Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bushes on the shores

Sea hibisicus (Hibiscus tiliaceus)

Can grow quite tall and bushy, identified by the heart-shaped leaves that have tiny slits on the veins on the underside. These slits produce a substance that attracts ants.
The flower is yellow when it first blooms, turning orange as it ages. This develops into a pod that splits open when ripe to reveal little seeds. Small Cotton stainer bugs feed on the seeds and during a fruiting period, there can be lots of these colourful bugs.

Sea lettuce (
Scaveola sericea)

The shrub can be quite tall and bushy. Leaves large and waxy. The little white flowers have a unique structure developing into a round fruit.
Chengam (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea)

A rather small shrub, with small flowers in clusters, developing into oval fruits.

More about some of these plants
on the Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore
Chengam (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea)
Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliceus)

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