Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Water hyacinth is a floating aquatic plant with the scientific name Eichhornia crassipes. The person who first discovered the species of water hyacinth was a botanist from Germany named Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Apart from being known as water hyacinth, this aquatic plant also has many names, according to its nickname in each country around the world. These aquatic plants can reproduce very quickly so that they are often considered as weeds that can damage the aquatic environment.

If not controlled, water hyacinths will completely cover the lake and lake; this dramatically affects water flow and blocks sunlight from reaching native aquatic plants which often die. The process of spoilage depletes dissolved oxygen in the water, often killing fish. Water hyacinth remains a major problem where an effective control program is not available.

This plant is very strong and able to adapt in almost any environment. Water hyacinth is able to adapt to changing extreme water conditions. Starting from the water level, the speed of the water flow, the amount of nutrients in the water, pH and temperature. Even water hyacinth can withstand various types of toxins and harmful chemicals contained in water.

Water hyacinth is also widely used as an ornamental plant in pots of water or in garden ponds because the flowers are beautiful with dominant purple flower color. The flowers include compound flowers, grain-shaped, tubular petals. In the tropics, water hyacinth flowers all year round.

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Eceng gondok adalah tanaman air yang hidup mengapung dengan nama ilmiah Eichhornia crassipes. Orang yang pertama kali menemukan spesies eceng gondok adalah seorang ahli botani dari Jerman bernama Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Selain dikenal dengan enceng gondok, tumbuhan air ini juga mempunyai banyak nama, sesuai dengan julukannya dinegara masing2 diseluruh dunia. Tumbuhan air ini dapat berkembangbiak dengan sangat cepat sehingga sering dianggap sebagai gulma yang bisa merusak tatanan lingkungan perairan.

Jika tidak dikendalikan, eceng gondok akan menutupi danau dan telaga seluruhnya; hal ini secara dramatis mempengaruhi aliran air dan menghalangi sinar matahari mencapai tanaman air asli yang sering mati. Proses pembusukan menghabiskan oksigen terlarut di dalam air, seringkali membunuh ikan. Eceng gondok tetap menjadi masalah utama di mana program pengendalian yang efektif tidak tersedia.

Tumbuhan ini sangat kuat dan mampu beradaptasi di hampir semua lingkungan. Eceng gondok mampu beradaptasi dengan perubahan kondisi air yang ekstrem. Mulai dari ketinggian air, kecepatan arus air, jumlah nutrisi di air, pH dan temperatur. Bahkan enceng gondok juga dapat bertahan dari berbagai jenis racun serta zat kimia berbahaya yang terkandung dalam air.

Eceng gondok juga banyak dijadikan sebagai tanaman hias dalam pot air atau di kolam2 taman karena bunganya yang indah dengan warna bunga dominan ungu. Bunganya termasuk bunga majemuk, berbentuk bulir, kelopaknya berbentuk tabung. Di daerah tropis, eceng gondok berbunga sepanjang tahun.

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LONG TIME NO SEE

 

If you have a new friend, don’t forget the old one. The phrase that buzzed in the ears like a song from my childhood, which until now is very much reminded of that.
A simple sentence that reminds us all when we begin to grow older and have many friends but many have not seen each other for a long time.

It’s been a long time no see, maybe there are a few stiff moments between you and me.

Please accept my smile and greetings.

Jika Anda memiliki teman baru, jangan lupakan yang lama. Ungkapan yang mendengung di telinga seperti lagu dari masa kecilku, yang sampai sekarang sangat diingatkan akan hal itu.
Sebuah kalimat sederhana yang mengingatkan kita semua ketika kita mulai bertambah tua dan memiliki banyak teman tetapi banyak yang tidak bertemu satu sama lain dalam waktu yang lama.

Sudah lama tidak bertemu, mungkin ada beberapa momen kaku antara Anda dan saya.

Terimalah senyum dan salamku.

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A GLANCE AT LEATHER PUPPET SHADOW PLAY

Wayang kulit is a traditional Leather puppet-shadow play found in the culture of Javanese, Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut-oil (or electric) light. The Dalang (Puppeteer) manipulates carved leather figures between the lamp and the screen to bring the shadows to life.

The stage of a wayang performance includes several components. A stretched linen canvas (kelir) acted as a canvas, dividing the dalang (puppeteer) and the spectator. A coconut-oil lamp (Javanese blencong or Balinese damar) – which in modern time usually replaced with electric light – casts shadow onto the screen. A banana trunk lies on the ground between the screen and the dalang, where the figures are stick to hold them in place.

