Proposed FOPBGS activities for Jul to Dec 2019

Hi All,

Please be on the look out for the following activities planned for the rest of the Year 2019.

a) Vermi-composting Aug/Sept
b) Cooking: Nasi Kerabu -Sept
c) PPST -school activity -Sept
d) Bird Watching at the Gardens - Oct
e) Cooking: Capati making - Nov
f) Cooking: Lemuni Rice - Dec

Please check with the Mr. Zaki at the office or your email for confirmed dates.

Thank you and hope to see you there.

March Activity for Members- visit to an Organic Farm

We are having a trip to Mgreen Organic Farms in MBI Desaku, Kulim District, on Sat 16 March 2019. Meet at 10.30am at the Site. See location map posted. Visit should be about 1-2 hrs.

All interested please give your name to Zaki at Botanika Outreach or email botanika.penang@gmail.com by the March 10, 2019 as we have only places for 20 pax. There is no charge for this event. Transport and food are each own responsibility.

Directions:

Cross Penang Bridge, go north towards Sg. Petani. At the interchange of the N-S expressway and BKE, turn East onto the BKE heading to Kulim. Head East all the way past Kulim Hi -tech park and continue in the direction of Baling. You will pass the MBI Desaku main entrance and turn at the convention center junction. Go left and proceed to the Guardhouse entrance. Tell them you are visiting the Organic Farm . Park you car in front of "Golden Kingdom entertainment outlet"

January Events: Talk by Mr Samson Chong on Air Plants

The members’ event in January was a talk about Air Plants (Tillandsias) for beginners, by Mr Samson Chong, a local enthusiast. It was held at the Botanika Outreach on Jan 19^th from 9.30am to 1.00pm.  

It was attended by 18 members, with a diverse range of interests in Air Plants or Tillandsia.

The Agenda for the morning was divided into two sections  - a presentation on what are air-plants, the various types and care and in the second half, a demonstration on how to mount them as well as a DIY session.

Air plants are an exotic type of epiphyte from the Bromeliad family. They are native to the forests, mountains and deserts of northern

Mexico , south-eastern United States, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to mid Argentina. They are protected in some countries and are left to grow in the wild. Those that are sold are cultivated.

They are popular as decorative plants requiring minimal care. Most Tillandsia species are epiphytes – which translates to 'upon a plant'. They are also commonly known as Air plants as they absorb nutrients from the air through breathing and feeding hairs called trichomes in the leaves. The roots are merely to anchor themselves.

Samson Chong explaining the type of Air plant species to an attentive audience.

The three main types of common Air plants samples shown were: 

a) The Tillandsia ionantha:

 Tillandsia ionantha is also known as the sky plant. It is a species native to Central America and Mexico.  This is the most common tillandsia and is used mostly as decoration as the plant turns red when it's blooming.

b) Tillandsia xerographica:

Xerographica are known as the "Queen of Air Plants" for good reason! They are the perfect air plant to have due to their beautiful re-curving leaf structure and amazing bloom spikes.  They can tolerate bright light and go longer periods without water than most other plants.

                 

c)Tillandsia duratti:

Tillandsia Durati is a drought-tolerant air plant with fuzzy silvery leaves that curl up at the tips. It has amazing structure and is originally from the Great Chaco region (western Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, and northern Argentina). It is extremely drought resistant. It is also known as the monkey plant as it can slowly grow up tall trees.

In the second part of the session, the members were given a starter’s kit, consisting of an air-plant and a ‘root’ mount to attach the air-plant. The glue is non-toxic variety and does not harm the plant .Not all glues are suitable. Gluing it on the mount is similar to an epiphyte growing on a tree trunk or branch. Wires can also be used to mount the plant. Copper is extremely poisonous to air plants and should not be used. Iron or aluminium are usually used.

Spray watering about once in two days, is sufficient for the plant to flourish in a partially sunny area. These plants are slow growing and may take up to 2 years to reach appropriate size of maturity.

Members attaching Air plants to ‘root’ mounts

The group then participated actively in a Q&A session with Samson Chong, before some light refreshments were served.

