Some Observations - Growing Platycerium

Pic 1. July 2015

Pic 1. July 2015:  New shoots appeared on Guru Purnima Day. Some algae growing near too. 

Pic 2. December 2015

Pic 2. December 2015: The North East Monsoon started sometime in September and the rains continued through October...still going on with an occasional sunny day. Lichens have appeared near the base of some fronds.

Pic 3. December 2015

Pic 3. December 2015: Platycerium seems to be liking the showers and thunderstorms. Both the silvery copper fronds in the base and the green fronds which bear spores are growing well. The Lichens can be seen in the base.

Patchouli: From the Sunshine to the Shade

...Climate Change, Shrinking Habitat
Then: It is known that some mothers’ mothers planted Patchouli saplings in the sunshine near their laterite wells to draw water from for their growing plants. Patchouli plants grow better with regular watering when the laterite soil around them is moist; not caking and dry.
 
When the winds of the North East monsoon blew bringing the rains with them, the plants would give forth their white blossoms competing in brilliance with the soft, off-white mundu and neriyathu drapes worn by these grandmothers.

Patchouli was extensively grown in several regions of the Western ghats in area receiving good sunlight. In the Malayalam language, Patchouli is known as ‘patcha ella’; in Tamil as ‘patcha ellai’ which translates to ‘green leaves’ in English. Patchouli derives its name from these two languages.

Now: These days it is difficult to grow Patchouli in direct sunlight. The leaves get scorched and the plants just dry up and have to be discarded.

Growing patchouli under the shade of trees helps. Some plants start to flower when the winds of the North East monsoon blow.

Patchouli planted in the shade in Thiruvananthapuram flowering

An observation: Young kittens without a mother to care for them and having a startled-response to stimuli, preferring to to hide behind tall ferns.......

.......after a few months seem more relaxed when they spend time under flowering patchouli.

One of the kittens- seven months old

Days of heavy rainfall before the scheduled South West Monsoon

… and unusual blossoms.

The South West monsoon which hits Kerala is scheduled to begin in 1st June or end of May. A map of this year’s monsoon by the Indian Meteorological Department is given below.

 

The website of the Indian Meteorological Department is very interesting and informative.

This year the season rainfall from 1 March to 20 May was much higher than the normal rainfall in all the districts of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram district recorded 598.1mm of rainfall . The normal rainfall during this period is 277 mm. The percentage departure is 116% -an excess

Last year in 2014 the premonsoon rainfall was normal in all the districts of Kerala except in Thiruvananthapuram and Wynad which showed an excess percentage of departure.

The excess rainfall in all the districts of Kerala, this year has brought flooding of rainwater into homes. Many roads and streets are still waist-deep with water. There is coastal erosion causing  havoc to human life, much before the scheduled monsoon.

The laterite soil sprung some wonders after the first heavy downpour.

Fire Ball Lily / Foot Ball Lily (Haemanthus multiflorus)

Where did the bulbs come from ? 
There was a surprise from an old coconut tree. An Ipomea growing from within its narrow hollow gave forth blossoms. The lichens still linger on the old coconut trees.

An Ipomea growing from within an old coconut tree, blossoms

Reference: 
1. Indian Meteorological Department (Ministry Earth Sciences, Government of India)

Waiting for the Monarch butterfly.....blossoms of Calotropis gigantea

 ...in the October rains, North East Monsoon.

It takes about fifteen months after planting saplings of the shrub Calotropis gigantea to flower. Calotropis gigantea is commonly known as 'Arakku' in the Malayalam language and 'Madar' in Hindi. 

Planted the saplings in a place with direct sunlight. Saplings did not need much watering. Found that plants could be watered once in three days even with day temperatures high as 29 degrees celsius. Possible that humidity in the environment helps.

Observed that visitors like butterflies and bees hover and linger for quite some over the flowers.

Flower Buds of Calotropis gigantea

Waiting for the Monarch butterfly ...blossoms of Calotropis gigantea

Blossoms in the October rains, North East Monsoons

Calotropis gigantea shrubs growing in a sunny area in the laterite soil