GIANT PANDA (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, "black-and-white cat-foot") is a mammal classified in the bear family (Ursidae), native to central-western and southwestern China. The panda was previously thought to be a member of the Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though belonging to the order Carnivora, the panda has a diet which is 99% bamboo. Pandas may eat other foods such as honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, and bananas

when available.

Giant Pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. They once lived in lowland areas, but farming, forest clearing, and other development now restrict giant pandas to the mountains.

The Giant Panda is an endangered species and highly threatened. According to the latest report, China has 239 giant pandas in captivity and another 27 pandas living outside the country. It also estimated that around 1,590 pandas are currently living in the wild. However, a 2006 study, via DNA analysis, estimated that there might be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 pandas in the wild. Though reports show that the numbers of wild pandas are on the rise, the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes there is not enough certainty to remove pandas from the endangered animal list.

The Giant Panda has a black-and-white coat. Adults measure around 1.5 m long and around 75 cm tall, at the shoulder. Males are 10-20% larger than females. Males can weigh up to 115 kg (253 pounds). Females are generally smaller than males, and can occasionally weigh up to 100 kg (220 pounds). Giant Pandas live in mountainous regions, such as Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Tibet.

The giant panda, a black-and-white bear, has a body typical of bears. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. Although scientists do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, some speculate that the bold coloring provides effective camouflage into their shade-dappled snowy and rocky surroundings. The panda's thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat. Giant pandas have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. Many people find these chunky, lumbering animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear.

The Giant Panda has a paw, with a "thumb" and five fingers; the "thumb" is actually a modified sesamoid bone, which helps the panda to hold bamboo while eating. Stephen Jay Gould used this example in his book of essays concerned with evolution and biology, The Panda's Thumb.

The Giant Panda has the second longest tail in the bear family, with one that is 4-6 inches long. The longest belongs to the Sloth Bear.

Giant Pandas can usually live to be 20-30 years old in captivity.

POKOK MELAKA (Emblica officinalis)

Pokok Melaka

Pokok Melaka, also known as Indian Gooseberry is the origin of Melaka's name.If you go to Mahkota Parade in Melaka and the Dataran Mahkota in front of it you'll get to see the trees in real life. They're pokok Melaka that's why the council planted them okay. There's also a huge pokok Melaka near the Stadhuys. For anyone from Melaka look around next time you go shopping.

Species identity

Taxonomy

Current name: Emblica officinalis

Authority: Gaertner

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Synonym(s)

Phyllanthus emblica L.

Common names

(Bengali) : amla
(English) : emblic myrobalan, malacca tree
(Filipino) : nelli
(Hindi) : amla, aonla
(Lao (Sino-Tibetan)) : mak-kham-pom
(Malay) : amlaka, asam melaka, melaka
(Tamil) : nelli
(Thai) : ma-kham-pom
(Vietnamese) : bong ngo, chu me, kam lam

Botanic description

Embelica officinalis is a graceful ornamental tree, normally reaching a height of 18 m and, in rare instances, 30 m. Its fairly smooth bark is a pale greyish-brown and peels off in thin flakes like that of the guava. While actually deciduous, shedding its branchlets as well as its leaves, it is seldom entirely bare and is therefore often cited as an evergreen. The miniature, oblong leaves, only 3 mm wide and 1.25-2 cm long, distichously disposed on very slender branchlets, give a misleading impression of finely pinnate foliage. Small, inconspicuous, greenish-yellow flowers are borne in compact clusters in the axils of the lower leaves. Usually, male flowers occur at the lower end of a growing branchlet, with the female flowers above them, but occasional trees are dioecious. The nearly stemless fruit is round or oblate, indented at the base, and smooth, though 6 to 8 pale lines, sometimes faintly evident as ridges, extending from the base to the apex, giving it the appearance of being divided into segments or lobes. Light green at first, the fruit becomes whitish or a dull, greenish-yellow, or, more rarely, brick red as it matures. It is hard and unyielding to the touch. The skin is thin, translucent and adherent to the very crisp, juicy, concolorous flesh. Tightly embedded in the center of the flesh is a slightly hexagonal stone containing 6 small seeds. Fruits collected in South Florida vary in the range 2.5-3.2 cm in diameter but choice types in India approach 5 cm in width. Ripe fruits are astringent, extremely acid, and some are distinctly bitter. The specific epithet is derived from opificina shortened to officina, originally a workshop or shop, later a monastic storeroom, then a herb-store, pharmacy or drug store: it more often refers to the past than the present.

Ecology and distribution

History of cultivation

The emblic tree is native to tropical southeastern Asia. In 1901, the United States Department of Agriculture received seeds from the Reasoner Brothers, noted nurserymen and plant importers of Oneco, Florida. Seeds were distributed to early settlers in Florida and to public gardens and experimental stations in Bermuda, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Panama, Hawaii and the Philippines. The fruits of these seedlings aroused no enthusiasm until 1945 when the office of Foreign Agricultural Relations in the USA asked that analyses be made in Puerto Rico. A high level of ascorbic acid was found and confirmed in Florida but interest quickly switched to the Barbados cherry which was casually assayed and found to be as rich or richer when underripe. The emblic was soon forgotten. Some old trees still exist in southern Florida; others have been removed in favor of housing or other developments. In Australia, several individuals asked for and were given seeds for planting in 1982. They did not reveal whether the tree was desired for its own sake or for its fruits.

