Devil’s tongue (Amorphophallus bulbifer) gets its scientific name from the bulbils or stem buds that it produces. Patience is required with this unusual tropical ornamental species, since it takes several years until it begins to produce the spectacular pink flowers with tongue-like central spikes for which it is known, although their beauty more than justifies…

Family: Araceae Scientific name: Amorphophallus costatus Common name: Android Origin: Borneo This is a very rare Amorphophallus species that is rarely offered. The species was discovered in 1991 in the far south of Borneo at an altitude of 400 meters along a stream. It was named in 1994 by Wilbert Hetterscheid, who has done a…

Ginalun / balangkasua (Lapisanthes alata) is a plant that grows in the interior of Kalimantan. Ginalun usually grows in soil that is fertile and contains lots of nutrients, protected from direct sunlight, and the humidity is quite high. The diameter of the trunk can reach the size of an adult’s thigh. The bark is dark…

Alocasia reversa, is an exotic plant from the genus Alocasia in the Araceae family group, which is native to the Philippines. This is a small Alocasia species from the lowland rainforest of Borneo. There the species grows on calcareous slopes, where it stays close to the ground due to its small size. The leaves can…

mango lalijiwa / Mangifera Lalijiwa, The Sweet Endemic of Java. Lalijiwa or lalijiwo, is a species of mango endemic to Java. The Latin name for this plant is Mangifera lalijiwa. In English mango lalijiwa is called ‘laleejewo’. The name lalijiwa itself comes from the word ‘lali’ which means ‘forget’ and jiwo or soul. It is…