largest canopy dweller on earth

Sumatran Orangs, known as Pongo pygmaeus abelii, or Pongo abelii, if you consider there are 2 species of Orang Utan (Dweller of the forest) on this planet.

Apart from disagrement among primatologist, this beautiful creature has arboreal (living on tree) habit. Looking for food, the male living solitary, looking for female around his territories.

Their role are crucial on forest as seed dispersal agent, on the other hand, it is one of the endangered animal species. (& i heard in Thailand, there was a orang utan boxing show)

kembang sungsang (upsided down flower)

Kembang sungsang, Gloriosa superba L. i always remember the name because its unique habit on one of my subject (plant morphology) on University.

If u notice, the flower has upside down appearance. with stalk at the upper part, corolla with stamen and ovaries on lower part. can you imagine how could u life your live upsided down? unimaginable...

natural skyscraper

Photo credit: Alex Sumadijaya

Cocos nucifera L., scraping blue sky on Borneo.

the sole species on genus Cocos, which means "ugly face".

It derived the names from 3 point on the fruit, resembling the monkey face.

Lowland & coastal natural distribution of this species is a great enigma on plant taxonomy.

Did it wild, or descendand of long-human domestication intervention?

any comment?

symbol of Malesian Flora

Photo credit: Alex Sumadijaya

Rafflesia hasseltii Suringar,

or Rafflesia merah putih (Red & White rafflesia).

1 of the nature wonder on Sumatra,

hidden deep under rain forest canopy, relying its life on merciness of parasitic Tetrastigma (which also parasitic plant).

The bloom will last for several days before rotten & visited by insects as the pollinators.

The Genus Rafflesia, described by Robert Brown, perfect symbol for FLORA MALESIANA

field excursion

Field excursion from Tukirin Partomihardjo, one of the BO's prominent ecologist.

In this picture, he explain about general ecology & galls on forest. 

The attendant were newcomers on Research Center for Biology, with Darjono (ornithologist from MZB)

Unfrotunately, i forget the name of waterfall, near Tjibodas Botanical Garden, Cipanas.

rengas flower

Not like any other beautiful flower,

this one was so boring.

but it was attached to one of dangerous tree in the forest.

Renghas as the vernacular name. (instead of it, 3 genera were included in Renghas: Gluta, Semecarpus & Buchanania)

& now guess, which one was the tree?