Natural Habitat

The emblic is subtropical rather than strictly tropical. It survives the unusually cold winter weather in its natural habitat and often shows a remarkable ability to recover from cold injury. On the other hand, it is intolerant of excessive heat. In India, mature trees can stand temperatures up to 46� C in the summer but young plants must be shaded.

Geographic distribution

Native : Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Biophysical limits

Altitude: 0- 1 800 m Mean annual temperature: Up to 46 deg C. Soil type: The emblic seems to grow equally well under both dry and humid conditions. It is noted for being able to thrive in regions too dry and soil too poor for most other fruit crops. For maximum productivity, the tree requires deep soil ranging from sandy loam to clay, light or heavy, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. At high pH (as much as 8.0), nutritional deficiencies are evident. Limestone is considered unsuitable but the large, old trees in southern Florida are all in oolitic limestone. Good drainage is essential. A low degree of salinity seems to be fairly well tolerated.

Reproductive Biology

Cross-pollination is desirable. Honeybees work the flowers in the morning and late evening. It is now known that lack of pollination is the cause of up to 70% shedding of flowers in the first 3 weeks after onset of blooming. The emblic is sensitive to day-length. In northern India, flowering takes place from March to May. In Madras, the tree blooms in June-July and again in February-March, the second flowering producing only a small crop. In Florida flowering occurs during the summer months, the main crop maturing during the winter and early spring. A few fruits developed from late blooms are found in summer and fall.

Propagation and management

Propagation methods

Seeds taken from overripe fruits sun-dried to facilitate removal of the stone, or cut in half right through the stone often propagates the tree. The extracted seeds are given the float test and 100% of those that sink will germinate. In 4 months, seedlings will have a stem diameter of 8 mm and can be budded or grafted from June to September and in February and March in India. The Forkert and patch techniques have given 85% to 100% success. Chip-budding, using seedlings 1 1/2 years old as rootstocks, is easier and 60% to 80% successful in September and October and February and March. Inarching is sometimes practiced in India but survival rate may be only 25% to 30% after separation from the stock and further losses may occur in the field.

Tree Management

It is recommended that the trees be spaced 9-12 m apart and planted in well prepared holes enriched with a composted manure and soil mixture, and well watered. Thereafter, watering is done only in the dry season. Trees usually begin to bear when 5 to 6 years old and normally bear for about 50 years. There are no standard practices for fertilizing the emblic but 28-42 g of nitrogen per tree for each year of age up to 10 years has been suggested. After 10 years the nitrogen is increased and potash and superphosphate are added. Half of the fertilizer should be given after fruit-set and the other half 4 months later. Emblic trees bearing fruits of inferior quality may be top-worked by cutting back to a height of 1.2 m and applying coal tar to the cut surfaces. Trials at Saharanpur showed that this is best done in March when the trees are not in active growth. Budding of the new shoots can be done successfully any time from June to September. The branches are brittle and judicious pruning to develop a strong framework is advocated to avoid branch breakage from heavy loads of fruit.

Germplasm Management

The seed is extracted by drying the ripe fruits in the sun until they dehisce and the seeds escape. The seed is dried before storage. Seeds weigh 65 000-69 000/kg. The seed does not store well.

Functional uses

Products

Food: Rural folk in India claim that eating the highly acid, fresh, raw fruit followed by water, produces a sweet and refreshing aftertaste. Woodcutters in Southeast Asia eat the emblic to avoid thirst, as the fruit stimulates the flow of saliva. This is the one tree left standing when forests are clear-cut in Thailand, and buses stop along highways to let thirsty travelers run to the tree to get the fruits. The emblic is regarded as sacred by many Hindus and the Hindu religion prescribes that ripe fruits be eaten for 40 days after a fast in order to restore health and vitality. It is a common practice in Indian homes to cook the fruits whole with sugar and saffron and give one or two to a child every morning. Fresh emblics are baked in tarts, added to other foods as seasoning during cooking, and the juice is used to flavor vinegar. Both ripe and half-ripe fruits are candied whole or made into jam and other preserves, sweetmeats, pickles and relishes. They are combined with other fruits in making chutney. In Indonesia, emblics are added to impart acidity to many dishes, often as a substitute for tamarinds. During World War II, emblic powder, tablets and candies were issued to Indian military personnel as vitamin C rations. In Thailand, where the tree is common in the forests, deer, especially the tiny barking deer, favours the fruits. Fodder: The foliage furnishes fodder for cattle. Timber: The hard but flexible red wood, though highly subject to warping and splitting, is used for minor construction, furniture, implements, gunstocks, hookas and ordinary pipes. Durable when submerged and believed to clarify water, it is utilized for crude aqueducts and inner braces for wells, and branches and chips of the wood are thrown into muddy streams for clarification and to impart a pleasant flavour. Fuelwood: The wood serves also as fuel and a source of charcoal. Tannin or dyestuff: The tannin-rich bark, as well as the fruit and leaves, is highly valued and widely employed in conjunction with other so-called myrobalans, especially fruits of various species of Terminalia. The twig bark is particularly esteemed for tanning leather and is often used with leaves of Carissa spinarum and Anogeissus latifolia. The dried fruit yields ink and hair-dye and, having detergent properties, is sometimes used as a shampoo. Dyes from the fruit and leaves impart an appealing light-brown or yellow-brown hue to silk and wool. When sulfate of iron is added as a mordant, the color becomes black. Essential oil: A fixed oil derived from the fruit allegedly acts as a hair-restorer and is used in shampoos in India. This oil is the main ingredient in an "Amla Conditioner" currently sold by Shikai Products of Santa Rosa, California, by mail and through "health food" stores and other "natural" product outlets. Medicine: The emblic is of great importance in Asiatic medicine, not only as an antiscorbutic, but in the treatment of diverse ailments, especially those associated with the digestive organs. For such use, the fruit juice is prepared in the form of a sherbet or is fermented. In the latter state, it is prescribed in jaundice, dyspepsia and coughs. The dried chips of flesh are dispensed by apothecaries and often are mixed with grape juice and honey for dosage. The fruit is considered diuretic and laxative. Triphala, a decoction of emblic with Terminalia chebula and T. bellerica is given for chronic dysentery, biliousness, hemorrhoids, enlarged liver and other disorders. A powder prepared from the dried fruit is an effective expectorant as it stimulates the bronchial glands. The juice that exudes when the fruit is scored while still on the tree is valued as eyewash and an application for inflamed eyes. An infusion made by steeping dried fruit overnight in water also serves as eyewash, as does an infusion of the seeds. Liquor made from the fermented fruits is prescribed as a treatment for indigestion, anaemia, jaundice, some cardiac problems, nasal congestion and retention of urine. The flowers, considered refrigerant and aperient, and roots, emetic, are also variously employed. An ointment made from the burnt seeds and oil is applied to skin afflictions. The seeds are used in treating asthma, bronchitis, diabetes and fevers. They contain proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes, phosphatides and a small amount of essential oil. Approximately 16% consist of a brownish-yellow fixed oil. Other products: A most curious custom is the making of simulated pottery jars from a paste of the boiled fruit, the surface being decorated with impressed colored seeds.