The Puppeteer in a complete dress

The musicians sit behind the dalang in a gamelan orchestra setting, an integral part of the Javanese wayang kulit performance.

Part of the music orchestra

The performance is also accompanied with female singers (pesinden) and male singers (wirasuara).

 

A traditional wayang kulit performance begins after dark. The first of the three phases, in which the characters are introduced and the conflict is launched, lasts until midnight. The battles and intrigues of the second phase are about three hours. The third phase of reconciliation and friendship is finished at dawn. Wikipedia

 

 

The female singers in their traditional costums

 

THE GREATEST STORYTELLING TRADITION. Wonderful Indonesia

Although the audience watches the story unfold in shadows of figures thrown from behind the screen, the characters of the play are not mere puppets, but are in fact crafted of very finely cut and carved untanned leather which are then beautifully painted over. For this reason, in Indonesia, the performance is called Wayang Kulit, or the Wayang Leather puppet performance, to distinguish it from other forms of wayang puppets that may be made of wood, for example.

Wayang stories are usually taken from episodes of the Hindu classic sagas of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. These stories are not only entertaining but, moreover, teach lofty values and contain deep philosophical thoughts. Accompanied by the remarkable live music of the Javanese gamelan percussion orchestra, Wayang Kulit performances are always present during folk festivities and significant events such at births, weddings, or other celebrations, and lasts the whole night. The particular story presented and messages conveyed are usually relevant to the event.

The Dalang in action

Wayang stories involve moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the characters in their journey through life, love, and war. The stories are about good versus evil, but more than that, they contemplate the existential struggle between right and wrong. They are about the pursuit of living a virtuous, noble life and the search for meaning in life.

The Wayang-themed activities encourage further exploration of moral life goals, integrity, sense of responsibility, perseverance and care for others. For example, making wayang puppets (menatah) would require patience and motivation to do better, and improve oneself. Playing the puppets (mendalang) also tells a moral story that intends to enlighten as well as entertain. Wonderful Indonesia

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GETTING DOWN LOW IN THE FOREST (Part2)

I hope you still remember about one of our hobbies told in my previous post Click here . And this is the continuation of our journey in to the forest.

This was our mushroom hunting preparation

One of our fellow in action

THESE ARE THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING HUNTING

I hope you enjoy them

Mushrooms in the misty forest

Mushroom in red light

The most beautiful mushroom growing on a fallen fruit

A gigantic one among others

Mushroom in close up

Mushrooms in close up

Artistic Mushrooms

On its nature

Tiny Mushroom in close up

Mushrooms in art

Thank you for visiting

🙂 🙂 🙂

GETING DOWN LOW IN THE FOREST (Part 1)

Perhaps we are the only photography group in this country that has a hobby of photographing mushrooms.Our passions is wandering in the forests, especially tropical rain forest around the place where we lived. This time let me take this opportunity to tell you about our visit to the Research Forest Center of Dramaga- Bogor- West Java Indonesia.

Bogor Dramaga Research Forest Center was built in 1956 covering an area of 60 ha by the Forestry Research Institute. The distance from the center of Bogor is aproximately 11 KM westbound that can be reach by vehicle in + 15-30 minutes.

Beautiful trees set on the edge of the lake side

In the Forest Research Dramaga also include an office area used by CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) covering the area of 10 ha, there is also a lake (situ) called Situ Gede located just aside the forest which is managed by the city administration.
In addition to increasing the functionality of forest research, here also have been established the Captive Technology Development Center for Timor Deer.

Situ Gede Lake at day break

Artificial tropical forests that formed long ago presents a replica of small portion of a tropical rain forest environment in the country. The trees grow towering into the sky with shrubs underneath giving an impression that we feel it like we were in the wild.

Trees towering into the sky

A beautiful morning, the sun was shining brightly after a couple of days rained. Today is the time for us to hunt fungus there.
This research forest is full of biodiversity that has been formed long ago, such as an ecosystems as appropriate in the growth of fungi that can be found in the tropical rain forests in Indonesia.

