Acridotheres tristis/Common Mynah

Scientific Name: Acridotheres tristis

Common Name: Common Mynah / Burung Tiong Gembala Kerbau

Mynas build their nests in any covered nook or cranny that will hold large pile of leaves, twigs, paper and other materials such as holes in trees or buildings, air-conditioners, water drainpipes, open-ended steel rafters, narrow ledges, traffic lights, palm trees.

Clutch of 2 to 5 eggs, blue to blue-green. Begin laying in March end in late July. Nestling period about 30 days (Berger 1972)

Like most starlings, the Common Myna is omnivorous. It feeds on insects and fruits and discarded waste from human habitation. It forages on the ground among grass for insects.

These birds are capable of mimicking human words and are often kept as pets in their native India. They travel in pairs. Common Mynas are popular as cage birds for their singing and “speaking” abilities.

The 106 species of the starling family are of Old world The Eastern hemisphere; Australia, Africa, Eurasia and associated lands. origin and distribution, mainly in the Ethiopian and oriental regions. As a group, starlings are jaunty, active birds with straight or slightly down-curved bills. They have strong, stout legs and feet, and they walk cockily with a waddling gait. Their flight is strong and direct, and their pointed wings have 10 primaries, the outermost one greatly shortened.

Distribution

Originally starlings were confined mostly to Africa and southeastern Asia. They were brought to Australia and America by man.

Behavior

Most starlings are gregarious, some of them highly so. The temperate zone species are migratory, and usually travel and winter in flocks. They often gather in large numbers to roost at night.

Starlings are among the fastest flying birds. After a few wing beats they do not close their wings, but keep them spread out so as to glide. Collective flights are a characteristic feature of starling behavior. A gathering of thousands of starlings before sunset performing aerial maneuvers is an impressive sight.

Diet

The basic diet for Starlings is fruit and insects. They are also known to eat small fish, small birds, and small lizards.

Reproduction and growth

Nesting habits vary in the starling family, but in most species the pair bond is strong and both sexes share nesting duties. Starlings usually lay 3-5 clear blue-green eggs. Occasionally the eggs have brown spots as in the Hill mynah. Most are cavity nesters and build their nests in holes in trees. Those associated with mankind use sites in buildings, behind shutters, under eaves, or on any projecting ledge.

The eggs are incubated by both parents for 11-14 days. The young stay in the nest for almost three weeks, leaving it only when they are fully fledged. A young bird that has grown it’s first set of flight feathers, which enables it to fly from the nest.

Magpie starling:

The Magpie starling is bluish-black with white lower parts and a white wing speculum. The female has a gray head. It breeds from southern Ethiopia to Kenya, generally in holes in termite nests.

Cynodon dactylon

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Gramineae
Genus: Cynodon
Species: C. dactylon
Binomial name Cynodon dactylon

Common names

Couch grass, green couch (Australia), Bermuda grass (United States), kabuta (Fiji), dhoub grass (Bangladesh), Bahama grass, quick grass (South Africa), chepica brave, came de niño, pate de perdiz, gramilla blanca (Peru), hierba-fina (Cuba), griming, tigriston (Suriname).

Description

A variable perennial, creeping by means of stolons and rhizomes, eight to 40 culms, (rarely) to 90 cm high: leaves hairy or glabrous, three to seven spikes (rarely two), usually 3-6 cm long and in one whorl, or in robust forms up to ten spikes, sometimes in two whorls: spikelets 2-3 mm long, rachilla often bearing a reduced floret (Chippendall, 1955). It differs from Digitaria scalarum (African couch) in the vegetative stage in that there is no obvious membranous ligule where the leaf-blade joins the sheath (Ivens, 1967).

Distribution

Wheeler (1950) says the best evidence is that is originated in Asia, particularly India, and has now become pan-tropical.

Altitude range

Sea-level to 2 300 m.

Rainfall requirements

It usually occurs over a range of 625-1 750 mm of annual rainfall.

Drought tolerance

Good. The rhizomes survive drought well. Coastal Bermuda grass has proved very drought resistant in Georgia, United States.

Soil requirements

There are varieties adapted for a wide range of soils. Coastal Bermuda prefers well- drained, fertile soils, especially heavier clay and silt soils not subject to flooding, well supplied with lime and high-nitrogen mixed fertilizers. Lawn couch grass is most frequently grown for sale on sandy loams easy to dig and rebuild.