Services

Soil improver: The branches are lopped for green manure. They are said to correct excessively alkaline soils.

Pests and diseases

The chief pest of this tree in India is the bark-eating caterpillar, Indarbela sp., which tunnels into the branches and trunk. A secondary enemy produces shoot galls. A non-pathogenic problem, especially in India in 'Francis', is called "fruit necrosis", characterized by internal browning which gradually extends to the surface where dark spots become corky and gummy evidences it. Bi-monthly sprays of borax can overcome it in September and October. There are few serious diseases but the fungi, Bestonea stylophora, Phakospora phyllanthi and Ravenelia emblicae, cause ring rust, leaf rust and fruit rot. Fresh emblics on the market or in storage are subject to blue mold and rotting caused by Penicillium islandicum. Rinsing with very dilute borax or sodium chloride solutions helps retard such spoilage.

Sources: AgroForestryTree Database

The words to the meditation:

Take a deep breath now, and as you feel the air entering and filling your lungs, imagine that it is the shimmering white light of blessing. Mentally affirm, "I am so blessed." Hold the breath in your lungs for as long as you can, and as it releases, imagine this light spreading foward to touch and bless others. Mentally affirm, "I am a blessing."

Now imagine that you are stepping forward to join a growing circle of like-minded others who have gathered for the purpose of blessing our planet and all it's inhabitants. Imagine now that you feel each of your hands being gently clasped by the person standing on either side of you. As you join hands with those around you, realize that the circle is becoming an unbroken ring of blessing surrounding the entire world.

As you stand in this ring of blessing and look inside the circle, you see the entire planet there before you. imagine that a little golden bits of light, like snowflakes, are now gently falling to earth to softly blanket the entire planet and all it inhabitants in peace and love. Imagine people everywhere looking up to see these bits of light falling upon them. People the world over are smiling, laughing and joyous as these tiny bits of light float gently down from the heavens. Watch as some catch flakes of light in their hands and gleefully laugh, eager to share this light with those around them. Watch others grow blissfully quiet and reverent as the light falls upon them. This is a magical moment as you watch this light blanket the world. Feel the peace and love and healing it brings, as all over the world people begin to extend mutual love and affinity to one another. People of every society, of every race, of every religion, all reaching out to one another in genuine love and respect. This is the beginning of peace on earth.

Peace has come. Love has come. Joy has come. Feel it in your heart now. Breathe it in. Breathe it out.

Now gently let go of the hands holding yours. The Circle of Blessing has been established. It is done. All is well. And so it is.

©2007 by Live More Abundantly Productions, kate nowak

WORDS OF WISDOM

Words Of A Feather

"There was once a man who loved to gossip. He loved the attention it brought him, and could not stop himself from speaking about others, sometimes sharing the good they did, but most often sharing the mistakes they made.

"In time, however, he realized the harm his speech was causing and he sought to make amends. He went to his rabbi and explained the situation, and asked how he could make amends.

"The rabbi thought for a moment and instructed the man to go to the marketplace and purchase two of the finest feather pillows he could find. He should then take the pillows to the top of the mountain overlooking the village, tear them open, and spill the feathers into the wind.

"The man was surprised and pleased at the rabbi's advice. He thought repentance would be much harder than this. So he ran to the marketplace, purchased his pillows, and within an hour had scatter their feathers to the wind.

