Indo-Pacific land environment – Jungle

Asian forest scorpion

Heterometrus sp.

Their big clamps allow them to capture their preys. This scorpion has a poisonous sting at the end of its abdomen. It is used as a defensive mechanism but sometimes it is also used to paralyze their preys. It is a solitary specimen that lives in the brush of the forests.

Emperor newt

Tylototritón shanjing

It is a specimen of great size and bright colors. Its orange warts along its dorsum and back are poison glands. It is a ravenous animal with terrestrial habits that only goes into the water for depositing its eggs.

Indian muntjac

Muntiacus muntjak

It is a small deer from the woods that can easily move with agility through the thickness of the jungle. Males have small antlers and tusks that protrude from the upper jaw. The female species has a protrusion with a tuft of fur. Feeds on leaves, fruit and small animals.

Malayan forest toad

Bufo asper

It is a large-sized toad of terrestrial life but associated to rivers and streams. When in danger it secretes a toxic substance through its skin, the bufotoxin, to persuade its predators. This substance can produce difficulties in locomotion, postration or convulsions. It feeds on invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Malayan horned frog

Megophrys nasuta

It is a species of robust frog that spends the majority of its time hidden in leaf litter of the forest grounds. Its cryptic coloration and its unusual appearance are similar to a leaf. Its attacks are challenging. It jumps over its predators, which are easily captured and swallowed. It is a very voracious species. It catches insects and arachnids

Oriental fire-bellied newt

Cynops orientalis

This species has a combination of colours that advises their predators about its toxicity. It secretes toxins through the skin, resulting in an unpleasant taste. The cynops orientalis is a quiet animal with paused movements and terrestrial life.

Oriental fire-bellied toads

Bombina orientalis

This species lives in large areas of forests and in rivers from the Southeast Asia. It has a reddish-orange ventral region mottled with black. When in danger it arches its back and lifts its head, displaying its brilliant colour and warning their predators about its toxicity. Eats invertebrates.

Alexander palm

Archontophoenix alexandrae

It is a palm native to Northeast of Australia. It grows in valleys and littoral rainforests, in locations that are severely inundated during heavy rain events. Its trunk is slim, ringed and widened in its base. Plumose leaves at the end of the trunk are combined and glaucous underside. Flowers are white and both female and male flowers are in the same plant. Its palmetto is edible. It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas.

Australian tree fern

Cyathea cooperi

It is a tree fern native to Australia. It reaches up to 15 metres (49 ft). The trunk is covered by a brownish hairiness. In the upper side it is covered with a light green colour fronds. Its reproduction is made by spores. It grows slowly. It is naturalized in many places. It is descendant of the large ferns that formed the forest millions  years ago.

Banks´rose

Rosa banksiae

It is a species of flowering plant native to central and western China, at altitudes of 2,200 m (7,218 ft). It is a scrambling shrubby vine growing vigorously to 6 m (20 ft) tall. Its leaves are evergreen and it is practically thornless. The flowers are small and smelly double roses Petals and fruits are edible.

Bird´s nest fern

Asplenium nidus Indo-Pacífico M. terrestre

It is a fern native to rainforests of South-east Asia. It grows as an epiphyte, that is, it is a plant that grows on tree trunks of the forest areas with little natural light. This fern is not parasite. It does not perforate the bark and it does not suck the sap of the host tree. Its reproduction is by spores developed in sori on the underside of the leaves or fertile fronds. Its leaves are glossy.

Bower of beauty

Pandorea jasminoides

It is a climbing vine native to Malesia and Australia. It is an evergreen species with woody stems. Leaves are bright and coriaceous. The big flowers grow in bell-shaped clusters going from white to pink according to the variety.  It does not have gripping systems but the long branches behave like lianas in the presence of trees or shrubs, using them of support to approach the light

Broadleaf lady palm

Raphis excelsa

It s a small palm native to souther China and Taiwan. It reaches almost 3 (10 ft) m in height in multi-stemmed clumps. A fibrous sheath remains attached to the base, similar to bamboo-like trunks. Its leaves are digitates and its round fruits are yellow.