Nevertheless we are not Mycologist, we’re just fans of photographing mushrooms

to be continued …

 

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Mungkin kami adalah satu-satunya kelompok fotografi di negeri ini yang memiliki hobi memotret jamur. Itulah sebabnya salah satu kegemaran kami berkeliaran di hutan, terutama hutan hujan tropis di sekitar tempat di mana kita tinggal. Kali ini saya akan bercerita tentang kunjungan kami ke  Pusat Penelitian Hutan Dramaga- Bogor.

Hutan Penelitian Dramaga dibangun pada tahun 1956 seluas 60 ha oleh Balai Penyelidikan Kehutanan. Jarak dari pusat kota Bogor kira-kira 11 km ke arah barat yang dapat dijangkau oleh kendaraan bermotor dalam tempo 15-30 menit.

Di Hutan Penelitian Dramaga juga mencakup area kantor yang digunakan oleh CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) yang meliputi wilayah 10 ha, dan ada juga sebuah danau (situ) disebut Situ Gede yang terletak persis bersebelahan dengan hutan, yang dikelola oleh pemerintah kota .
Di samping untuk meningkatkan fungsi penelitian hutan, di sini juga telah mendirikan Pusat Pengembangan Teknologi Penangkaran Rusa Timor.

Hutan tropis buatan yang terbentuk sejak lama menyajikan sebagian kecil dari situasi hujan tropis di negara ini. Pohon-pohon tumbuh menjulang ke langit dengan semak-semak belukar di bawahnya memberikan kesan bahwa kita merasa seperti  di alam hutan yang liar.

Suatu pagi nan indah, matahari bersinar terang setelah beberapa hari yang lalu turun hujan. Hari ini waktunya kami untuk berburu Jamur disana.
Hutan penelitian ini memang sangat sarat dengan biodiversity yang sudah terbentuk sejak lama, diantaranya ekosistim pertumbuhan jamur sebagaimana layaknya yang dapat ditemui didalam hutan-hutan hujan tropis di Indonesia. Namun demikian kami bukanlah ahli Jamur, kami hanya penggemar memotret jamur.

bersambung …

 

My Flower photos (part 1)

Many people assume photographing flowers is easy! just look at the viewfinder, place the focus point, and press the shutter … finished! Later, what happened to the result?… the photos don’t tell anything.

So,… what does the photo have to tell about?…

You are absolutely right !… It must tell us its beauty.

Here, I was trying to capture the beauty of some flowers that are a bit difficult  to photograph. Why?… It just because they emerged in an environment that were very hard to be isolated,  too many leaves around.

This Fire Lily (Clivia Miniata) grows in my country with slightly different than in its country of origin. the leaves grow up taller than its bloom’s stalk.

Similar condition to the above. This Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) flowers are always surrounded by many leaves.

The Water Liies ( Numphaea) grow in a swampy wilderness

The Orchid phalaenopsis hybrid on the tree

to be continued

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THE GIANT AMORPHOPHALLUS AND ITS LATEST RECORD

It was on March 6. 2016, Trisno Utomo is The Promotion and Documentation Officer at Cibodas Botanical Garden, West Java, Indonesia informed me that the Titan is blooming at midnight. This is the moment I had been waiting for long time since I saw the plant bared its bud several months ago. Then I reacted, rush at early morning to witness the world gigantic flower which was just a half of an hour drive from my house.

The flower has achieved the latest world highest record, measured 3.73 meters high!

 

A day prior to bloom

During top blooming

Amorphophallus titanum known as the titan arum, is a flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. Due to its odor, which is like the smell of a rotting animal, the titan arum is characterized as a carrion flower, and is also known as the corpse flower, or corpse plant (Indonesian: bunga bangkai – bunga means flower, while bangkai can be translated as corpse, cadaver, or carrion). This plant is native to Indonesia’s rain forest of Sumatra Island and now has been widely collected by many large Botanic Gardens throughout the world.

In 2003, the tallest bloom in cultivation, some 2.74 m (8 ft 11 in) high, was achieved at the Botanical Garden of the University of Bonn in Germany. The event was acknowledged by Guinness World Record.On 20 October 2005, this record was broken at the botanical and zoological garden Wilhelma in Stuttgart, Germany; the bloom reached a height of 2.94 m (9 ft 6 in). The record was broken again by Louis Ricciardiello, whose specimen measured 3.1 m (10 ft 2.25 in) tall on 18 June 2010, when it was on display at Winnipesaukee Orchids in Gilford, New Hampshire, USA. This event, too, was acknowledged by Guinness World Records. (wikipedia)

The Cibodas Botanic Garden also claimed that the highest record has been achieved by its measured 3.3 m (almost 11 ft).