"He returned to the rabbi all aglow. He was ready to be forgiven for his gossiping. Not just yet, the rabbi told him. There was one more thing to do. He had to return to the mountain and repack the pillows with the feathers that he had scattered.

"'But that's impossible,' the man said. 'Those feathers have gone everywhere, there is no way I can take them back now.'"

"The rabbi nodded solemnly and said, 'What is true of the feathers is true of the words. Once spoke they can never be retrieved. The harm caused by gossip cannot be undone.'"

—Rabbi Rami Shapiro
from The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness

Tree Growth

Written by Heleigh Bostwick Thursday, 10 April 2008

One of our Daily Dirt readers wrote the other day and asked a very good question. He wanted to know what it means in terms of measurements when one says that a tree is fast growing. Trees grow horizontally (as in growth rings) and vertically; however fast growing refers to vertical growth and not horizontal growth. I found this definition on the Arbor Day Foundation website: “Rate of growth refers to the vertical increase in growth unless specified differently. Rate, as is true for size, is influenced by numerous variables such as soil, drainage, water, fertility, light, exposure, ad infinitum…The designation slow means the plant grows 12” or less per year; medium refers to 13 to 24” of growth per year; and fast to 25” or greater.” (Source: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, by Michael Dirr). These measurements refer to ideal growth conditions. Because trees and other plants do not live in a perfect world (like us!), environmental factors such as light, soil fertility, drainage and hydrology, and exposure to the climatic elements (wind for example) also affect tree growth rates.

Five: Poisonous Plants

Written by Heleigh Bostwick Friday, 18 April 2008

When you choose a plant for your garden you’re probably thinking about color, form, and texture--not whether the plant is a potential health hazard for your pets, or for that matter your children, and in some cases adults. Unfortunately many of our favorite garden flowers are poisonous including yew (pictured above), foxglove, larkspur, bleeding hearts, wisteria, autumn crocus, and jasmine. Plants are tricky sometimes. It may be that leaves or flowers are edible but berries are not. In other words the one part of the plant may be perfectly safe to munch on while another plant part on the same plant is poisonous. If you have pets or kids roaming through your garden gates, here are five things you might want to keep in mind when buying a new plant or planning your garden. 1. Periwinkle You may know it as myrtle (Vinca minor and it’s a popular groundcover in some parts of the country. 2. Yew Those pretty red berries (botanically referred to as arils) on English and Japanese yew shrubs are extremely poisonous to pets and people. Keep pets away from bark and leaves as well. 3. Castor Bean The seeds of castor bean plant are highly toxic. Just one or two seeds is close to a lethal dose for an adult. 4. Ivy Another reason to rid our landscapes of this pesky invasive vine is that the leaves are considered moderately toxic causing gastrointestinal symptoms, difficulty breathing, and possibly inducing a coma if enough of them are ingested. 5. Sago Palm All parts of the sago palm are poisonous, particularly the seeds.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Berek Berek Sawah/Ekor Biru (Malay)

Bee-eaters get their names from their diet of stinging insects (bees, wasps, hornets, ants). They specialise in catching and neutralising these titbits that other birds find unappetising or dangerous. But Bee-Eaters also catch and eat other harmless insects especially dragonflies, and also grasshoppers, butterflies. In Sungei Buloh, they also catch small fish.

Bee-eaters catch their prey on the wing. They look out for suitable prey from a tree branch or high wire (about 7m and above) then swoop down onto it. They snap up their victims with an audible click, their long, narrow bills keeping these dangerous prey a good distance away from the eyes. To get rid of the sting, the insect is vigorously whacked against the perch. Or simply squeezed to get rid of the venom.

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters usually forage in open habitats near freshwater as well as coasts. Blue-tailed Bee-eaters roost together and a roost may include huge numbers (roosts of hundreds have been observed). They prefer to roost in tall trees inland, as well as in mangroves.

Alstonia scholaris (Pokok Pulai)

Current name: Alstonia scholarisTaxonomy

Authority: R. Br.

Family: Apocynaceae

Synonym(s)

Echites pala Buch-Ham. ex Spreng.

Echites scholaris L.

Pala scholaris (L.) Roberty

Tabernaemontana alternifolia Roxb.

Common names

(Bengali) : chattin
(Burmese) : lettok
(English) : birrba, black board tree, dita bark, milk wood, milkwood pine, milky pine, white cheesewood
(Filipino) : dalipoen, dita
(Hindi) : chatian
(Indonesian) : pulai, pule, rite
(Javanese) : pule
(Lao (Sino-Tibetan)) : tinpet
(Malay) : pulai, pulai linlin
(Nepali) : chhataun, chhatiwan
(Sanskrit) : saptaparna
(Tamil) : pala
(Thai) : sattaban, teenpet, teenpethasaban
(Trade name) : chatiyan wood, pulai, shaitan wood, white cheese wood
(Vietnamese) : caay mof cua, caay suwxa

