Tulostoma: Rare Fungus in Chek Jawa Coastal Forest

Never a day in Chek Jawa and not learning something new. Here on her coastal hill is found a rarely seen fungus called Tulostoma.

Its leathery basidiocarp is shaped like a miniature durian a centimeter in diameter and borne on a stalk. Because of this unique feature, it is commonly called a Stalked Puffball.

The immature basidiocarps are brown, woody and inconspicuous.

It makes me wonder if Tulostoma (as rigid as it appears) disperses its spores in the same explosive way as other puffballs do, and whether the wild boars whose presence on the coastal hill is so evident smell them out and snack on them.

There is truly no end to wonderment in Chek Jawa, I must say. You are ten thousandfold more likely to drown in wonderment than from any mishap in the seas here. [ha ha]

And if I may invite you to pause a moment to imagine Tulostoma's mycelia - those invisible masses of fungal threads that bind and effect life in the good earth - maybe we might just allow Chek Jawa to expand our thoughts into her invisible and infinite embodiment of cells - of all her plants, animals, protists, bacteria as well as fungi - and imagine relationships upon relationships beyond the phenotype to the molecular, the genes and the proteins... we might just see the common Thread of Life we share so intrinsically and how inseparable we humans are even to the inorganic minerals found in the rocks of Chek Jawa, dissolved in the seas and falling from the sky.

Calophyllum pulcherrimum: Additions to the Flora of Keppel Island

She is indeed a double beauty - beautiful, most beautiful. Calophyllum pulcherrimum derives her name from Greek Kalos - beautiful, and Latin pulcherrimum - most beautiful.

Last week, she set off a most spectacular firework of creamy white flowers shooting in all directions from her lofty perch atop the small hillock at Keppel Island. I could not have asked for a better start to my second flora survey of the island.

There was only one leaf at the foothill but I found it. A fine-veined somewhat glossy leaf a-glimmering in the light. It was as if cast down like a delicate silk handkerchief to snare my attention and say, "Hey Joe, I am here above. Look. Don't miss me out in your census ok".

I present you thus a list of additions (including Miss Beautiful-Most Beautiful) to the Flora of Keppel Island below.

Additions to the Flora of Keppel Island

Arthrophyllum diversifolium

Asystasia nemorum

Calophyllum pulcherrimum

Caryota mitis

Cissus hastata

Clidemia hirta

Cocos nucifera

Crinum asiatica

Dendrophthoe pentandra

Dicranopteris linearis

Dillenia suffructicosa

Elaeis guineensis

Fibraurea tinctoria

Ficus microcarpa

Lygodium circinnatum

Lygodium microphyllum

Mikania micrantha

Nephrolepis biserrata

Pandanus odoratissimus

Passiflora laurifolia

Ptychosperma macarthurii

Spathodea campanulata

Syzygium campanulatum

Taenitis blechnoides

Triphasia trifolia

Vitex pinnata

Gordonia penangensis: A Treasure on Keppel Island

Standing wild and free on the northern face of Keppel Island is a veritable grove of native trees of undisputed rarity and antiquity. It is really a miracle how they could have survived against the relentless pace of urban and economic development engulfing them from all sides. Yet they did.

Tall and brave I see them now as soldiers defending their fort on a knoll facing ultra-modern Reflections by the Bay in defiance. True courage, like flowering, comes spontaneous and pure and lives forever. It may wilt but never die. The spirit lives and re-appears again and again.

Finding Gordonia penangensis and finding it flowering thus is metaphorically so profound. It is as rare as courage standing up to the threat of extinction from its native soil. We must stand on their side and fight the good fight.

I am glad I came on Sunday (15 Jan 2012) to explore. It is my first visit to the island though I knew it since 1981 as a young navy man called to the Fleet at Pulau Brani. Back then, Keppel Island was known as Pulau Hantu. Few would have known there were actually 2 Pulau Hantu's in Singapore. But we did.

It was just a tiny island with a shack or two and a small untidy wharf on its southern shore. Over time it grew a little bigger and now completely transformed into a playground for both the rich and poor, young and old. I am glad its forest persisted. We ought to treasure it and keep for good.

To those interested in history, geography and botany of Singapore, I present you some old maps (below) which bear the old name, and also a hearty roll call of plant names proudly served to you as a first flora of Keppel Island. May these soldiers live forever in our heart and mind.

First Flora of Keppel Island listed right below of this blogpost. Notable find in bold and exceptionally significant in red.

Northern shore of Keppel Island (indicated by black arrows) where the grove of trees are located. The new coastal walkway runs along the yellow line.

The pre-transformation look of Keppel Island.

Old map no.1

Old map no. 2

Old map no.3

First Flora of Keppel Island

Acacia auriculiformis

Acacia mangium

Adenanthera bicolor

Adenanthera pavonina

Alstonia angustifolia

Bhesa robusta

Buchanania arborescens

Calophyllum inophyllum

Canthium confertum

Carallia brachiata

Casuarina equisetifolia

Cerbera sp.

Champereia manillana

Cinnamomum iners

Clerodendrum laevifolium

Commersonia bartramia

Diospyros lanceifolia

Dracaena maingayi

Fagraea fragrans

Ficus grossularioides

Garcinia nigrolineata

Gordonia penangensis

Guioa pubescens

Gynochthodes sublanceolata

Indorouchera griffithiana

Ipomoea pes-tigridis

Lasianthus cyanocarpus

Litsea elliptica

Macaranga heynei

Melastoma malabathricum

Memecylon edule var ovatum

Morinda umbellata

Oncospermum tigilarium

Palaquium obovata

Pouteria obovata

Pteris vittata

Rapanea porteriana

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa

Rodamnia cinearia

Sapium discolor

Scaevola sericea

Streblus elongatus

Symplocos adenophylla

Syzygium glaucum

Syzygium grande

Syzygium palembanicum

Syzygium zeylanicum

Tetracera indica

See Additions to the Flora of Keppel Island