Mount Kinabalu 04: More Flora!

Excuse such indulgence but I really enjoyed posting this particular series on the flora which I found mostly at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. I specifically prepared two sets of entries just for the various species I found. It’s not a lot but it will do for now. The various zones in the mountain offered some of the richest vegetation and types ranging from the rich lowland dipterocarp zone through the montane oak, and conifer forests to the alpine meadow plants and stunted bushes of the summit zone.

I basically grew up in a forest. Well, it’s basically a garden that almost looks like a forest. My father has been a gardener all his life and my family has been well involved in growing fruit trees, ornamentals and a few flowering plants since as far as I could remember. And somehow, somewhere while traversing in the middle of the vast forest of Mount Kinabalu Park, I felt at home.

I found this particular plant at the start of the summit trail. They come in abundance all through out the route. What is interesting is that the edges of the leaves are specifically aligned with droplets of water. Looks really stunning. The plant has violet flowers too but I guest I was more enamored with the leaves.

This is another variety of the Nepenthes species but this one this smaller. It’s just the size of my thumb and almost inconspicuous among the bushes. But due to its vibrant color, it stood out somehow.

This species, which could belong to the family of the ferns, particularly got my interest because of the texture of the foliage. It looks and feels like plastic. It comes in various shades too. This one is the most common and the most vibrant for me.

This is another wild orchid which our guide specifically found for me. They call this the “Necklace Orchid” which looks like what I have posted yesterday but this one is yellow and a bit finer than yesterday’s white wild orchid.

I don’t know what this is called but like most species I found I try naming them for easy recall. I call this, “White Puffs” for obvious reason. I found them while descending from the summit and after experiencing some heavy rainfall.

I believe this belongs to the Theaceae family. These are buds (or fruits?) that would eventually bloom. They look like berries but I doubt if one can eat them.

This is one of the very few species I found at the granite massif. It grows in various spots of the rocky mountain and can easily be noticed with its colorful foliage.

Little yellow daises or the “Kinabalu Buttercup” which grow abundantly at the Laban Rata Resthouse. They look fresh and vibrant just after the rain.

I found this just below the Gunting Lagadan Hut which was all foggy and cold. They grow from a tree and looks really stunning from afar with all those bounty fruit-like blooms on top.

More Kinabalu Buttercup which I found growing in lush on my way to the Waras Hut. ^_^