Botanic description
Alstonia scholaris is a medium to large tree, to about 40 m high with a somewhat tessellated corky grey to grey-white bark. The boles of larger trees are strongly fluted to 10 m. The outer blaze is cream to yellowish in colour with abundant, milky latex that flows rapidly when cut. Leaves in whorls of 4-8 in the upper axils; leaf stalks 1-1.5 cm long, the lamina obovate to elliptical or elliptical-lanceolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy, tapering towards the base, 11.5-23 x 4-7.5 cm. Upper surface is dark green, the lower green-white with 25-40 pairs of lateral veins on each side of the midrib and 2-6 mm apart. The tip of the leaf is rounded or shortly pointed, tapering towards the base. The inflorescence is a much-branched terminal panicle, up to 120 cm long; flowers 7-10 mm long white, cream or green; the tube hairy; lobes sparsely or densely pubescent, 1.5-4 mm long, the left margins overlapping; strongly perfumed. Fruit a pendulous, two-lobed, dehiscent follicle, brown or green, dry or woody, spindle-shaped, 15-32 cm long, 4-6 mm in diameter, containing numerous flat, oblong, brown seeds, 4-5 x 0.9-1.2 mm, with a tuft of hairs 7-13 mm long at each end. The seed does not taper to a point at either end. Alstonia is named after Dr C. Alston (1685-1760), a professor of botany at Edinburgh University. The specific name scholaris is derived from the use of the wood for school boards in Myanmar.

Ecology and distribution

History of cultivation
A. scholaris is planted for its ornamental value in southern Florida and California. In Taiwan, this species is a good timber tree in moist, protected environments.
Natural Habitat
In its natural range in Australia, it is a dominant canopy species found in coastal mesophyll vine forest with a canopy height of 35-42 m, in palm-dominated forests and in notophyll vine forests, associated with Argyrodendron peralatum, Castanospermum australe and Cerapetalum sucirubrum.
Geographic distribution
Native : Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam
Exotic : Taiwan, Province of China, United States of America

Biophysical limits
Altitude: 0-900 m, Mean annual temperature: 12-32 deg. C, Mean annual rainfall: 1 200-1 400 mm Soil type: Favourable soils include alluvia, basaltic red earth, yellow earth with grey-brown topsoil, stony red earth on basic volcanic soils, sandy grey earth, brown earth from a volcanic mixture of rocks and soils derived from metamorphic rocks.

Reproductive Biology
The trees are often deciduous at irregular intervals. They do not flower at every leaf-change, but only after marked periods of dry weather. The large branches provide favourable nesting sites for wild bees. Pollination is by insects; when flowering, butterflies and bees often surround trees. The fruits open on the tree and the seeds, which have a tuft of silky hairs at each end, are dispersed by wind.

Propagation and management

Propagation methods
Natural regeneration is often scarce; seedlings are found scattered in groups, particularly in open places at forest edges and in secondary forest. Regeneration can be enhanced by enrichment planting using the strip system, but sufficient opening of the canopy is essential for optimal growth of the seedlings. Seeds are difficult to collect, as the fruits open while still on the tree. The germination rate of fresh seeds is high, nearly 100%. A. scholaris has been grafted. Cleft grafting and inverted T-grafting have been found to be most appropriate.

Tree Management
Regular dry season watering is essential for good growth, and deep mulch has proved beneficial to young trees. It has been managed as a fuelwood species in Sri Lanka under a short coppice rotation of 6-8 years. In a social forestry planting in India, the species reached 3.6 m height and 10 cm diameter at 3.5 years in mixed species. In plantations in Taiwan, it reached an average of 23.5 m in height and 51 cm dbh in 18 years. A maximum of 35 m in height and 109 cm dbh was attained at 41 years of age.

Germplasm Management
Seeds can be stored in closed tins for 2 months, maintaining a germination rate of 90%. Based on the seed size, this species may show orthodox seed storage behaviour. There are approximately 357 000 seeds/kg.

Functional uses

Products
Food: The latex provides a good quality chewing gum. Fuel: A. scholaris has been recommended as a fuelwood species for the patana lands of Sri Lanka. Fibre: Bark yields a fibre, and the wood is regarded as suitable for pulp and paper production. Timber: A. scholaris is the most important source of pulai timber. The density of the wood is 270-490 kg/cubic m at 15% mc. Heartwood cream to pale yellow, sapwood wide and visually indistinct from the heartwood. Often has strong odour and a bitter taste. It is used for pattern making, corestock, plywood, carving and mouldings. The wood is also used for making coffins in Sri Lanka and school boards in Myanmar. Essential oil: Flowers of A. scholaris yield an essential oil. Medicine: Australian aborigines used the bark for treatment of abdominal pains and fevers, the latex for neuralgia and toothache. In India, the bark is used to treat bowel complaints and has proved a valuable remedy for chronic diarrhoea and the advanced stages of dysentery. Leaves used for treating beriberi, dropsy and congested liver. Other products: Wood charcoal is used as gun powder.

Services
Ornamental: The tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental. Other services: In a study of the ethnobotany of the Nagas of Nagaland in northeast India, A. scholaris was amongst the native plants used in magico-religious beliefs.

Pests and diseases
A leaf skeletonizer, Parotis marginata, causes significant damage to nursery stock and young plantations. The timber is liable to termites, pinhole and marine borers, while the sapwood is highly susceptible to lyctid borers.