Attaching the plant on.

On behalf of the committee, we would like to thank, Mr Samson Chong of AugustFame, who can be reached via facebook or email at augustfame88@gmail.com.  for the enlightening talk and demonstration.

Demonstration and Talk on “Air-Plants” (Tillandsia)

Members Activity January Event:  Demonstration and Talk on “Air-Plants” (Tillandsia).

The Society is organizing a Demonstration and Talk by Samson Chong on Air Plants, for the members as follows:

Date: Sat 19 Jan 2019

Venue: Botanika Outreach

Time: 9.30am to 12.30 noon

Cost:  Presentation Lecture 

           Demonstration of mounting Air plants onto driftwood - RM20 per pax. for members  
           Open to public at RM30 per pax. (includes: air plant, glue and mounting kit).         .

           Light refreshments will be served.

Air plants are an exotic type of epiphytes from the Bromeliad family. They are native to the forests, mountains and deserts of northern

Mexico and south-eastern United States, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to mid Argentina.

They are popular as decorative plants requiring minimal care. Most Tillandsia species are epiphytes – which translates to 'upon a plant'. They are also commonly known as Air plants. Local market prices range from RM15 to over RM250.

To register for this, please contact Zaki, via phone (01120847739) or email botanika.penang@gmail.com by Jan 16^st, 2019. Payments will be collected on the day of the presentation itself. Thank you.

Bat Ecology

Hi,
Be amazed at the 'Going Batty' activity that took place on Nov 3 and Nov 10, 2018 at the Penang Botanic Gardens. This activity was conducted by our RIE Award reciepient, Ms. Nur Izzati Abdullah, the post graduate Researcher in Animal Zoology. Her speciality is Bats.

We had 14 participants attend the talk on Nov 10th at the Botanika Outreach, with some of them comprising her team of USM student research interns. She begun with a presentation on Bat Morphology and Classification of the two main types of bats in Malaysia. These were Fruit eating and Insect eating bats. Malaysia has 10% of the world bat species, which number 1300 species.A quarter of these are listed as ICUN vulnerable. Approximately, 14 species can been found at The Botanic Gardens.

She further explained that bat roosting sites may be in Natural structures (Caves, under trees, bamboo groves) or in Man-Made structures ( under eaves, in attics or bridges) They normally roost in groups that can number 100-150 per cluster. Bats usually have different types of roosting areas for sleeping, foraging, and also maternity roosts.

                 Can you spot the Bats roosting under the palm leaves???

How bats feed;
For Frugivorous bats, they feed on nectar and ripe fruit and are important in seed dispersal and pollination. They are crucial in spreading seeds for certain species of plants like the Petai. Also, they aid in Durian tree pollination. Fruit bats have large eyes and long snouts.
For Insectivorous bats, they feed on insects and bugs. They help  reduce the insect pest population like mosquitoes and winged termites. Insect eating bats have large ears and a ugly snub snouts. The large ears are used for echo-location of insects in flight using ultra-sound.

Insect eating bats with large ears, note the pouch used to 'scoop' up insects in flight.

A Bat trapping we will go!!!
In order to do research on bats, Ms. Izzati and her team, has to set up traps along the bat fly-ways in the Gardens. We joined her to see how this was done. There are 2 different kind of traps to catch bats:

A 'Harp trap' is used to catch Insectivorous bats, which comprises of a rectangular frame, with transparent nylon strings arranged in staggered vertical rows. The echo-locating insectivorous bats cannot sense the strings and fly into the barrier and drop into a collection bag below.

                                           Setting up the Harp Net

                              The completed assembly... the happy helpers...

                            The collector bag to retain the trapped bats

To catch Frugivorous bats the usual 'Mist net' is set between poles. A mist net is very much like a fishing net, but with small mesh size.These are set up near fruit trees that the bats feed on. In our case near a grove of Banana trees.

                                  Example of a Mist Net

These traps are normally set up at Dusk, around 6~7pm and specimens collected till 10pm the same night.

