Fellow blogger in the Philippines mentioned a plant they call Mickey Mouse. It is interesting that different regions call different plants by different names. In two much older posts, I posted with passion this Mickey Mouse plant. At that time, my photos didn't have flowers.
This July, when I revisited Singapore, I took photos of their flowers. These plants line the road leading to the Nanyang Technological University where I lived for sixteen years.
Ochna is a strong-rooted shrub growing up to 3-4 m (usually less) with dark green leaves which have finely serrated edges. Its bright yellow petals fall off after flowering leaving red sepals (some call them bracts). Currently mature specimens of this shrub should be quite recognisable by these bright red displays containing 4-5 glossy black berries, which are very attractive to birds and hence readily dispersed.
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/11/mickey-mouse-bush-ochna-serrulata.html
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/11/mickey-mouse-bush-ochna-serrulata-2.html
6 comments:
This plant is very common at my hometown but I never know what it is called in English. Thank you for giving it's description.
The leaves look familiar, like the leaves used to wrap the tempe here.
Looks like the Simpor - national flower of Brunei.
Just to say hi and have a good day.
Thanks Sarawakiana@2,
When I was visiting Brunei this July, I remember seeing this and remarked that's my friend's Mickey mouse plant.
Hi Jama,
Yes, I think they are the plant they use the leaves to wrap tempe. I don't eat tempe but I used to buy them for my Indonesian friend,
Have you done a post on tempe, if not, may be you should. It aroused my curiousity that it is such a good food product.
Ann, the leaves and flowers do not really look like the Mickey Mouse, Ochna serrulata plant. But I guess you'd know better. If you have seen the yellow flower petals drop off while the sepals turn bright red, then 5-8 berries appear on them, then it is the correct one. The berries will change colour from green to black. When you look at the flower, you will see that the black berries look like MM's eyes and nose, the red sepals like his ears and whiskers. You can seem many little MMs(the flower) peeping from the bush. My post about MM plant is here:
http://www.mynicegarden.com/2010/02/mickey-mouse-plant-from-flower-to-fruit.html
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