultimately projecting beyond the sheath (long-exserted).

Habitat/ecology:

Troublesome as a weed mainly along the equator.  It needs sun but will tolerate shade.  It is found in lawns and, indeed, is a valuable lawn cover for some areas.  It is found in gardens, waysides, and waste places.  The species grows best if the soil is rich, the ground is moist, and the climate is slightly humid so that the plant is not subjected to extreme periods of low humidity.

Propagation:

The plant can reproduce by seeds or by vegetative parts.

Paspalum vaginatum

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Paspalum

Paspalum is a genus of the grass family (Poaceae). Commonly known as paspalums, bahiagrasses or dallis grasses most are tall perennial American grasses. They are most diverse in subtropical and tropical regions.

General Characteristics

General: Grass Family (Poaceae). Seashore paspalum is a native, warm season, creeping perennial. Culms are erect, smooth at the nodes and range in heights of 1-7.9 dm. Sheaths are glabrous, overlapping and scantily pubescent apically. Blades range in lengths of 2.5–15 cm and in widths of 3 –8 mm, which may be flat or folded inward length wise. Blades are mostly glabrous having a sparse amount of long hairs located on the top surface close to the base. Ligules are 1-2 mm in length. Racemes are usually in numbers of 2-3 and range in lengths of 1.1-7.9 cm. They are erect and spreading at maturity. Axes are winged, smooth, 1-2 mm wide and have scabrous margins. Spikelets are solitary, glabrous, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, faint-stramineous in color, 3-4.5 mm long and 1.1-2 mm wide. First glume seldom developed, usually absent. The second glume and sterile lemma are 3-nerved with the nerves suppressed. The fertile floret is comose and white in color. The caryopsis is yellow and is approximately 3 mm long.

Cynodon dactylon

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Gramineae
Genus: Cynodon
Species: C. dactylon
Binomial name Cynodon dactylon

Common names

Couch grass, green couch (Australia), Bermuda grass (United States), kabuta (Fiji), dhoub grass (Bangladesh), Bahama grass, quick grass (South Africa), chepica brave, came de niño, pate de perdiz, gramilla blanca (Peru), hierba-fina (Cuba), griming, tigriston (Suriname).

Description

A variable perennial, creeping by means of stolons and rhizomes, eight to 40 culms, (rarely) to 90 cm high: leaves hairy or glabrous, three to seven spikes (rarely two), usually 3-6 cm long and in one whorl, or in robust forms up to ten spikes, sometimes in two whorls: spikelets 2-3 mm long, rachilla often bearing a reduced floret (Chippendall, 1955). It differs from Digitaria scalarum (African couch) in the vegetative stage in that there is no obvious membranous ligule where the leaf-blade joins the sheath (Ivens, 1967).

Distribution

Wheeler (1950) says the best evidence is that is originated in Asia, particularly India, and has now become pan-tropical.

Altitude range

Sea-level to 2 300 m.

Rainfall requirements

It usually occurs over a range of 625-1 750 mm of annual rainfall.

Drought tolerance

Good. The rhizomes survive drought well. Coastal Bermuda grass has proved very drought resistant in Georgia, United States.

Soil requirements

There are varieties adapted for a wide range of soils. Coastal Bermuda prefers well- drained, fertile soils, especially heavier clay and silt soils not subject to flooding, well supplied with lime and high-nitrogen mixed fertilizers. Lawn couch grass is most frequently grown for sale on sandy loams easy to dig and rebuild.

Ability to spread naturally

C. dactylon spreads quickly by rhizomes and stolons, and less obviously by seed.

grasshopper

Grasshopper

Family : Orthoptera

The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper. Species that change colour and behaviour at high population densities are calledl ocusts.

Grasshoppers have antennae that are generally shorter than their body and short ovipositors. They also have pinchers or mandibles that cut and tear off food. Those species that make easily heard noises usually do so by rubbing the hind femurs against the forewings or abdomen (stridulation), or by snapping the wings in flight. Tympana, if present, are on the sides of the first abdominal segment. The hind femora are typically long and strong, fitted for leaping. Generally they are winged, but hind wings are membranous while front wings (tegmina) are coriaceous and not fit for flight. Females are normally larger than males, with short ovipositors. Males have a single unpaired plate at the end of the abdomen. Females have two pairs of valves ( triangles) at the end of the abdomen used to dig in sand when egg laying.

Water monitor @ Varanus Salvator

Water monitor @  Varanus Salvator

Family : Varanidae

The Water monitor, (Varanus salvator) is a large species of monitor lizard capable of growing to 3.21 metres (10.5 ft) in length, with the average size of most adults at 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) long. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over 25 kilograms (55 lb), but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally compressed tail. Water monitors are one of the most common monitor lizards found throughout Asia, and range from Sri Lanka, India, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and various islands of Indonesia, living in areas close to water.

butterfly

Butterfly

Family : Lepidoptera

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly'slife cycle consists of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). All the many other families within the Lepidoptera are referred to as moths.

Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate over long distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies (e.g.,Harvesters) eat harmful insects. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.

Ants

Family : Formicidae

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified.They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.

Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. These larger colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". The colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.

tadpole

A tadpole or polliwog (also pollywog or porwigle) is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog ortoad.

Tadpoles are young amphibians that live in the water. During the tadpole stage of the amphibian life cycle, most respire by means of autonomous external or internal gills. They do not usually have arms or legs until the transition to adulthood, and typically have dorsal or fin-like appendages and a tail with which they swim by lateral undulation, similar to most fish.

As a tadpole matures, it most commonly metamorphosizes by gradually growing limbs (usually the legs first, followed by the arms) and then (most commonly in the case of frogs) outwardly absorbing its tail by apoptosis. Lungs develop around the time of leg development, and tadpoles late in development will often be found near the surface of the water, where they breathe air. During the final stages of external metamorphosis, the tadpole's mouth changes from a small, enclosed mouth at the front of the head to a large mouth the same width as the head. The intestines shorten to make way for the new diet. Most tadpoles are herbivorous, subsisting on algae and plants. Some species are omnivorous, eating detritus and, when available, smaller tadpoles.