Green algae-covered skulls in cave at Londo Nanggala, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Torajans believe that you can take your worldly posessions with you to your afterlife. So burials included posessions. Theft of the burial items led the Torajans to build grave sites in caves hollowed out in cliff faces, and to “hang” coffins from the cliff faces - as you will see in the attached photos.
Photo credit: Rhett A. Butler
The Jabuticaba(Plinia cauliflora) is a fruit-bearing tree native to Minas Gerais and São Paulo states in southeastern Brazil. The tree is grown for its purplish-black, white-pulped fruits; they can be eaten raw or be used to make jellies and drinks (plain juice or wine). Other common names include Brazilian Grape Tree, Jaboticaba, Jabotica, Jabuticabeira, Guaperu, Guapuru, Hivapuru, Sabará and Ybapuru
Photo credit: Roberto Hoffman
XTREEM CAULIFLORY
Summer sunset or Very cherry?? by Vicki’s Nature on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Swamp hibiscus bud
Georgia yard
Funny story: our swamp hibiscus are in an out-of-the-way spot in our lower yard because it floods a lot and these giant plants like wet feet. Our new landscaper asked me about the, ahem, unusual plants in our lower yard. Swamp hibiscus grow 7 feet tall and resemble a very well-known and illegal plant ;-) I laughed and told him - they’re Swamp hibiscus! And encouraged him to come back soon because they were about to start blooming for the summer. Well, he WAS back to do another job for me and his jaw dropped when he saw the giant buds and flowers on these plants. He pulled out his camera to get some flower shots. I was surprised he wasn’t familiar with these hibiscus because some of our parks are even planting them now.
Thanks for the heads-up on Explore!
Гибискус
Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS.
Gaura lindheimeri - White Gaura
Bloom time: May
Flower color: White fade to pink
Exposure: Sun
Height: 4 - 5 feet
Achillea x ’ Moonshine’ - Moonshine Yarrow
Bloom time: May
Flower color: Lemon yellow
Exposure: Sun
Height: 24 inches
Nematoceras dienemum, the Windswept Helmet-orchid, is a tiny (30-50 mm tall) plant endemic to subantarctic Macquarie Island. It was discovered in 1978 and only described as a species in 1993. This orchid grows in clonal colonies among mosses on peaty coastal terraces at 10 sites. Its green flowers distinguish it from its red-flowered congener and fellow Macquarie Island endemic, N. sulcatum. The introduction of rabbits to the island is causing a gradual degradation of this plant’s habitat, and it is now listed as critically endangered.