The researcher's collect the specimens caught; and each bat is weighed, sexed, measured, and any stool sample collected or pollen dusted off, for identification purposes. For echo-locating insectivorous bats, a "bat detector" is used to measure their call frequency. They are photographed and also compared with a Bat ID chart to classify them. Once all this is done, they will be released back into the wild.

At 10pm a wary team wrapped up and disassembled all the traps before retiring for the day.

Getting Batty at the Gardens

November 2018 Activity: "Getting Batty at the Gardens"

Come Join the Fun, as part of the post Halloween Spirit, to learn about Bats and their Ecology, at the Penang Botanic Gardens. We plan to have this activity for the public on Sat Nov 3rd and for FOPBGS Members on Sat Nov 10th, 2018. This will be a full day and night activity from 3.00pm to 10.00pm at Night. Our RIE graduate researcher, Ms. Nur Izzati Abdullah will be giving the lectures and tours.

Please see the appended program below, for further details:

Time	Activity	Notes
3.00-4.00PM	Part A) Getting Batty Talk in information on Bats ecology, species diversity and behavior	Activity A = 10-15pax 10th Nov: Talk by Nur Izzati
4.00-6.00PM	Part B (i) Setting up the traps Demonstration on bats trapping methods and hands on experience for assembling the traps. Please wear appropriate shoes (and rain coat). Headlamp will be provided.	Activity B = 5 pax 10th Nov: Botanical Garden trail
7.00-10.00PM	Part B (ii) Bats observation and trap checking. Members accompany the researchers to experience the real bat research in the field (bats foraging activity, species identification & sample collection). Please wear appropriate shoes (and rain coat). Headlamp will be provided.	Activity B = 5 pax 10th Nov: Botanical Garden trail
	Part C) Night tour of Gardens Members will be taken on a night tour of the Gardens to see what can be seen of the nocturnal flora and fauna. Bring torches and bug spray. This is for those who do not want to go into the forest and be bitten by leeches and all sorts of critters.	Activity C = 10-15 pax 10th Nov: Botanical Garden

As places are limited, please register via email, by sending your Name and number of pax. to:

botanika.penang@gmail.com (preferred method)

                                Subject: Getting Batty - Registering

or 
call the office  04-2279915 (10.00am to 5.00pm, Wed thru Sat) for further details.

REGISTRATION CLOSES BY NOV 1st, 2018.

Thank you and see you there.....

Kacip Fatimah

Kacip fatimah or Labisia pumila in Latin, is a herb mostly associated with women's health issues in traditional Malay herbalogy. It's a small woody plant that is quite leafy and flowers with tiny off-white or pinkish blossoms, which grows in clusters. The leaves are hairy on the undersides and can be used to propagate the plant. It also has rhizomes and seeds which can be used for the same purpose.

Its Malay name means "Fatimah's betel nut cutters." Traditionally, it is used to induce labour in pregnant women, as well as for the treatment of venereal disease and of all things, flatulence! A study in Singapore also showed that its extracts also improved mental well-being and cardiovascular health in pre- and post-menopausal women 

Although it is available as a sweetened canned drink in Malaysia now, it was traditionally drunk as a tea. First mentioned for its properties 400 years ago, it has actually been in use in Malay herbalogy far longer than that. Its other names include bunga belangkas and tadah matahari. Nowadays, however, Kacip fatimah is being researched for use in pharmacological cosmetic products. 

But be warned. Kacip fatimah's herbal properties are so powerful that pregnant, lactating or menstruating women are advised to take it with extreme caution. While a controlled dose helps to induce labour, it is said that a large dose of its extract could cause the foetus to abort!

Pegaga

The beautiful Pegaga or Asian Pennywort enjoys the graceful Latin name of Centella asiatica. It is a creeping plant that loves wet, swampy conditions and has round edible leaves. Also called gotu kola in Tamil, it is actually a perennial herb. The Pegaga is native to many parts of Asia and North Australia.

Did you know that there are many myths and legends associated with this delicate plant due to its many herbal benefits? 

In China, it is said that the Tai-chi master, Li Ching-yun, lived to more than 200 years of age because he consumed a daily dose of herbs whic included Pegaga while in India, King Aruna was said to have kept his 50 wives and concubines happy with his superhuman stamina which he attributed to regular consumption of the herb?