Brush cherry

Syzygium paniculatum

It is a rainforest tree native to Eastern Australia. It can reach up to 15 m. (49 ft). It is dense and width and its bark is scaly. The leaves are opposite, simple, elliptic, finishing in a tip. They are dark and shiny above and dull below. Flowers are white and in clusters with a magenta fruit colour. It is edible an lightly acid. It is used as an ornamental plant.

Chinese banyan

Ficus microcarpa

It is an evergreen tree native to the Southeast of Asia and Australia. It can reach up to 15 m (49 ft). It has a thick foliage that provides a large shade. It is a hard and resistant tree, that is why is widely cultivated as ornamental tree in countries with warm climate. Pollination is made by the fig wasp. It is an invasive species, although it is also used as shelter and very attractive to birds in the cities.

Climbing fig

Ficus pumila

It is an evergreen vine native to Japan. The dense and thin branches cover the ground and climbs up walls. Its leathery leaves are small of dark green colour. It is fast-growing. It can reach up to 10 m (32 ft) tall. The flowers are small and the fruits of orange and purple colour have an unpleasant taste.

Dwarf umbrella tree

Schefflera arboricola

It is a shrub native to Taiwan and the Chinese Hainan island. It can reach up to 8 m (26.2 ft) tall. It is an evergreen species. Its aerial roots become functional when reaching the ground. It has digitate leaves with 7-9 shiny green leaflets in the obverse side and dull colour in the reverse. Its texture is leathery. The hermaphrodite flowers are arranged in panicles. It produces spherical fruit in drupes that are very appreciated by birds.

Foxtail palm

Wodyetia bifurcata

It is a species of palm endemic of Australia that can reach up to 10 m (32 ft)tall. It is an elegant palm with a smooth and thin. It is slightly spindle-shaped to columnar with dark grey rings. It finishes in a bright green crown giving it a feathery appearance. Both male and female flowers are produced on the same palm.

Giant fishtail palm

Caryota obtusa

It is a palm native to India. At present, it is spread all over the hills of Southeast Asia. It is a fast growing palm reaching up to 30 m (98 ft). The palm has a thick and long trunk with branches up to 90 cm (3ft) in diameter. Leaves are bipinnadas and leaflets are shaped like a triangle.

Grape ivy

Partenocissus tricuspidata

It is a vigorous climbing plant native to eastern Asia. Its tendrils and sticking pads allow this plant to adhere to smooth surfaces. It can reach up to 30 m (98.4 ft) tall. The deciduous leaves are composed of 3 folioles that change to orange-red colour during the fall. The small flowers are arranged in bunches. It produces dark blue berries. Its growing is fast. It can resists cold and water shortage. It is a melliferous plant.

Japanese aralia

Fatsia japonica

It is an evergreen shrub growing to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. It is native to Japan. It is commonly grown in dark and humid areas under 200 metres (656 ft) of altitude. The huge leaves are simple and palmately lobed, leathery, with long dark green petioles. The inflorescences are panicles in triangular shape with white flowers. They produce a globose fruit in drupe, green at first, tan at maturity.

Kentia palm

Howea forsteriana

It is a palm endemic to Lord Howe Island in Oceania. Its forests are very threatened. Despite this fact, it is a very popular species for growing indoors becoming one of the most popular house plant together with the African Arecas palm and the American Chamaedorea. It can reach up to 15 m (50ft). Its simple and slim trunk is cylindrical and green. The compound leaflets come out from the trunk on both sides of the rachis.

Moreton Bay fig

Ficus macrophylla

Night-scented lily

Alocasia odora

It is a herbaceous plant native to South-east Asia that can reach up to 4 m high (13.12 ft). The species occurs along the margins of rivers and in swamps in rainforests up to 1,700 meters (5,577 ft) in altitude. The light green leaves are huge. It is heart-shaped with strongly marked nerves. Its thick underground stems or rhizomes are edible when boiled.