Ability to spread naturally

C. dactylon spreads quickly by rhizomes and stolons, and less obviously by seed.

Paspalum conjugatum

Scientific Name: Paspalum conjugatum

Common Name: Sour paspalum,  Hilo grass

Family: Poaceae

Description:

Short creeping perennial. Many runners on soil surface, stems often purplish. Leaves pale, smooth but hairy at nodes. Ligules hairy. Inflorescences consist of 2 opposite horizontal spikes (racemes) on a stalk resulting in a “T” shape. Seed round, flat, in 2 rows on each spike. A weed of many crops, orchards, and pastures in the tropics and warm temperate zones of the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. From the Greek paspalos, for a millet; conjugatum, Latin for connected, probably for its many runners.

Distribution:

Native to the New World tropics. Widespread throughout the world and Hawai‘i in mesic and

wet areas. A weed of humid pastures and open areas of conservation lands. Noticed in Hilo about 1840.

Environmental impact:

Smothers herbs and tree seedlings. Unpalatable to cattle.

Management:

Can be displaced in pastures by taller forage grasses and controlled grazing. Sensitive to glyphosate and imazapyr, both nonselective herbicides, the latter with some residual soil activity.

Soil requirements:

P. conjugatum is adapted to a wide range of soils.

Propagation and planting:

P. conjugatum is propagated from prostate culms, using 2-3 nodes per cutting.

Growth and development:

The germination percentage of P. conjugatum seed is usually low. Flowering commences 4-5 weeks after seedling emergence and it continues to flower year round. New shoots develop at every rooted node.

Paspalum vaginatum

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Paspalum

Paspalum is a genus of the grass family (Poaceae). Commonly known as paspalums, bahiagrasses or dallis grasses most are tall perennial American grasses. They are most diverse in subtropical and tropical regions.

General Characteristics

General: Grass Family (Poaceae). Seashore paspalum is a native, warm season, creeping perennial. Culms are erect, smooth at the nodes and range in heights of 1-7.9 dm. Sheaths are glabrous, overlapping and scantily pubescent apically. Blades range in lengths of 2.5–15 cm and in widths of 3 –8 mm, which may be flat or folded inward length wise. Blades are mostly glabrous having a sparse amount of long hairs located on the top surface close to the base. Ligules are 1-2 mm in length. Racemes are usually in numbers of 2-3 and range in lengths of 1.1-7.9 cm. They are erect and spreading at maturity. Axes are winged, smooth, 1-2 mm wide and have scabrous margins. Spikelets are solitary, glabrous, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, faint-stramineous in color, 3-4.5 mm long and 1.1-2 mm wide. First glume seldom developed, usually absent. The second glume and sterile lemma are 3-nerved with the nerves suppressed. The fertile floret is comose and white in color. The caryopsis is yellow and is approximately 3 mm long.

Axonopus Compressus

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Axonopus
Species: A. compressus

Axonopus compressus is a grass which is often used as a permanent pasture, ground cover and turf in moist, low fertility soils, particularly in shaded situations. It is generally too low growing to be useful in cut-and-carry systems or for fodder conservation.

Its leaves are wide & short, greenish & feeling soft, rooting firmly & trailing horizontally & spritting at each end.

1. Two-petalled leaves are bigger and in dark green color.
2. Three-petalled and in emerald green color.

A creeping, stoloniferous, perennial grass ; flowering culms erect, 15 to 16 cm high, solid, laterally compressed, the stolons strongly branched, rooting at each node; leaf sheaths strongly compressed, finely hairy along the outer margin, otherwise smooth, the nodes densely pubescent; ligule very short, fringed with short hairs; blade lanceolate, flat, 4 to 15 cm long, 2.5 to 15 mm wide, with broadly rounded base and blunt apex, often fringed with hairs; inflorescence with slender peduncles, two to four, seldom eight, developing successively, the secondary and succeeding inflorescences remaining hidden inside the sheath but ultimately projecting beyond the sheath (long-exserted).

Habitat/ecology:

Troublesome as a weed mainly along the equator.  It needs sun but will tolerate shade.  It is found in lawns and, indeed, is a valuable lawn cover for some areas.  It is found in gardens, waysides, and waste places.  The species grows best if the soil is rich, the ground is moist, and the climate is slightly humid so that the plant is not subjected to extreme periods of low humidity.

Propagation:

The plant can reproduce by seeds or by vegetative parts.

Baphia nitida

Scientific Name: Baphia nitida

Family: Leguminosae

Common names: Camwood.

