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!