LOOKING DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE FLOWER

Looking down inside

The pistils

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Pada tanggal 6 Maret 2016, Trisno Utomo, Pejabat Promosi dan Dokumentasi di Kebun Raya Cibodas, Jawa Barat, Indonesia memberitahu saya bahwa Titan akan mekar pada tengah malam dini hari. Ini adalah saat yang saya tunggu tunggu sejak saya melihat tanaman ini memamerkan kuncup bunganya beberapa bulan lalu. Kemudian saya buru-buru di pagi hari untuk menyaksikan bunga raksasa ini yang hanya setengah dari jam perjalanan dari rumah saya.

Bunga ini telah memecahkan rekor dunia tertinggi terbaru, dengan ukuran tinggi 3,73 meter!

Amorphophallus titanum yang dikenal sebagai arum titan, adalah tanaman berbunga dengan perbungaan tunggal terbesar di dunia. Karena bau nya, yang seperti bau hewan membusuk,Arum titan disebut sebagai bunga bangkai, dan juga dikenal sebagai bunga bangkai, atau tanaman bangkai (Indonesia: bunga bangkai – bunga berarti flower, sementara bangkai bisa diterjemahkan sebagai corpse, cadaver, or carrion). Tanaman ini asli hutan hujan Indonesia dari Pulau Sumatera dan sekarang telah banyak dikoleksi oleh banyak Kebun Raya besar di seluruh dunia.

Pada tahun 2003, mekar tertinggi di budidaya, dengan ukuran 2,74 m (8 ft 11 in) tingginya, dicapai di Kebun Raya Universitas Bonn di Jerman. kejadian ini diakui oleh Guinness World Record pada tanggal 20 Oktober 2005, rekor ini kemudian dipecahkan oleh kebun botani dan kebun binatang Wilhelma di Stuttgart, Jerman.; mekar mencapai ketinggian 2,94 m (9 ft 6 in). Rekor itu pecah lagi oleh Louis Ricciardiello, yang berukuran 3,1 m (10 ft 2,25 in) tingginya pada 18 Juni 2010, ketika itu dipamerkan di Winnipesaukee Orchids di Gilford, New Hampshire, Amerika Serikat. Hal ini juga diakui oleh Guinness World Records.

Namun demikian, Kebun Raya Cibodas juga pernah mengklaim bahwa rekor tertinggi yang telah dicapai oleh Cibodas berukuran 3,3 m (hampir 11 kaki).

FUNGUS SYNDICATE

FUNGUS SYNDICATE is a photography group established this month (March 1. 2016). Just born and very unique among other photographic groups. the FUNGUS SYNDICATE has been mainly intended to explore by photography the diversity, beauty and delicate of mushrooms in its tranquility of nature .

Like other photography groups, FUNGUS SYNDICATE isues awards for the best photos selected from the member’s posts as Best Photo Of The Week, Best Photo Of The Month and The Outstanding Photo Of The Year be issued in quarterly basis.

Get along and share your splendid Photos of Mushrooms with us in our friendly site.

Join the group here :  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1561075137543489/

FUNGUS SYNDICATE adalah sebuah grup fotografi di Facebook didirikan bulan ini (Maret 1. 2016). Baru saja lahir dan sangat unik di antara kelompok-kelompok fotografi lainnya. FUNGUS SYNDICATE terutama ditujukan untuk mengeksplorasi dengan fotografi keragaman, keindahan dan kelembuta jamur di ketenangan alamnya.

Seperti grup fotografi lainnya, FUNGUS SYNDICATE memberikan penghargaan untuk foto terbaik yang dipilih dari kiriman anggotanya berupa penghargaan Foto Terbaik Mingguan, Foto Terbik Bulanan dan dan Foto Terbaik Tahunan yang diterbitkan dalam setiap tiga bulan.
Bergabunglah dengan kami dan berbagi keindahan foto Jamur anda di situs kami yang ramah.