Apart from having Vitamins B1,B2, B3, and B6 calcium, magnesium, sodium, manganese and zinc, it also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. 

In Asia,  it is mainly consumed as a tea though in Penang, it is sweetened with sugar and taken as a cold, refreshing drink. Research has shown that it is good for many conditions like swelling, joint pain as well as anxiety and fatigue but it is mostly known to Penang Chinese for its ability to improve the memory.

But really, the Asian pennywort is also good for other things like senility, strokes, nervous disorders and some types of nervous disorders. Herbalists also use it for high blood pressure and urinary tract infections. It has antibiotic properties, too, but regular consumption of Pegaga without medical advice is not recommended. It's powerful properties can lead to liver damage as well as skin and cancerous growths.

Leeks, Chives and Garlic

Did you know that these plants used in Malaysian cookery are also members of the same flowering family as onions? Here are some interesting facts about some of our most common culinary lilies.

Leek

Usually cut into short pieces and stir-fried with tofu or towkua and prawns, our local leek is actually a little slimmer and less fibrous than the ones found in European markets. Both are members of the Allium family and the French have elevated leek dishes to an art from soups to stews, au gratin and stuffed as well as braised leeks while in the former Czech Republic, they are not cut but served whole, bulbs and all.

This common vegetable actually contains essential sulphuric oils as well as the enzyme, alliin.

Chives

We usually think of chives as garnishes (during Chinese festival prayers or with Chicken Rice) or when actually cooked, as a mild flavouring complement. But even though we seldom see their pale purple flowers in full bloom (because we eat them before they can open), Chives have a lot of Vitamin B and C, as well as carotene, essential oils and trace minerals like potassium, phosphorus and iron. 

Chives are said to be good for digestion as well as reducing high blood pressure, too.

Garlic

Some varieties of garlic actually have flowers that bloom in small bunches. The wild varieties are usually more pungent but also have a higher content of essential oils. In some parts of the world, the leaves are also used in cookery.  But even though garlic is mainly used to complement meat, fish and vegetable dishes, it has a lot of herbal properties.

Garlic has allitin, which combats bacteria when transformed by enzymes into allicin. And it also has Vitamins B and C as well as sulphur.

Have you ever seen flowering onions and other Alliums before?

Secrets of the Soya Bean

In Malaysia, when we think of the soya bean, we instantly think of soya bean milk, tauhwa and tofu, in that order. But the soya bean is actually the main ingredient in more things than just those three. The soya bean we consume in all its processed forms is actually a hybrid and not a recent one, either. 

The Chinese and Japanese developed it many hundreds of years ago, probably because they found it so useful. Did you know that soya beans are made into cooking oil, sauces, pastes, and condiments? They are also ground into flour and made into fine white noodles called “tau chiam” which are usually served in clear soup made with either fis, prok or chicken.

We usually eat only the dried beans, but the young pods are also quite delicious when stirfired with prawns or sliced meat. In some parts of the world, however, soya beans are considered to be food for cattle only, however.

The wonderful properties of the humble bean are many. Each bean contains up to as much as 60 percent proteins and 20% oil. In fact, its protein and fat content are so high that just 300g of soya beans give you the caloric value of 27 eggs!

 That’s why soya beans and soya bean products feature so heavily in Asian vegetarian cuisine. The cytelin in it is also said to have a healing effect on arterioscleriosis. And if you have ever wondered what a soya bean plant looks like, here is a picture of some young soya bean plants.

And for more information, here are some YouTube videos about soya beans. Just click on the links -

Soyabean Household products

How To Make Your Own Tofu

Making Tofu Delicious!

The Black-faced General

A humble plant with a grand, if somewhat curious name, the Black-faced General or Strobilanthes crispus (L.) is somewhat nondescript in appearance and often regarded as a bit of a weed though it is actually a woody shrub. It is also called Pecah beling in Malaysia and Keji beling in Indonesia. The fact that the General is a very robust plant, generally easy though slow to grow, probably gave rise to the misconception. 

