Orchids peaking through the Palmettos
I thought these orchids deserved another photo just on their own. They are so beautiful. As you travel along Provo’s roads, have a look along the roadside and in the bush. You’ll see these orchids stretching up to the skies.
Cheers,
Marta
What a find.......a praying mantis on one of our wild orchids
I was trying to get some good photos of one of our island’s orchids and came across a praying mantis that was hiding in the petals. This orchid is found almost everywhere at this time of year and is known as Encyclia altissima (formerly known as Encyclia hodgeana). When in bloom, the flower sepals are greenish-yellow with brownish-red striping and the petals are yellowish-red with accents of purple. We have at least four different species that are found here and there’s pretty much one of them flowering for every season of the year.
Great camouflage..........It looked like a green twig until it moved!
The praying mantis is named for its front legs which are bent and held together at an angle that looks like it is praying. These insects are quite the predator. They have triangular heads which can turn 180 degrees to search their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them. Anyway, I was fascinated and spent a while taking photos.
Marta
My mystery plant bloomed today and what a colourful flower it has.
It’s been a few weeks now that I’ve been watching and waiting for this plant to bloom. I had thought it was a purple ruellia but when the red balls opened and flowers started to appear, I realized it was something else. Well, today there were five flowers that opened and what a treat. Bright red petals around a central yellow flower. I looked it up and it is called a Butterfly Weed or Wild Ipecac and is much loved as a food by the Monarch butterfly. It grows throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands and has been used for medicinal purposes. You can make a poultice from the crushed leaves that emit a white milky latex and apparently the plant has antifungal, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties. Poultices have been applied to warts, ringworm and tumours and a powder made from the crushed roots of the Wild Ipecac is said to induce vomiting.
Closeup of the vibrant red-orange and yellow flowers of the Wild Ipecac
Christmas vine blooming on Provo
Happy New Year everyone!!
Finally while travelling down Venetian Road, I spotted a vivid flash of red……….Ipomoea is the official name of this wild vine that grows in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Other names for this beautiful wild flower is Wild Potato or Christmas vine because it generally blooms around Christmas and New Year. This one was growing along the roadside but most often you see them climbing and clinging to trees. I can’t believe the colour as it is always such a bright scarlet red.
Cheers, and I hope we can stay awake to bring the New Year in!!
Marta