Bergabung dengan grup di sini: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1561075137543489/

FLAMBOYANT

 

The Flame Tree

 

Flamboyant or Delonix regia is a flowering tree native to Madagascar island and parts of South Africa with bright red flowers, or rarely yellow. Flamboyant has the genus name called Delonix which was derived from the Greek word, refers to the appearance of flowers that are striking with a flower’s crown inflates like a claw. In English it is given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant. It is also one of several trees known as Flame tree. As the ornamental plant, the tree is generally cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. In Madagascar, as its natural habitat, these plants are threatened with extinction due to destruction of the environment.

Flamboyant grow widened formed as a canopy or umbrella at a minimum height of 9-15 m above sea level. If the plant is grown in an area that has two seasons, it will fall during the dry season, but will remain green in the spring. As in Indonesia, this plant will bloom with a maximum in November and December.

 

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Flamboyan atau Delonix regia adalah tanaman yang berasal dari pulau Madagaskar dan sebagian Afrika Selatan dengan bunga-bunga merah cerah, atau jarang sekali yang kuning. Flamboyan memiliki nama genus Delonix yang berasal dari kata Yunani, mengacu pada penampilan bunga yang memang mencolok dengan bentuk mahkota bunya mengembang seperti cakar. Dalam bahasa Inggris disebut Royal Poinciana dan Flamboyant atau disebut juga sebagai Flame tree. Di Indonesia sering disebut sebagai Pohon bunga Desember atau populer disebut Flamboyan. Pohon ini umumnya dibudidayakan di daerah tropis dan subtropis. Di Madagaskar, sebagai habitat aslinya, tanaman ini terancam punah karena perusakan lingkungan.

Flamboyan tumbuh melebar membentuk seperti kanopi atau payung pada ketinggian minimum 9–15 m diatas permukaan laut. Apabila tanaman ini tumbuh di daerah yang memiliki 2 musim, maka akan gugur saat musim kemarau, tetapi akan tetap hijau pada musim semi. Seperti di Indonesia tanaman ini akan berbunga dengan maksimal pada bulan Nopember dan Desember.

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WILD ABUTILON

Abutilon is a flowering plant in the mellow family, Malvaceae, grows spread throughout the world in the tropical and subtropical climates, including Indonesia. The name “Abutilon” is derived from the Arabic (أبو طيلون), given by Abu Avicenna to this kind of plant.
Abutilon plants have varying appearance in the form of herbal plants, bushes, shrubs, trees or even vines.

Abutilon Sp, is one of the species that are still grow wild. commonly found in open land with bushes and tall weed and or in the abandoned open land. These plants propagate among the bushes and weed or spread on the ground with many branches. The leaves are hairy and palmately veined and have wavy with serrated edges, while the flowers are yellow tinge of purple or brown in the middle are solitary, paired, or borne in small inflorescences in the leaf axils or toward the branch tips. The calyx is bell-shaped with five lobes. The corolla is usually bell-shaped with five petals joined at the bases with a shape similar to a hibiscus when in full bloom.

Unfortunately, these flowers bloom only a few hours and later will be tapered back to a time before noon, then completely as the afternoon sun gliding towards west.

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Abutilon merupakan tanaman berbungan didalam keluarga mellow, Malvaceae yang tumbuh tersebar di seluruh dunia yang beriklim tropis dan subtropis, termasuk Indonesia. Nama “Abutilon” berasal dari bahasa Arab (أبو طيلون), nama ini diberikan oleh Abu Avicenna kepada tanaman sejenis ini.

Tumbuhan Abutilon memiliki penampilan yang bervariasi yaitu berupa tanaman herbal, semak, perdu, pohon atau bahkan berupa tanaman merambat.

Abutilon Sp, merupakan salahsatu jenis tanaman berbunga yang masih liar. Tumbuh di tanah terbuka dan bersemak bersama-sama dengan rerumputan tinggi dan rapat atau di tanah terbuka yang tidak digarap orang. Tanaman ini merambat diantara semak-semak rerumputan atau menjalar di atas tanah dengan percabangan yg banyak. Daunnya berbulu dan menjari dengan pinggiran bergerigi, sedangkan Bunganya berwarna kuning semburat ungu tua atau coklat di tengahnya, soliter atau muncul pada axils daun sampai ke arah ujung cabangnya. bentuknya menggantung seperrti lonceng dengan lima helai mahkota bunga bergabung di pusat kelopaknya.

Sayangnya bunga ini hanya mekar beberapa jam saja kemudian akan menguncup kembali pada waktu menjelang tengah hari, lalu layu seiring dengan condongnya Matahari menjelang sore.

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