Volcano and Spathoglottis

Have you hear about Mount Krakatoa?

Yeah, it’s one of Volcano Mountain in my country, which had a huge erupted in 1883. Krakatoa is thought to have wiped out all life on three of the four Krakatoa islands.

A survey 13 years later, in 1896, revealed a Spathoglottis plicata to be one of three orchids among the pioneers to re-colonize the bare ground, together with Cymbidium, and Arundina. By 1906, Spathoglottis was recorded as being common on the islands. It is thought that the tiny seeds were easily blown across the 40-km (30 mile) stretch of water between these islands and Java. And now, Spathoglottis plicata has common plant cultivation in my city. In Bandung, the city where I take lesson here, there are many.

Spathoglottis plicata

Cymbidium sp.

Arundinaria sp.

And talking about Spathoglottis, this genus having 40 species, confirmed to habitats in south-east Asia and Australia. Spatoglottis are reliable as garden plants when grown in tropical to subtropical climates in position of semi-shade or full sun. And one of the species of this genus is locally rare and restricted, due to the loss of its habitats in Borneo or Kalimantan Island, Indonesia (Rare in the Red List of 1997). Land has been claimed for farming and for development from both lowland forest and lower mountain forest at elevation of 100-1.800m. This treated species name is Spathoglottis confusa. I don’t know it conservation progress now, is it still survives, or become endanger in Red List. I don’t know what government has done to conserve this species.

Sometimes, I think that our government doesn’t care about their biodiversity plant of their country. Yeah, my country is still a develop country, so they (the government) only focus on economic sites, and development. They don’t realize that our mega diversity organism, especially diversity of plants, will also raise our economics.

I hope, as soon as possible, my country will realize that we have a super precious treasure, which must be protected and used for our nation prosperity. And the welfare of the country can be reached.

For a better Indonesian.

Reference from:

Marinelli, Janet. 2004. Plant. Dorling Kindersley Limited. London.

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Agaves

In communities of drought-tolerant (xerophytic) plants, succulents are often the dominant type of vegetation. Succulents have aroused the curiosity of botanists. Hmm, having a talk about succulents, I want to tell u much about Agaves. Do you know what agaves are?

Agaves are found in diverse habitats from dry and temperate forest to grassland, savanna, shrub land, desert, and scrub. A number of Agave species are important commercial crops. Is it commercial? Yeah, maybe some of you only know that agaves only shrub and disgusting plant. No, you definitely wrong if you only think that agaves only plants like that. Yes, it can be a commercial plant, but just a number of species.

A number of species agaves have precious liquid. Agave sap has been used to make liquor for millennia. When the plants approach flowering maturity, the leaves are cut off and the “hearts” or “pinas”, weighting up to 80kg, harvested and crushed.

Pulque, produced from fermented juice, and must be drunk after it is made. The species most used for this are Agave salmiana and Agave mapisaga. But the best drink is tequila, distilled from the fermented sap of Agave tequilana. Tequila can only be distilled from agaves which its leaves are blue.

Agave  salmiana

Agave mapisaga (the giant agave)

Agave tequilana

Agaves leaves also contain though fibers that were worked into cord and cloth by the Maya and Aztecs before the Spanish invasion. Sisal, takes from a port in Yucatan, Mexico, from where the fibers were shipped. Obtain from the leaves from Agave sisalana, sisal is still preferred to synthetic materials for many uses, because of its strength, resistance to stretching, and durability when exposed to heat, sunlight and saltwater. This species grows very easily in mild, temperate, and even tropical climates. So, because it can live in tropical climates, its means that Agave sisalana can also grow easily in Indonesian. And it could be a chance to our farmers to get highly profit to plant them, and produce sisal for export.

Agave sisalana

And it’s important for you to know, that agaves are “Monocarpic” plants. It takes a long time in vegetative phase, and then, when they are in generative phase, they would spread a very big terminal plentiful flower. And when they finish to having pollination, the flowers will die soon, and also the agaves it self. Having flowers, and then dying.

Reference from:

Marinelli, Janet. 2004. Plant. Dorling Kindersley Limited. London.

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