The General's name probably comes from its dark green leaves and the very dark tea which you can get by infusing its leaves. Misconceptions aside, however, it is a very useful plant with many powerful herbal properties. Pregnant women are advised to exercise caution when using it!

In Chinese medicine, it is regarded as an anti-cancer wonder. It is also used as a diuretic and a laxative. It has been scientifically researched and hailed for its antioxidant as well as antimicrobial properties. Clinical studies have also found that it has phenolic compounds which are helpful when treating kidney stones and diseases as well as fibroids. In Indonesia, they even use it to treat snake bites.

The Black-faced General seldom produces flowers, but when they do bloom, the sweet yellow blooms are trumpet-shaped. The buds have leafy green sheathes while the flowers can reach up to 2cm in diameter in full bloom.

The herb is generally consumed as a tea, either by itself or with a bit of Siraitia grosvenorii or  Lo han guo in Chinese (also called monk fruit because its round smooth fruits look like monks' shaven heads) or dried red dates as natural sweeteners. Its leaves can also be blended into a smoothie. Used in combination with other local herbs like Sabah Snake Grass or Clinacanthus nutans (Belalai gajah in Malay) and Frog fruit or Turkey tangle (Phyla nodiflora), it is regarded as a herbal tea for the prevention of breast and uterine cancer by the Chinese.

A Beauty Seldom Seen

The vegetable hummingbird (Sesbania grandiflora) or agati (in India) is called pokok turi merah in Malay and it grows from Malaysia to North Australia as well as various parts in between the two countries. It's beautiful flowers resemble tiny hummingbirds or bright parrots' beaks (hence its other name - parrots beak flower). 

Although its flowers, leaves and fruit (which grows in long thin pods) are edible, it is seldom seen in Malaysia nowadays, especially in urban areas. In the villages and Malaysian countryside, its flowers are still eaten, sometimes raw, as a vegetable, and in Sri Lanka, its leaves are added to a white curry because it is believed to be a cure for cankers. 

There are two varieties of pokok turi - a scarlet one and a white one. Both have beautiful, vibrantly coloured flowers. And its wood is used in India as well as Sri Lanka as a substitute for bamboo for making furniture because it is strong and quite flexible.

The flowers are rich in iron and have a fragrance and flavour reminiscent of mushrooms, though only the petals are eaten. The centre part of the flower does have a very bitter taste. The seeds can also be fermented into tempeh (a kind of fermented bean fritter) while the seedpods are eaten like long beans. The young leaf fronds have a very high Vitamin C content, while the flowers are rich in Vitamin B.

  

The dried leaves can also be made into a tea, said to have antibiotic and anti-tumour properties. Just 20g of sesbania grandiflora provides 14.6 mg of Vitamin C, 0.17 mg of iron, Vitamin B and a host of  other trace minerals and amino acids. It lowers blood pressure and keeps your arteries flexible. So it is quite an important dietary supplement in the poorer areas of South East Asia. Perhaps it is time to make this lovely plant more accessible and more easily available in the big cities!

The King Salad

A great favourite of authentic Malaysian traditional salads, the Ulam raja or King Salad plant is actually planted for its pretty pink, white or purple flowers in various other parts of the world. The flower is better know by its Latin name "Cosmos" which is derived from its scientific name Cosmos caudatus. Here in Malaysia, we don't eat the flowers but we do devour the young leaves with great gusto either simply dipped in various spicy sauces and condiments or else stirfried with prawns and other ingredients.

 

When it is eaten raw with chilli paste or other condiments and sauces, it is referred to as "ulam" which can mean salad or even herbal mix for beauty or medicinal purposes.

But it is most popular by itself, its fresh scent being reminiscent of mango leaves and the crunchy texture of its young leaves being much appreciated with plain white rice. In Indonesia, it is also eaten with cooked grated coconut or a spicy peanut sauce.

One reason for its popularity is the simple fact that for all its powerful herbal properties, unlike many other similarly effective herbs, it can be eaten with no side effects. 

So what do we eat it for (other than the delicious taste)?

