Thatch screwpine (Pandanus tectorius)

Pandan duri or pandan tikar or thatch screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) are species of tree-like plants in Pandanaceae, dioesis, are highly variable in shape and character, have many varieties and some are cultivated for different purposes.

P. tectorius is a wide-branched shrub, 3-7 m high and sometimes has many trunks. Roots and hanging roots have a large size and striking. Ribbon-shaped leaves, 70-250x3-9 cm, stiff, bluish green and waxy, parallel with bones, spines on the edges and underside of the leaf bone.

The leaves gather tightly at the end of a branch in 3 rows arranged in a spiral with the base hugging the stem to leave a ring-shaped mark. Hanging male flowers, 25-60 cm long, 10-20 side branches, veiled in a white-yellow sheath that smells good. The female flowers are aloof, rounded hump shaped and 5 cm in diameter.

Compound fruit has many variations for shape, size and color. Shapes ranging from ovoid, ellipsoid, almost round and full ball. Length 8-30x4-20 cm on the center line. Phalanges are ovoid inverted to oblong, 2.5-11x1.5-6.7 cm and the skin is green, yellow, orange and red when ripe.

Mesocarp is white, fiber and filled with air at the tip, yellow to orange or red-orange at the base. Ovoid seeds, pushing or oval and 6-20 millimeters long. Often grow in sandy and rocky areas at an altitude of 0-610 m, rainfall 1500-4000 mm/year, adapt in various of soil including quartz sand, coral sand, peat, limestone and basalt.

Pandan duri is tolerant of high salt content and continuous gusts of wind, like the soil with a pH of 6-10. It grows very well in full sun, but can also grow well with a shade of 30-50%.

Different varieties produce different benefits. Generally P. tectorius is cultivated for soft and strong leaves to be woven, others for male flowers that smell nice to scent the room, clothes or perfume. Another variety for delicious fruit.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Pandanales
Family: Pandanaceae
Genus: Pandanus
Species: P. tectorius

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Shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica)

Lempeni or duck's eye or coralberry or shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica) are shrub species in Primulaceae, grow in tropical climates, survive under the shade of large trees in dense forests, strong single roots and produce sweet fruit.

A. elliptica can grow up to 5 meters high, a single stem and stands upright with many short branches, has oval shaped leaves, elongated, rather thick, smooth texture, shiny, pink when young and will turn dark green when old.

Flowers appear on leaf axils, umbrella-shaped with reddish purple crowns and white petals to pink. Lempeni produces round and clustered fruits, which are green when young and turn red, purple and black when old.

Ripe fruit emits purple ink when broken, about 5-6 mm. Seeds are round and 5 mm in diameter. Ripe fruit is preferred for consumption for sweetness. The leaves are antiplatelet, are antibacterial and contain many antioxidants.

Ardisia solanacea and Ardisia humilis are considered the same species as Ardisia elliptica by…

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Nangka or jack tree or jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) are plant species in Moraceae, monoecious, 10-30 m tall trees, 1 m diamater, cylindrical stems, dense and wide crowns, all parts emit white sap and can interbreed with cempedak (A. integer) in the wild.

A. heterophyllus has a single leaf, scattered, stalk 1-4 cm, thick, stiff, flat edges, ovoid and elongated, 3.5-12x5-25 cm with a narrow base and short pointed tip. Leaves are ovate, sharp, 8 cm long, fall off easily and leave ring marks.

Flowers grow on the armpits of leaves on old stems or branches. The male flowers in the hump are spindle-shaped, 1-3x3-8 cm, deep green, yellow and fragrant pollen. Mature flowers will rot, blacken and fall. Female flowers in single or paired heads, cylindrical or oval and dark green.

The fruit is in a spindle shape, uneven, 100 cm long, the outer side forms short and soft spines. The inside is the development of a flower, yellow when ripe, fragrant and sweet. The seeds are oval shaped, 2-4 cm…

Quickstick (Gliricidia sepium)

Gamal or gliricidia or fence post tree or quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) is a shrub species in Fabaceae, many branches, 2-15 m high, stem diameter 15-30 cm, grayish brown to whiteish leaves, shedding leaves in the dry season and sometimes grooved on old stems.

G. sepium has odd pinnate compound leaves, 15-30 cm long and when young has fine hairs. A number of leaflets of 7-17 pairs sit face to face, lanceolate, 3-6x1.5-3 cm, pointed tip and rounded base. Bare, thin, green on the top and white on the bottom.

The flower group in panicles contains 25-50 florets and 5-12 cm long. The flower has 5 petals, bright green with a white-purple crown and 10 white stems. Flowers come at the end of the dry season when the trees are not leafy.

Pods have 3-8 seeds, flat elongated, 10-15x1.5-2 cm, green yellow and finally blackish brown, breaking down when ripe and dry. When it's time the pods erupt and throw the seeds as far as 25 m from the tree.

Quickstick has flowers, so some people plant it as …

Javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis)

Wooden grasshoppers or wooden walang or Javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis) are grasshopper species in Acrididae and have around 18 subspecies, most of which are endemic to various island groups in Indonesia. This insect has a very broad sexual dimorphism where males have a length of 45-55 millimeters and females 15-75 mm.

V. nigricornis is yellowish brown or yellowish or green with bluish black marks. The back wing is rose red when flying. The nymphs are pale green and dark. They live in forests, bushes and really like the leaves of the giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha) and giant sensitive tree (Mimosa pigra).

Javanese grasshopper has one generation every year where four eggs are placed on moist soil in forest clearing. The eggs are not active throughout the dry season and it takes six to eight months to hatch.

The eggs hatch into nymphs and pass seven instar stages before becoming winged adults. Wood grasshoppers are solitary insects and do not form flocks, but outbre…

Flying dragon (Draco volans)

Klarap or cleret gombel or cekibar or flying lizard or flying dragon or common flying dragon (Draco volans) is a lizard species in Agamidae, 22 cm long, rough skin, arborial and has a yellowish-brown or light brown screen with gray patches stretched like wings to glide through the air.

D. volans has a yellowish-green head with dull pale patches, upper body brown wood with gray patches. and the inner body is brown. Males have bright yellow triangular screens on their chins to lure females during the breeding season.

The wing-shaped sails on both sides of the body are thin skin supported by six ribs which can be stretched or folded. This screen serves to keep it from going down too fast when it is sliding from tree to tree.

Flying dragons look for open branches to prepare to glide. Then push the body forward, release the grip on the twig and stretch the screen. These lizards glide from tree to tree through the air to a distance of 60 meters.

These wings are only used if they feel threate…

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