Description

Shrubby tree growing to about 3 m on the Accra Plains, Ghana, to about 10 m in the forests, with smooth branchlets and fragrant white flowers with a yellow centre, usually one to four together.

Distribution

Native to west central Africa; occurs in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, southern Nigeria, the Republic of Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, Ghana and Zaire.

Characteristics

Favours moist seepage areas on the perimeters of termitaria on plains. Not always associated with thickets. A secondary species in forests; its frequency increases with rainfall. Grows easily from seeds or cuttings.

Jasminum Sambac

Sceintific Name : Jasminum Sambac

Common Name : Bunga Melur

Characteristics

Arabian jasmine is a bushy vine or scrambling shrub with shiny dark green leaves and fragrant little white flowers. Some of the evergreen leaves are in whorls of three and others are in opposite pairs. The long, angular shoots twist and twine as they clamber and sprawl over and through any support they can find. The waxy snow white flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, borne in clusters of 3-12, and intensely fragrant. They fade to pink as they age. Arabian jasmine blooms throughout the summer – and almost continuously in warm climates. The fruits are small black berries, but are seldom formed in cultivation. By far, the most common form of Arabian jasmine in cultivation is ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’ (sometimes called ‘Flore Pleno’), which has double flowers that look like miniature gardenias. Expect an Arabian jasmine to grow no more than 6-10 ft (1.8-3.1 m) high and just as wide in frostfree areas; smaller when it has to regrow from roots following a winter freeze

 

Samanea saman

The third huge tree found on site is Samanea saman or locally known as pokok pukul lima.

Synonyms
Mimosa saman, calliandra saman, acasia propinquce, inga cinerea, pithecellobium saman.
Common name
Rain tree, coco tamarind, acacia preta, french tamarind, saman, monkey pod.

Family

Mimosaceae (Leguminoceae).

Rain tree is a large, tropical tree growing up to 180′ tall with a crown up to 240 ft broad although they are smaller in the sup – tropics. Distribution Native to northern South America.  It is a beautiful shade tree.
The evergreen leaves are alternate bipinate, while the flowers are small pinkish – green.  Rain tree has flat oblong seedpods containing oblong brown seeds.

Delonix regia

Synonym
Caesalpinia regia
Common name
Flamboyant, royal poinciana, flame tree, peacock flower, flamboyan.
Family
Leguminosae (Bean family)

 

A deciduous tropical tree with fern-like leaves, that is considered one of the most beautiful trees in the world.  Although it is a fast grower, it can take up to 10 years to mature. Flamboyant or royal poinciana, blooms in dense clusters and burst into scarlet orange blossoms.

Blooming starts at the beginning of the rainy season; before the leaves begin sprouting. However, in climates when winter is not much dryer than summer, it is a semi-evergreen tree.

Originally from Madagascar, it grows abundantly in Suriname. The tree of flamboyant is often more than 40 feet high with wide spreading branches from a domed top, sometimes even reaching the ground. It has brown seed-pods 2′ long, resembling rezone strops.

There are two varieties known: involucrata (Paradise poinciana) and regia.
It has a very thick root that is able to lift pavement up.

 

Bucida molineti

Scientific Name: Bucida Molineti

Family: Combretaceae

Common name: Dwarf Geometry Tree, Spiny Black Olive

Origin: Bahamas

The photo on the left shows the well known as an ornamental tree. Called “Dwarf Geometry Tree”. It’s big brother, Bucida buceras is a source of timber in the Carribean. In tropical America, it is known for its termite-resistant dry wood and used for house and fence construction, scaffolding, railroad ties and pilings.

Botany
A small, low and picturesque spreading plant growing to a height of 4 feet. The branches are typically horizontal giving it a layered appearance. Leaves are tiny, bright and light green, about 1/4 inch long. New foliar growth is bronze-colored and ages to light green. Stems are spiny. Flowers are yellow and insignificant, followed by clusters of tiny brown fruits.

Distribution
A popular container and bonzai plant.

Parts utilized
Bark

Properties and constituents
Bark yields a tanning agent.

Uses
Folkloric
No known medicinal use in the Philippines.
Elsewhere, medicinally the bark of Bucida spinosa is mixed with the bark of mangrove Rhizophora mangle and processed into a styptic agent (causing to stop bleeding when applied to wounds).
Others
Immune System Stimulant: One of the many components of Sun’s Soup, a combination of 19 or more vegetables and herbs (soybean, shitake mushrooms, garlic, scallions, ginseng, etc), marketed as complementary therapy and dietary supplement for its alleged anticancer properties and stimulant effect on the immune system.