The comeback nature walk of this year will commence on this February, at the First Old Course. There are seven species to be introduced in the reserved area which is uncommonly shown in the previous nature walk. This walk would be quite challenging by approaching the non-disturb area naturally maintained.
Golden Leaves of Samanea saman-Rain Tree
Royal Selangor Golf Club known with so many huge and healthy rain tree especially in the parking area. The Rain Tree is native to Central America but is commonly planted as a shade tree throughout the tropics. Among many rain trees propagated in Singapore, a few are found with yellow, rather than green foliage. It seems likely that this is due to a genetic mutation, but the exact cause of yellowing has yet to be identified.
As the signature for the 125th year anniversary of RSGC, a golden rain tree was planted on 18 Old Course in 2019 and the other one planted between Hole 1 and 9 Old Course. The tree – “Yellow” Samanea saman is a genetic variation of the rain tree which produces golden yellow leaves. Owning to its beautiful golden foliage, the yellow rain tree is highly sought after and becoming more popular for planting in Singapore because of its uniqueness.
Along my site visit to Singapore Botanical Garden, the worker who guided our tour shared his tips to maintain the yellow rain tree to stay in yellow colour.
Milletia pinnata – Mempari, Karum Tree
Milletia pinnata or previously known as Pongamia pinnata is a tropical fast growing medium sized tree that can grow to 12-15 metre high. It is deciduous with an umbrella shaped crown and spreading drooping branches.
The trunk is usually short with thick branches. It has a straight or crooked trunk, 50-80 centimetres in diameter, with grey-brown bark which is smooth or vertically fissured. The bark is greyish brown, smooth and faintly fissured and yellow on the inside. It has extensive lateral roots which makes it suitable for controlling soil erosion. Mempari is often planted as a shade and ornamental tree. it tolerates moderate level of salinity so is ideal for planting along waterways and seashores.
The young leaves are pinkishred and mature leaves deep glossy green in colour. The leaves are a soft, shiny burgundy when young and mature to a glossy, deep green with prominent veins underneath. The flowers, 1.9 centimetre long, located in the leaf axils, fragrant white to pinkish appear in bunches. The pods are thick, bitter non-edible oil, which has been used in tanning leather and making lubricants, pesticides and soaps.
Its fruit is a pale brown pod, flat but thick, oblong and each with a beak at its end. Each pod usually contains 1 seed measuring about 3.5-5 centimetre long.
It is well known in ‘Bushcraft & survival ‘ which was used as fire tinder, to lighten the fire easily. With this valuable tree, the cost of the trunk would be quite hugher.
The cream, cylindrical male cones in clusters of 3-5
Agathis borneensis – Damar Minyak, Malayan Kauri
Agathis borneensis is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family. It grows naturally in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatera. Occurs in upland tropical rainforests at altitudes up to 1,200 metres.
Agathis borneensis grows to a maximum height of 50 metres. it has a conical shaped canopy with light brown to grey bark. The bark may be rough, scaly or dimpled. It has smooth, dark green elliptic leaves with entire leaf margin. Leaves are opposite or subopposite.
Since this species is a conifer, it produces cylindrical dark brown cones while seed cones are brown and ellipsoid to round.
The wood is normally used to make musical instruments such as guitars and pianos and also cabinets. It also provides a high quality resin.
Paper Bark Tree
Melaleuca cajaputi – Gelam, Kayu Putih, Paper Bark Tree
Gelam, is an evergreen tree which can grow up to 20 metre tall. It has a narrow –round to oval shaped dense crown. The trunk is twisted, whitish in colour with thick spongy bark. The tree is very distinctive because of its flaky bark which can be peeled off in large flakes like sheets of paper giving rise to its common name paper Bark tree.
The Gelam is a fast growing hardy tree which can be planted in most conditions from poor soils to waterlog conditions making it suitable for urban environment. When planted closely together they make a good screen and windbreak.
The leaves are thick leathery and smooth, when crushed they give off the fragrance of a ‘tea tree’. The flowers are small and creamy white. The fruits are small, brown, woody capsules which are borne along the twigs of the tree.
The wood has been popularly used for firewood, posts, piling, carvings and cabinet work. This species is extremely hardy and tolerant of all sorts of tough conditions such as poor soil, heat or even too much or too little water.
This tree is suitable to be planted along roadsides and highways. This species also suits well for sensory garden s particularly for its bark which gives a papery texture.
Leopard Tree
Libidibia ferrea – Brazilian Ironwood, ‘Leopard Tree’
The Brazilian Ironwood is a medium sized tree which grows up to 20 metre tall. Formerly known as Caesalpinia ferrea. It originates from Tropical America including Brazil and Bolivia. It is a deciduous tree.
It is slow growing, has an umbrella shaped crown with graceful drooping branches. The trunk is smooth light grey to whitish yellow molted with brown spots, resembling the colouration of leopard’s hide, giving rise to its other common name ‘Leopard Tree’.
The leaf is bipinnately compound and feathery looking. The flowers are yellow, small, fragrant and borne in bunches at branch tips. Seedpods are dark brown, woody, flattened when mature.
The wood of Brazillian Ironwood is dense and heavy. A block of dried seasoned wood will sink in water unlike most other types of wood. The specific epithet ‘ferrea’ (iron in Latin) is a reference to the hardness of the wood.
It is suitable as an ornamental specimen in parks and gardens. This species prefers full sun with moderate water.
The naked seeds of Jati Laut from blue to bright red
Podocarpus rumphii –Jati Laut, Kayu Cina, Sandu
Podocarpus rumphii is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 20 metres tall. It is native to Malaysia. The crown becomes irregular when mature. The bark is reddish brown, narrowly fissured and flaky as the tree matures.
The leaves are dark green, tough and leathery. It is narrow, linear and taper at the apex. Leaves arranged spirally tend to be larger in juvenile trees than those on mature trees.
It is a dioecious tree with male and female cones on different trees. The cream coloured, cylindrical male cones develop in clusters of 3-5. The female cones develop singly and consist of a single ovule. The seed is green upon maturity, with fleshy bright red receptacle.
The seeds are eaten by birds and bats.
Chinaberry Tree or Pride of India
Melia azedararachChinaberry Tree, Pride of India, Bead tree
Melia azedarach, commonly known by many names, including Chinaberry Tree, Pride of India, Bead Tree and Indian Lilac. This species is a deciduous tree in the Mahagony family, Meliaceae.
It can attain a height of 45 metres. the leaves are up to 50 centimetres long, alternate, long-petioled, two or three times compound (oddpinnate). The leaflets are dark green above and lighter green below with serrate margins. the flowers are small and fragrant, star-shaped, with five pale purple or lilac petals,growing in clusters about 18 milimetres in diameter. It is a monoecious. This species regenerates rapidly from seed and by suckering.
The leaves are bipinnate with oval to elliptical-shaped leaflets from 20-70 milimetres long and are dark green in colour. The flowers are purple in colour with fragrant. The fruit is a drupe, marble-sized, light yellow at maturity. The bark is brown with narrow furrows which give a striped appearance.
It is a medium density wood and ranges in colour from light brown to dark red. The fruits are poisonous to humans if eaten in large quantity.
