Journey to northern Peninsular Malaysia

[kuching]

My favourite monkey ....the leaf monkey, Presbytis sp.





Fruit bat.




Praying mantis.






After 2 hours of exploring in the jungle of Kedah, I was almost exhausted and it rained suddenly at noon. The rain stopped half an hour later. I decided to go back to the starting point. When I reached the spot where I parked my car, I saw a muddy stream not far away from the big river. I quickly ran to the stream and found something growing in the water......but when I get closer, I found out it was the common Barclaya motleyi. I was very disappointed but I decided to try my luck in another location near the border of Kedah & Perak.


Barclaya motleyi.




To be continued....

[fishoman]

Very exciting Michale, anticipate to know how you found the crypt.....waiting for your story to continue ..............

[kuching]

Very exciting Michale, anticipate to know how you found the crypt.....waiting for your story to continue ..............

Wierd....I have finished my story....since long time ago. Maybe will post that missing one later.

[kuching]

I drove along the country road in Kedah and found out that there was no sight of Cryptocoryne in most of the rivers. At 2pm, I decided to turn back, and I saw a small river running through a patch of disturbed forest near the roadside. I went down and found out there is nothing in the river. I walked along the river for 20 minutes and found a smaller feeder stream. I checked out that stream and found a lot of Betta pugnax (wild fighting fish) but still there was no sight of aquatic aroid. I walked out from the stream and on a higher ground, I saw a muddy pond about 10 meters away from me. I went to that pond and I was stunned of what I found......a clump of Cryptocoryne growing half submerged on the leaf litter of the pond.

I was so excited but I didn't realised that I was standing on the ant's nest! Within a minute, hundreds of ant crawling all over my legs and bit me! The leeches also joined the party!!! Oh Dxxx!!! I screamed so loud like wild beast and ran so fast to that small river to get rid of those insects.

10 minutes, I felt much better and found another way to reach that pond. At first I thought it was the common Crypt. minima but after I found the spathe (flower), I told myself that I must be dreaming......because the plant is the rarest aquatic aroid from Peninsular Malaysia....Cryptocoryne elliptica!!!!

I never really expected to find it and.....I was so excited until I didn't mind the leeches crawling into my legs to suck my blood. Hurray!!! I found it, at last!


The muddy pond:





A clump of Cryptocoryne elliptica!!!! The population is very small, less than 50 plants were found on the site.






This species is very special because it can grow from the leaf. The picture below is showing a young plant is growing out from an old leaf.






The spathe (flower) of Cryptocoryne elliptica!!!!



The leaf (upper) of Crypt. elliptica.




The leaf (under):





The spathe:





After took some leaves and kept it in a plastic bag for propagation, I drove back to Penang to catch my return flight back to Borneo. Pix below is the Penang bridge:







The scenery on Penang bridge:





My journey is never ending one & hope I can travel as many places as possible to see the beautiful flora & fauna of Southeast Asia, especially my beloved BORNEO.


THE END.

[fishoman]

Thanks for sharing! Nice and interesting article

[kuching]

Thanks for sharing! Nice and interesting article

Welcome!