She sure provides us with some top class entertainment. What could be better than taking a stroll through the jungle, checking out all the awesome plants, stumbling across the odd frog or two and chilling out under the stars with a frosty cold Coopers..
Oh yes, that's right.
DOING ALL THESE THINGS ON ACID.
On a recent trip to SE Asia, I came across some pretty weird and wacky little numbers. Through a strange series of circumstances, I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip to Endau Rompin national park in Malaysia to collect various propagation materials. At the time, there was a mass fruiting of the local Dipterocarps (which I have been told only happens every 5 years or so), and these rad people from FRIM were collecting seeds in preparation for eventual (hopeful) reforestation. A lot of the area has been cleared for Oil Palm plantations, and many of the Dipterocarps are only found in small stands and isolated pockets of forest.... ahhh!
ANYWAY.
As incredible as it was to be cruising around in the understorey, one couldn't help but wish they had smuggled some little tiny squares of hilarity into the forest..... Especially when THIS is what's growing in there...
(Top to bottom: Bauhinia sp., Pterisanthes eriopoda, Selaginella wildenowii, Stingless Bee cocoon, random fungus, Fern)
Not to mention the miles of Mimosa pudica, whose leaves fold up when touched (giving it the cute common name of Shy Plant)
I mean, seriously. Still not convinced?
Earlier, in Singapore, came across these bizarre sights. They are bizarre enough stone cold sober, let alone accompanied by our friend Sid..
Firstly, the seed propagation of the Coco-De-Mer palm looks like some kind of sex game...
Below looks like a regular pineapple but the fruit of this particular Ananas sp. is about as big as a golf ball. Which side of the mushroom did you eat, Alice?
And thirdly, the tall, weird and wonderful Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula. Who wouldn't want these giant, shaggy wizards towering over them as their eyeballs are exploding and the entire city is neon lights?
I rest my case.
I won't deny it, nature and halucinogenic experiences are a wonderful combination.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the Coco-de-Mer seed propagation brings to mind the Billy Connolly joke about the man who has killed his wife and left her bottom sticking out of the grave so he would have somewhere to park his bike!
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