Monday, May 24, 2010

A beauty amidst a chaotic environment!

Clerodendrum intermedium

This post is again inspired by Autumn Belle's post on the same genus, which reminded me i have this photos a few years back in my files. I found this growing in the thicket under secondary growth vegetation. I remember i have been seeing this flowers also when we were children and exploring the wilderness at the disguise that we were playing in neighbor's yard.

Mothers don't permit us if we will tell the truth that we are exploring dense vegetation in the nearby "forest", otherwise known as untended coconot groves left for themselves. The undergrowths have been colonized by thick vegetation of shrubs, grasses, vines and a lot more. Mothers of course are afraid that their kids will be bitten by snakes, scorpions or insects which are dangerous, and of course limbs with lots of scratches or wounds. 

But we kids then have strategies!!!



At close scrutiny, the florets somewhat resemble that of Clerodendrum of Autumn Belle. However, the plants habit is definitely different, this being erect and simple compared to its bushy sister.

This also produces berries or fruits which turn violet or blue when ripe. I just haven't seen birds eating them, that's something i should know later if i am still brave enough to go inside the thicket.

In Tagalog this is called 'kasupanggil' and it has some medicinal values.

23 comments:

  1. My dear friend, thank you very much for your kind mention and link to me. I'm also linking to your post.

    Your pictures further convince me that this genus consists of pretty and colourful small little flowers. Af first I though it was the Pagoda Flower, Clerodendrum paniculatum but no, the leaves are different. Yours has medicinal value, I think also used in chinese herbalogy.

    Your childhood naration do remind me of mine too. Playing with plants and flowers was such a natural process of growing up then. I think we worry more about the spanking later than the injury or beaten by snakes. Scratches and minor wounds were marks of our adventure 'achievements' ;)

    Do you know what's the difference between clerodendrum and clerodendron? Are both the same?

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  2. A very informative post about the flower...this is the first time I have seen this kind and I am so happy to learn a new thing today.

    My Today's Flower post is now up HERE.

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  3. This is a new plant for me Andrea - I recognised AutumnBelles but not yours. Its got a very nice stature standing tall with lovely little blooms.

    I too can relate to childhood exploits only we didnt have snakes and scorpions to contend with - cuts and bruises aplenty......... we had quick sand in part of the moat in the old Norman fort near where we lived........

    I wonder are we as brave in later life than childhood days..... I suppose we'll find out if you venture into that thicket!

    Have a lovely week Andrea.

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  4. Autumn Belle
    Rosie

    hahaha i love the responses i got from this post, i am just doing my posts spontaneously and this one really triggered by your post Autumn Belle. Nobody here is planting this domesticated in their gardens, only found in thickets till now. Maybe i should start selling them in garden shows, what do you think!!!

    Certainly childhood memories evoke lots of amusements and stirrings from our memory lane here with us in adult lives. Look at you Rosie, you remembered the quicksand near your place which we dont have in both the Philippines and Malaysia. Rosie, i think we are braver during those days than now. I suppose so, regardless of the knowledge we are equipped with now. Maybe the saying is true "what you don't know won't bother you". So maybe the idiots are happier than us!!!

    Jenn - i am glad i am of help providing some unknown information. Thank you.

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  5. Andrea, I love the childhood memories associated with certain flowers or shrubs.

    Interesting in that we have a 'shrub', Clerodendrum (Clerodendron) trichotomum, beautiful flower and whose leaves smell like peanut butter.

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  6. What a beautiful creature to come across in the wild ... especially as a child! I can understand your mother's concern! Children have no fear... well sometimes! Thanks for the introduction to this stunning plant. ;>)

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  7. Andrea, I haven't seen those seeds before. Glad to see them here. The flowers are really red and pretty though but I seldom see them around. Have a great day!

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  8. The flowers are just lovely...I love the shade of coral.

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  9. A very beautiful and, for me, unusual flower. Thanks for a great post.

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  10. Hi Andrea - Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and for your comment. I am off to read through your posts and see more gorgeous photos. Wow, I'm so happy I found you.

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  11. Hi Andrea, i'm catching up on blog posts now...thank you so much for all the messages you left on my blog. You're right about the gardening bit. There's nothing better than to see growth in front of our eyes.

    This variety of clerodendron is found here too. The leaves resemble another edible variety from the same family. It is believed to control blood pressure and has been used in traditional medicine for a long time.

    Your pictures in your last post are awesome! have a great week!

    Kanak

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  12. Clerodendron is an amazing genus, with so many stunning species. When I was a girl, we kids spent all day roaming the palmetto scrub and oak woods that surrounded our property. When I think back, it is a wonder none of us were bitten by a rattlesnake!

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  13. I've never seen this flower before so I'm happy to learn about a new one. Thanks for stopping by my blog recently and leaving a comment.

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  14. Exploring old coconut groves! It sounds idyllic for child and adult as well. Thanks for the peek into your world. The flower is beautiful!

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  15. Di- thanks for your visit, Clerodendrum and Clerodendron somehow looks like a typo error, but they are different. There is one Clerodendron thomsoniae which actually is just a species of Clerodendrum. And the erect structure of both plants might be interchangeable for non-taxonomists!

    Carol - yes thanks children seem fearless, as i said what you dont know wont scare you, hehe!

    Steph - what seeds are you saying? Maybe you mean the fruits, the seeds are still inside, hehe.

    Noelle and Sandy - may you not get tired of visiting, thank you.

    Cathy - thanks also for your kind words, i hope you will drop by again for comments which i really appreciated so much!

    Kanak - as i said earlier above to Di, they might look similar but they are different. Thanks for your visit and info, i hope you are now back to blogging after what happened to your family.

    Floridagirl - Clerodendrum please, hehe. I think there is no rattlesnake here but pythons are plenty and kids just might end up eaten whole.

    Mr Brown Thumb -thanks for dropping by and hope you visit again.

    Deb - it is a pleasure to be visited by a good photographer, i am sorry for the quality of my photos but i am trying to improve. I am learning from posts like yours. thank you.

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  16. I can imagine there'd be lots to explore in those "forests"!

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  17. Hi Andrea, thanks for reminding of Clerodendrum. I had a different variety in my Florida yard but loved the nearly year-round blooms--as did the butterflies and hummingbirds. Is your variety a host plant too?

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  18. Wendy- yes there's a lot of exciting things to see in the thicket, in fact i still go there these days for whatever exciting things to see.

    Kathleen - yes it is visited also by butterflies and insects. A lot of things exciting to shoot in there, especially if a macro lens is available. thanks for visiting.

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  19. This clerodendron resembles the one which grows in the rainforests . It is known as 'Pagoda flower'.

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  20. Andrea, I tried to access your post on the Cannonball treemany times, but each time I got a message "Internet cannot show you the page".

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  21. aloha,

    i always love this clerodendron, although here in hawaii it beomes extremely invasive like all the clerodendrons, still they are beautiful

    come and join me for the hot meme for the end of the month.

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  22. Lotus leaf and Noel - i wonder why even if i correctly put Clerodendrum here, and even discussed the differences, many of you still call it Clerodendron, which is a different genus. I am really puzzled about that!

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  23. Lotusleaf - maybe it will be faster downloading if you will put this link to your URL window http://abagillon.blogspot.com/2008/04/bodhi-tree.html

    Or maybe you can click the Shorea robusta Roxb at the labels below. Thanks for trying. It was posted in 2008 so maybe takes time to download now.

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Your comments inspire me to post more, and our conversations make life and gardening more meaningful.

However, Anonymous comments and personal back links give me problems, so i don't publish them. Anonymous + back links = SPAM = DELETE

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