Orchid tree

Bauhinia variegata

It is a small-sized tree with a round canopy native to the Southeast Asia. It is a semi-deciduous tree in the dry season. Leaves are long and rounded and bilobed at the base. It is a sacred tree for Buddhists. Its leaves, shoots and flowers are used as food item in South Asian cuisine. It is an ornamental tree in subtropical and tropical climates for its big scented flowers of bright pink colour.

Port Jackson fig

Ficus rubiginosa

It is a species of plant native to eastern Australia. It can reach 20 m (65 ft) high becoming a densely-shading tree. Evergreen tree with elliptical leaves. It is exclusively pollinated by a fig wasp. The fruits (figs) turn to red as they mature In tropical climates, the lower branches act as aerial roots. When they reach the ground they form secondary roots.

Pygmy date palm

Phoenix roebelenii

It is a small palm native of the Southeast Asia that can reach up to 3 m (9 ft). It is a slow-growing tree. It is cultivated in groups. It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and tropical and warm climate areas of New Zealand, Australia, California, .coasts of Texas and Florida. It requires grounds with high content in organic material.

Queen sago

Cycas circinalis

Se localiza en los bosques nativos de Sri Lanka. Tiene crecimiento lento y alcanza 3 m de altura. No es una palmera pero las hojas pinnadas que crecen en forma de roseta en la parte superior le dan este aspecto. Son reminiscencias vivas de los últimos bosques del periodo carbonífero. Las semillas son venenosas pero las toxinas se eliminan remojándolas en agua. La harina de éstas se usa para hacer tortas y gachas. Se encuentra en peligro crítico.

Rubber fig

Ficus elástica

It is a large tree native to India and Southeast Asia. The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches. It is an evergreen tree with broad shiny oval leaves. The fruit is a fig. It is grown around the world as an ornamental plant. It yields a toxic latex irritant to the eyes and skin. It is used for the rubber manufacture.

Sago palm

Cycas revoluta

The plant is very slow-growing that can reach up to 3 m. It is native to Southern Japan. From its straight and cylindrical trunk emerges long leaves of narrow leaflets. Leaves grow into a feather-like rosette similar to the palms. It is a dioecious plant, i.e. Each plant carries only female or only male flowers. It is extremely poisonous. It is one of the few species that still remains from the Tertiary Age.

Soft tree fern

Balantium antarcticum

It is a tree fern native to Australia. It grows in hills and humid gullies. It can reach up to 15 m (49 ft). It has an underground rhizome forming a vertical fibrous trunk. Its canopy can reach 2 to 6 m (6-19 ft) where the leaves and fronds are expanded. Reproduction is primarily from spores. The pith of the plant is edible and it is a good source of starch.

Solitary fishtail palm

Caryota maxima

It is a solitary, large and vigorous palm native to India. Its growth is fast reaching up to 15 m (50 ft) tall. Its robust and whitish stem has male and females flowers in the same plant. Leaves are bippinades. It is crowded by a rosette giving the appearance of a tree more than of a palm. Fruit is used to make wine palm.

Springfire

Metrosideros collina

It is a small tree or bush native to Polynesia and New Zealand. This evergreen shrub can grow up to around 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. Its shape is oval. The showy flowers are composed of numerous red and long stamens with green foliage. It is a very floriferous species. It receives the nickname of New Zealand Christmas tree. It is an important source of nectar for insects.

Walking stick bamboo

Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda

Bamboo endemic to the valleys of Sichuan and Yunnan in China. It can reach up to 6 m (19 ft) high with a stem diameter up to 1.3 cm (0.013 ft). The branches hang from the nodes with thin and green leaves. The stem has flattened discs-like swellings in the nodes. In China they have made a living out of creating unique bamboo walking canes for more than 2,000 years.

Weeping fig

Ficus benjamina

It is a fig tree native to Southeast Asia used for decoration of houses and courtyards. Ficus benjamina is a tree reaching 15 metres (50 ft) tall with long lanceolate leaves of a glossy green colour that grow in folded branches. Its fruits are favoured by some birds. At its first years this tree climbing develops aerial roots. These roots thickens and harden when they are in contact with the ground keeping the tree erected.