Acacia auriculiformis (Acacia Kuning)

Species identity

Taxonomy

Current name: Acacia auriculiformis

Authority: A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Family: Fabaceae - Mimosoidea

Synonym(s)

Acacia auriculaeformis A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Racosperma auriculiforme (A. Cunn. ex Benth.) Pedley

Common names
(Bengali) : akash mono
(English) : Australian wattle, coast wattle, Darwin black wattle, earleaf acacia, earpod black wattle, earpod wattle, Japanese acacia, nothern black wattle, Papua wattle, tan wattle, wattle
(Filipino) : auri
(Indonesian) : akasai, akasia, kasia, ki hia
(Malay) : akasia kuning, kasia
(Thai) : krathin-narong

Botanic description
Acacia auriculiformis is an evergreen tree that grows between to 15-30 m tall, with a trunk up to 12 m long and 50 cm in diameter. It has dense foliage with an open, spreading crown. The trunk is crooked and the bark vertically fissured. Roots are shallow and spreading. Leaves 10-16 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide with 3-8 parallel nerves, thick, leathery and curved. Flowers are 8 cm long and in pairs, creamy yellow and sweet scented. Pods are about 6.5 x 1.5 cm, flat, cartilaginous, glaucous, transversely veined with undulate margins. They are initially straight but on maturity become twisted with irregular spirals. Seeds are transversely held in the pod, broadly ovate to elliptical, about 4-6 x 3-4 mm. The generic name acacia comes from the Greek word ‘akis’ meaning a point or a barb and the specific epithet comes from the Latin ‘auricula’- external ear of animals and ‘forma- form, figure or shape, in allusion to the shape of the pod.

Ecology and distribution

History of cultivation
Natural stands of A. auriculiformis are found in Australia, southwestern Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It is planted widely in tropical Asia with extensive plantings in China and India. In western Malaysia it has also become naturalized. It is planted to a lesser extent in Africa and South America.
Natural Habitat
A. auriculiformis occurs from near sea level to 400 m, but is most common at elevation less than 80 m. It is predominantly found in the seasonally dry tropical lowlands in the humid and sub-humid zones. The mean annual rainfall in its natural range varies from 700-2000 mm, and the dry season (i.e. monthly rainfall less than 40 mm) may be 7 months. The mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 32-34 deg C and the mean minimum of the coolest month is 17-22 deg C. The species is commonly riparian, i.e. ringing perennial rivers and semi-perennial creeks, and tends to form discontinuous populations along drainage systems. Seedlings have the ability to compete with Imperata cylindrica during early growth phases and once mature may reduce the grass to a sparse ground cover. Frost does not occur in its natural range, but elsewhere, it tolerates light frost. It does not tolerate shade, and strong wind easily breaks its branches.
Geographic distribution
Native : Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea
Exotic : Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe

Biophysical limits
Altitude: 0-500(1 000) m Mean annual temperature: 24-38 deg. C Mean annual rainfall: (650) 760-2 000 (6 000) mm Soil type: Found most commonly on clay soils, it exhibits the ability to grow in a variety of soils including calcareous sands and black cracking clays, seasonally waterlogged soils, sandy loams and coral rag. It can also tolerate highly alkaline and saline soils, pH ranging between 4.3 and 9.

Reproductive Biology
Acacia auriculiformis is hermaphroditic and pollinated by a wide range of insects including Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera, which forage mainly on pollen.

Propagation and management

Propagation methods
Seeds picked at physiological maturity do not show dormancy, but mature seeds require a pre-germination treatment, such as immersion in boiling water for 1-2 minutes followed by soaking in cold water overnight or soaking in warm water for 24 hours; 40-80% germination occurs between 6-15 days. Direct seed sowing by hand has been successful. Plantations are established using seedlings raised in containers. In general, 3-4 months are needed to raise seedlings to a plantable size, 25 cm in height. Inoculation with appropriate rhizobia may be beneficial, especially when seedlings are raised in sterilized soil. Methods of vegetative propagation through juvenile cutting have been developed and are now a routine and simple operation.

Tree Management
Newly emerged seedlings should receive 50% shade. Once they are established, 70% full sunlight is optimal. In genera, 3-4 months are needed to raise transplantable seedlings that are 25 cm tall. The optimal planting density is not clearly established. Most current plantings are spaced at 2-4 x 2-4 m, the closer spacing being more suitable for firewood and pulp plantations. Removal of lower branches and of young plants has been suggested as a means of improving stem form and of reducing the incidence of multiple stems. A. auriculiformis responds well to pollarding. Young trees respond to coppicing better than old trees, but the tree does not sprout vigorously or prolifically. Best results are obtained if the stump is cut at a height of 0.6-1 m above the ground. Under favourable conditions, trees may reach a height of 15 m in 5 years and produce an annual wood increment of 15-20 cubic m/ha over 10-12 years. An increment in height of 2-4 m per year in the first few years is common even on soils of low fertility. On relatively fertile Javanese soils receiving 2 000 mm annual rainfall, a mean annual increment of 15-20 m³/ha is obtainable but on less fertile or highly eroded sites the increment is reduced to 8-12 m³/ha. Recommended rotation is 4-5 years for fuelwood, 8-10 years for pulp and 12-15 years for timber. One or two thinnings are required with longer rotations, depending on initial spacing, site quality and tree growth.

Germplasm Management
Seed storage behaviour is orthodox; seeds retain viability for several years. There are approximately 55 000-75 000 seeds/kg.

