Category Archives: Plants

Gloxinia sylvatica ‘Bolivian Sunset’

Gloxinia sylvatica ‘Bolivian Sunset’ at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden Gloxinia sylvatica ‘Bolivian Sunset’ at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Another post on the theme of ‘Rounded,’ this week’s WordPress photo challenge.

I’m pretty sure this flower is Gloxinia sylvatica ‘Bolivian Sunset.’ I saw the plant at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden where some plants have identifying tags, but many do not.

What I really liked was how the flower caught the sun, illuminating both the exterior and interior. Coupled with its rounded form, both in profile and looking into the mouth of the flower, it’s a sensuous, vibrant plant.

For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.

Rose jatropha

A Rose Jatropha on the Big Island of HawaiiA bee forages on a Rose Jatropha flower on the Big Island of Hawaii

Another post on the theme of ‘Glow,’ this week’s WordPress photo challenge.

I’ve posted photos of rose jatropha before (here). In fact, those photos were of this same plant, but probably not the same bee. They were taken later in the day on a previous hike. These photos were taken in the early morning when the light was better and the flowers were just starting to open.

The flowers really glowed and the bees, well they had to work a little harder, burrowing down into the bloom, but obviously with great success.

Solanum linnaeanum

Solanum linnaeanum or Apple of Sodom

Solanum linnaeanum is also known here as apple of Sodom, and in other places as devil’s apple. These names are a sure sign that the plant is not well regarded. It has prickly leaves, poisonous tomato-like berries, and grows like a weed in pasture lands. That’s where I found this one, next to an old corral.

Hawaiian blue butterfly

An endemic Hawaiian blue butterfly at the Palila Forest Discovery TrailAn endemic Hawaiian blue butterfly at the Palila Forest Discovery Trail

This endemic Hawaiian blue butterfly was flitting around at the Palila Forest Discovery Trail, on the southwest flank of Mauna Kea. This one is, I think, a female with its bright underside and uniformly brown top.

The butterfly is also known as the Koa butterfly, since its caterpillar feeds on that tree. I don’t think Koa trees are found in the trail area, but ‘A‘ali‘i (Dodonaea viscosa), an indigenous Hawaiian plant, does grow there and that’s another plant the caterpillar will eat.