Water plants

There are three kinds of waterplants here. The flowers cannot wait to be posted, the names will come later. Plants seen at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Water Lilies

Watch this video clip to find out.

Lotus embroidery

Yes, this is not a painting. This is very fine embroidery adorning a wall in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Sago Lane.

Camera: Olympus SP550UZ
ISO400
1/8 Sec
f/3.2
hand-held

Vesak Day flower

Lotus, Singapore Botanical Gardens

For harmony and peace in the world.

May flower - Water Canna

Nature's jewellery. Click on picture to examine the details.

Thalia geniculata

Family: Marantaceae

Origin: Tropical America

Echinodorus palaefolius - Mexican Sword-plant

There are many of these in the Singapore Botanic Gardens growing in the man-made ponds and streams at the entrance next to the Taman Serasi Foodcourt in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Somehow I had not thought of this plant growing anywhere else other than in public parks and it was a pleasant surprise to see this plant flourishing in my friend's garden. This lovely corner of her garden provides much joy to her husband and her, as well as to visitors like me.Beautiful gardens need not be large as my friend has proven. All it takes is imagination and most of all a love for plants and nature to create your piece of tranquility and beauty at your doorstep.

Water Plants

These water plants were photographed in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Thalia dealbata remind me of delicate crepe paper and the Thalia geniculata look like fishing rods. These flowers never fail to make me stop in my tracks to examine them closer whenever I see them. When you next walk by the water's edge, do look out for them.

Family : Marantaceae
Common Name: Water Canna
Origin : Tropical America

Thalia Dealbata

References for Thalia Dealbata:

http://www.wildflower2.org/NPIN/Plants/Detail.asp?Symbol=THDE

http://images.google.com.sg/images?hl=en&q=thalia+dealbata

http://www.botany.com/thalia.html

Thalia geniculata
References for Thalia Geniculata:

http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/images.asp?plantID=3590

http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/view.asp?chkbox=5443

Thumbelina's petal bed.

Thumbelina is a fairy tale about a girl of that name who was only the size of a thumb. She had to overcome adversities thrown onto her path before she was able to find true love. Being nature's child, she drank dew and slumbered in a soft, pink petal in a pond full of beautiful water plants.In an encounter with a toad, she managed to escape from the unpleasant prospect of marrying the toad's son but lost her petal bed. Perhaps this one belongs to her. But no matter, by now she would have married a prince and is safe from the toad and the likes of her. In my version of this fairy tale, the pond was a jungle of giant lotus flowers and leaves seen from Thumbelina's point of view.

Botanical name: Nelumbo nucifera

Water Lily - Nymphaea sp.

Family: Nymphaeceae

Common name: Water Lily

One flower is lovely and a pond full of water-lily blooms is one of the biggest treat nature can give.

Eichhornia azurea -Water Hyacinth

This aquatic plant originates in South America and is a weed that can wreak havoc in waterways and lakes in some countries because it is an extremely fast grower. Here in a small pond in Kent Ridge Park its function is ornamental and should it threaten to enshroud the entire pond, its spread can easily be controlled. The flowers are lilac in colour and each petal sports a yellow heart design making them very attractive and appealing to photographers as well as bees. I had originally labelled these flowers as "Eichhornia crassipes" and found out later that they are Eichhornia azurea or commonly known as the Peacock water hyacinth. The water level in the pond appeared to have receded a little as I was able to examine this bunch of flowers at very close range without stepping on water.

I can see that it is a very hardy plant because the leaves are strong and sturdy and the flowers are upright and hardy.

It was great to have come across these lovely blooms.