Functional uses

Products
Fodder: Not widely used as fodder, but in India 1-year-old plantations are browsed by cattle. Apiculture: The flowers are a source of pollen for honey production. Fuel: A major source of firewood, its dense wood and high energy (calorific value of 4500-4900 kcal/kg) contribute to its popularity. It provides very good charcoal that glows well with little smoke and does not spark. Fibre: The wood is extensively used for paper pulp. Plantation-grown trees have been found promising for the production of unbleached kraft pulp and high-quality, neutral, sulphite semi-chemical pulp. Large-scale plantations have already been established, as in Kerala, India, for the production of pulp. Timber: The sapwood is yellow; the heartwood light brown to dark red, straight grained and reasonably durable. The wood has a high basic density (500-650 kg/m³), is fine-grained, often attractively figured and finishes well. It is excellent for turnery articles, toys, carom coins, chessmen and handicrafts. Also used for furniture, joinery, tool handles, and for construction if trees of suitable girth are available. Tannin or dyestuff: The bark contains sufficient tannin (13-25%) for commercial exploitation and contains 6-14% of a natural dye suitable for the soga-batik industry. In India, the bark is collected locally for use as tanning material. A natural dye, used in the batik textile industry in Indonesia, is also extracted from the bark. Other products: An edible mushroom, Tylopylus fellus, is common in plantations of A. auriculiformis in Thailand.

Services
Erosion control: Its spreading, superficial and densely matted root system makes A. auriculiformis suitable for stabilizing eroded land. Shade or shelter: The dense, dark-green foliage, which remains throughout the dry season, makes it an excellent shade tree. Planted to provide shelter on beaches and beachfronts. Reclamation: The spreading, densely-matted root system stabilizes eroding land. Its rapid early growth, even on infertile sites, and tolerance of both highly acidic and alkaline soils make it popular for stabilizing and revegetating mine spoils. Soil improver: Plantations of A. auriculiformis improve soil physio-chemical properties such as water-holding capacity, organic carbon, nitrogen and potassium through litter fall. Its phyllodes provide a good, long-lasting mulch. Nitrogen fixing: Acacia auriculiformis can fix nitrogen after nodulating with a range of Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium strains. It also has associations with both ecto- and endo-mycorrhizal fungi. Ornamental: It is used for shade and ornamental purposes in cities where its hardiness, dense foliage and bright yellow flowers are positive attributes. Intercropping: The effect of intercropping with annual crops varies. Increased tree growth has been found with kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), upland rice and groundnut in Thailand; reduced growth with maize in Cameroon.

Pests and diseases
Damage by pests and diseases is minor. In Indonesia, growth rate has been impaired by a rust fungus, Uromyces digitatus; in India, root rot caused by a fungus (Ganoderma lucidum) has been reported. A beetle (Sinoxylon spp.) can girdle young stems and branches, causing them to break. The insect is of concern, because the tree will develop multiple leaders if the main stem is damaged and the length of the bole will be reduced.

Bottlebrush Tree

What is a Bottlebrush?

Bottlebrushes are members of the genus Callistemon and belong to the family Myrtaceae. They are closely related to paperbark melaleucas, which also have 'bottlebrush' shaped flower spikes. It is difficult to tell to which genus some species belong. Botanists are currently closely studying these plants to determine how they are best classified. There are 34 species currently called Callistemon.

Bottlebrush Flowers, Fruits and Leaves

The pollen of the flower forms on the tip of a long coloured stalk called a filament. It is these filaments which give the flower spike its colour and distinctive 'bottlebrush' shape. The filaments are usually yellow or red, sometimes the pollen also adds a bright yellow flush to the flower spikes.

Each flower produces a small woody fruit containing hundreds of tiny seeds. These fruits form in clusters along the stem, and are usually held on the plant for many years. The seeds are usually not released from the fruits for several years, but in some species the fruits open after about a year. Fire also stimulates the opening of the fruits in some bottlebrushes.

The new leaves of many bottlebrushes are very ornamental. The leaves are often coloured and, in some species, they are covered with fine, soft hairs.

My MUNIA's

I've seen 4 species of munia (till to-date). Small birds but fantastic characteristics.

Habitat

The Scaly-breasted Munia is a small gregarious bird which feeds mainly on seeds. It frequents open woodland and cultivation. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a tree or under the eaves of a house into which 4–10 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The Scaly-breasted Munia is 11–12cm in length. The adult has a stubby dark bill, brown upperparts and darker brown head. The underparts are white with black scale markings. The sexes are similar, but immature birds have pale brown upperparts, lack the darker head and have uniform buff underparts.

Habitats

The White-rumped Munia is a tiny gregarious bird which feeds
mainly on seeds. It frequents open woodland, grassland and scrub. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a tree, bush or grass into which 3-8 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The White-rumped Munia is approximately 10 to 11cm in length with a long black tail. The adult of the south Indian race L. s. striata has a stubby bill, dark brown upperparts, head, breast and wings, and white underparts and rump.

The sexes are similar, but there is racial variation. Northern L. s. acuticauda has paler brown upperparts and breast, and buff underparts. The rump only is white.

Habitat

The Black-headed Munia is a small gregarious bird which feeds mainly on grain and other seeds.

It frequents open grassland and cultivation. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a bush or tall grass into which 4-7 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The Black-headed Munia is 11-12 cm in length. The adult has a stubby pale grey bill, black head, and brown body. Some races also have a black belly.

The sexes are similar, but immature birds have uniform pale brown upperparts, lack the dark head and have white to pale buff underparts.