1. It helps with control of diabetes. After eight weeks of regular consumption, it lowers blood insulin levels significantly.

2. It helps people with cholesterol problems by increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol. 

3. It reduces blood pressure.

4. It reduces bone loss.

5. It has antibacterial and anti-fungal effects.

6. It is a strong antioxidant and it reduced inflammation.

So, eating ulam raja with your daily rice is actually a great idea. And if you fancy a bit of variety with it, here are a couple of ideas from Malaysian food bloggers.

Kak Jee's Food Blog 

(click the link for recipe)

Ulam Raja Stir-fried with Ikan Bilis.

A simple but mildly spicy and very deliciously fresh-tasting dish that pairs well with the dried anchovies which give it its mouthwatering umami flavour.

Dapur Tanpa Sempadan 

(click the link for recipe)

Ulam Raja with Grated Coconut

A tempting treat made with grated coconut, dried prawns and galangal or resurrection lily. It goes really great with freshly cooked white rice and can be used as a vegetarian dish if you leave out the dried prawns.

Tiger's Ears in Your Garden!

This beautiful plant is known as "tiger's ears" in Thailand where it is eaten with a meat salad but locally, we call it Bangun bangun. The rest of the English-speaking world either calls it Indian borage, Spanish thyme, Mexican mint or Cuban oregano. It's no surprise that these names are all related to various other fragrant cooking herbs because the bangun bangun does have a strong smell not unlike that of oregano.

There are two types of bangun bangun - a jade green one and a variegated one with white around it's leaf edges but culinary uses aside, Plectranthus amboinicus as it is named scientifically, also has a lot of other wonderful medicinal properties. So many, that it is used almost exclusively for that purpose in Malaysia. 

You can chew on its leaves or make a tea from them to relieve colds, a sore throat, or a stuffy nose because it acts as a powerful expectorant, to eliminate mucus and phlegm from your respiratory tract. It also promotes sweating and helps to reduce fever. It's cold-fighting effect is due to the fact that it actually has a high found ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content. 

The high ascorbic content also means that it stimulated urination and helps to keep your kidneys healthy. But our bangun bangun also has other benefits. 

It is also said to relieve stress, reduce arthritis and osteoporosis, and provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome. Mothers have used it to relieve bug bites, itchiness and stings because Indian borage also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps reduce itchiness and swelling.  

Plectranthus amboinicus has a lot of Vitamin A, as well, and it is sometimes used to improve vision, reduce stress in the eyes and prevent macular degenaration. It's a natural msquito repellant, too!

When it does flower, it has small, pretty blue flowers but of course, with such powerful chemicals in its leaves and stem, it has to be treated with a bit of caution. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid contact with it, as should people with sensitive skin.  

So if you're going to cook beef, lamb or game meat with it, do be careful!

Longevity Spinach

The curiously-named Sambung nyawa ("Life-continuing" in Malay) or Longevity spinach is another common Malaysian plant often mistaken for a weed by the untrained eye. It has humble yellow flowers and looks quite unimpressive. However, its lanceolate leaves are actually not only edible (quite  delicious when young and tender) but also extremely useful as a natural herbal cure for a number of ailments.

Cooked in soup with prawns or meat village or kampung cuisine, there are actually three types of longevity spinach. The simple green one, a variety with variegated leaves called Sambung nyawa batik and a third variety with red, pink or purplish leaves called Sambung nyawa merah. 

It's scientific name, Gynura procumbens, doesn't give much of a clue to the fact that it has antimicrobial and antiinflammatory properties in addition to it's ability to help with hypertension. There are reports that it also has anti-carcinogenic properties. 

It can be eaten raw and it is said that if you chew on 6-12 leaves every day, it will help tremendously with balancing your blood insulin levels. You also lower your risk of cancer because Gynura procumbens also contains asparaginase, an enzyme that lowers acrylamides - a cancer causing substance - in your body.

Sambung nyawa has recently become popular among American gardeners because of its many herbal properties and also because it is very easy to grow. It can grow in shade or sunlight (as long as the roots don't dry out) though semi-shaded areas allow it to thrive best.