Description: Smallish (11 cm), white headed brown finch. Similar to chesnut Munia but paler brown and entire head and throat white. Young birds are brown on upperparts with underparts and face buff. Iris-brown; bill-grey; feet-pale blue. Voice: high-pitched 'pee-pee' Distribution and status: malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Celebes. In Java and Bali this is a fairly common and widespread bird up to 1500 m. Habits: frequents marshes and reedbeds. Like other munias form large flocks during rice harvest but spread out in pairs during breeding season. General behavior similar to other munias. Diet: Rice and Grass seeds. Breeding: Four to five, occasionally six, white eggs are laid in a typical munia ball-shaped grass nest. Breeding is recorded in West Java for February. Race; L.m. leucocephalus

1st Birding trip

my 1st birding trip - with my dearest boss Mr. Andy Chong on 7th Oct 2007.
(Using bushnell 7X 35)

A) Taman Melawati Ampang

• 08.15am - yellow vented bulbul - L
  
• 09.10am - tiger shrike (juv) - L
  
• 09.25am - stripe throated bulbul - L
  
• 09.35am - green billed malkoha - L
  
• 09.50am - dusky leaves monkeys
  

B) Taman Rimba Ampang

• 10.35am - black thighed falconet - L
  
• 10.40am - brown shrike - L
  
• 10.50am - yellow wagtail (male)- L
  
• 10.55am - blue banded kingfisher (female) - L
  
• 11.05am - Oriental magpie robbin (male) - L
  
• 11.25am - yellow wagtail (female) - L
  
• 11.45am - gold whiskered barbet - L
  
• 11.50am - red eye bulbul - L
  

C) Sg Kerayong treatment plant near desa water park

• 01.05pm - little heron - L
  
• 01.10pm - little egret (yellow feet) - L
  
• 01.15pm - common sandpiper - L
  
• 01.30pm - scaly breasted munia - L
  
• 01.40pm - painted stork - L
  
• 01.50pm - white throated kingfisher - L
  
• 01.55pm - peaceful dove - L
  
• 02.00pm - oriental honey buzzard (juv) - pale morph - L
  

An Introduction to Birdwatching

Going birdwatching is a great way to get out into nature, to keep in touch with the awe and mystery of the natural world. While you are birding you are also getting fresh air, exercise, and learning more about the various areas you visit.
Seeing the wildf lowers, trees, shrubs, vines, butterf lies and other critters that share the birds’ environment, helps you to appreciate how all the living parts fit into the whole scheme of things.

Tracking the seasonal movements of birds keeps you in touch with the passing seasons. The annual cycle, the mysteries of spring and autumn migration, birds are pre-eminent harbingers of spring and fall and subtly mark the passage of time Birding can contribute positively to your feelings of mastery and self esteem.
These feelings will increase as you get better at it. While identifying birds is very difficult in the beginning, as you practice and improve your observation skills and hand-to-eye coordination skills you will start to gain confidence and pride in your new found ability to take a number of clues and come up with a speedy and correct I.D. Finally, amateur birdwatchers have contributed and continue to contribute much to the scientific knowledge of birds.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE FIELD

Here are some helpful hints:

1. Try to put the bird in a basic family. While we may look at color first, you would never compare a reddish duck with a reddish tanager. So you ask yourself, is it a duck, is it a dove, is it a heron, is it a gull, is it a hawk, is it a sparrow.

2. What is its size? Compare it to a familiar bird, a crow, a robin, etc. When you have established that the bird is smaller than a crow, but slightly larger than a robin, you have already narrowed down the field considerably.

3. What is its shape? Is it slender like a cuckoo or chunky like a robin? What do the wings look like, how long are the legs, what is the shape and length of the bill? Is the tail long or short–is it notched, forked, wedge-shaped, rounded?

4. How does the bird behave? Does it pump its tail, does it wag its tail, does it dart out from a perch sallying for insects, does it feed on the ground, does
it hover, or is it a glider? Does it wade in the water, does it teeter or bob while it walks near water? For that matter, does it walk or hop, or both? These are all excellent clues.

5. Observe its f light characteristics. When it f lies, is it a straight trajectory, undulating, lurching, soaring? Does it travel in f locks, in pairs or alone?

6. What are the specific field marks? Plain breast, streaked or spotted breast, wing bars, white outer tail feathers, f lash pattern, white rumps, white bands on tail, or patches on wings or on rump, stripes over the eye, through the eye, around the eye? Does it wear spectacles? Does it sport a jaunty crest or wear a black mask? Does it have a whisker stripe or a red throat patch?

7. What is its voice like? A long melodic warble, a hoarse caw, does it say its name Chickadee-dee-dee-dee, etc.? Does it have a distinctive call note or scold? Does it rustle dead leaves when it forages on the ground, does it drum like a woodpecker or make whistling sounds with its feathers?

8. When is it found? Is it here only in the spring and fall, thus a migrant? Is it here all the time, a permanent resident? Is it here only in the winter or only in the summer? Does it show up unpredictably? Check your field guide maps and regional check list to support your call.

9. Where is it found? This is one of the most important questions. Is it always found near the coast at the beach, in mudflats, in brackish or freshwater marshes, or is it a denizen of inland desert scrub, rocky outcrops, open fields, prairies, deep woods, or bottomlands, along fence-rows and edges of thickets and woods, etc.? Habitat is by far one of the best clues to the identity
of your bird. Most birds are dependably habitat specific.