FLORA FAUNA THE TYPES OF FLORA & FAUNA

BY : TWILIGHT SHOGUN

TABLE OF CONTENTS • The Definition Of “Flora and Fauna” • The history of Rafflesia Flowers • The history of Hibiscus flowers • The history of Bougainvillea • The history of Orchid flowers • The history of Chrysanthemum Source: Photo from Animalia

• The History of Orang Utan • The history of Butterfly • The history of Hornbill

Flora and Fauna words are originally from Latin. Flora in Latin means the goddess of flower. Other than that, flora also derived from the word Floral, which is related to flower. Therefore, the flora is a group of indigenous plants in an ecosystem of a geographical region.

• The history of Kingfisher • The history of Ostrich

The origin of the word “Fauna” is a bit shrouded in mystery. According to the Roman mythology, Fauna refers to the goddess of fertility. Fauna is sometimes referred to as fauns, meaning forest spirits. By definition, fauna is a group of indigenous animals of any geographical region. Hence, the term flora and fauna were said by the biologists as a collection of plants and animals specific to a given geographic location. The meaning of the word “Flora” was a goddess of flowers and plants. In Roman 2

The Definition Of “Flora and Fauna” mythology, she was the goddess of fertility. Therefore, the plant kingdom came to be known as Flora. The study of plant life around the world is very interesting since it leads to different classifications of flora. The plant that life on the earth can be distinguished from each other in a number of ways and can be called as “Flora”. The simplest way to distinguish the plant is to divide on the basis of region. Hence, the plants that grow specifically in the mountains will be very different from those that grow in the desert. In the other words, the plants that have adapted to living underwater are treated as a unique form of flora. Scientists can also study ‘Fossil Flora’, which comprises of plant life discovered in prehistoric times. 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS • The Definition Of “Flora and Fauna” • The history of Rafflesia Flowers • The history of Hibiscus flowers • The history of Bougainvillea • The history of Orchid flowers • The history of Chrysanthemum Source: Photo from Animalia

• The History of Orang Utan • The history of Butterfly • The history of Hornbill

Flora and Fauna words are originally from Latin. Flora in Latin means the goddess of flower. Other than that, flora also derived from the word Floral, which is related to flower. Therefore, the flora is a group of indigenous plants in an ecosystem of a geographical region.

• The history of Kingfisher • The history of Ostrich

The origin of the word “Fauna” is a bit shrouded in mystery. According to the Roman mythology, Fauna refers to the goddess of fertility. Fauna is sometimes referred to as fauns, meaning forest spirits. By definition, fauna is a group of indigenous animals of any geographical region. Hence, the term flora and fauna were said by the biologists as a collection of plants and animals specific to a given geographic location. The meaning of the word “Flora” was a goddess of flowers and plants. In Roman 2

The Definition Of “Flora and Fauna” mythology, she was the goddess of fertility. Therefore, the plant kingdom came to be known as Flora. The study of plant life around the world is very interesting since it leads to different classifications of flora. The plant that life on the earth can be distinguished from each other in a number of ways and can be called as “Flora”. The simplest way to distinguish the plant is to divide on the basis of region. Hence, the plants that grow specifically in the mountains will be very different from those that grow in the desert. In the other words, the plants that have adapted to living underwater are treated as a unique form of flora. Scientists can also study ‘Fossil Flora’, which comprises of plant life discovered in prehistoric times. 3

Source: Photo from Kathy Huber

The History of Rafflesia

The History of Bougainvillea

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Rafflesiaceae. The species have enormous flowers, the buds rising from the ground or directly from the lower stems of their host plants; one species has the largest flowers in the world. Plants of the World Online lists up to 41 species from this genus, all of them are found throughout Southeast Asia. The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh. The foul odour attracts insects such as carrion flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most species are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers, but a few have hermaphroditic flowers. Source: Photo from BBC Wildlife

The History of Hibiscus Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as “hibiscus”, or less widely known as rose mallow. Other names include hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon, and tropical hibiscus. The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin (dentate). The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, colour from white to pink, red, blue, orange, peach, yellow or purple, and from 4–18 cm broad.

Bougainvillea is a tropical plant with dinky flowers that are surrounded with wide and brightly colored wafer-like bracts. This shrub-like vine can live in a temperate climate, and may shed its leaves during winter.

Source: Photo from Sereba Agiobu 4

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Source: Photo from Kathy Huber

The History of Rafflesia

The History of Bougainvillea

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Rafflesiaceae. The species have enormous flowers, the buds rising from the ground or directly from the lower stems of their host plants; one species has the largest flowers in the world. Plants of the World Online lists up to 41 species from this genus, all of them are found throughout Southeast Asia. The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh. The foul odour attracts insects such as carrion flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most species are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers, but a few have hermaphroditic flowers. Source: Photo from BBC Wildlife

The History of Hibiscus Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as “hibiscus”, or less widely known as rose mallow. Other names include hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon, and tropical hibiscus. The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin (dentate). The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, colour from white to pink, red, blue, orange, peach, yellow or purple, and from 4–18 cm broad.

Bougainvillea is a tropical plant with dinky flowers that are surrounded with wide and brightly colored wafer-like bracts. This shrub-like vine can live in a temperate climate, and may shed its leaves during winter.

Source: Photo from Sereba Agiobu 4

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The History of Chrysanthemum

Source: Photo from Liu Yu Shan Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist. The genus Chrysanthemum are perennial herbaceous flowering plants, sometimes subshrubs. The leaves are alternate, divided into leaflets and may be pinnatisect, lobed, or serrate (toothed) but rarely entire. The compound inflorescence is an array of several flower heads, or sometimes a solitary head. The head has a base covered in layers of phyllaries. The simple row of ray florets is white, yellow, or red. The disc florets are yellow. Pollen grains are approximately 34 microns. The fruit is a ribbed achene.

Source: Photo from Ugaoo

The History of Orchids

Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident derived characteristics or synapomorphies.

Source: Photo from Canary Island

Source: Photo from Dreamstimes

Source: Photo from Dreamstimes 6

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The History of Chrysanthemum

Source: Photo from Liu Yu Shan Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist. The genus Chrysanthemum are perennial herbaceous flowering plants, sometimes subshrubs. The leaves are alternate, divided into leaflets and may be pinnatisect, lobed, or serrate (toothed) but rarely entire. The compound inflorescence is an array of several flower heads, or sometimes a solitary head. The head has a base covered in layers of phyllaries. The simple row of ray florets is white, yellow, or red. The disc florets are yellow. Pollen grains are approximately 34 microns. The fruit is a ribbed achene.

Source: Photo from Ugaoo

The History of Orchids

Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident derived characteristics or synapomorphies.

Source: Photo from Canary Island

Source: Photo from Dreamstimes

Source: Photo from Dreamstimes 6

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Source: Photo from Borneo Adventure

The name “orangutan” (also written orang-utan, orang utan, orangutang, and ourang-outang) is derived from the Malay words orang, meaning “person”, and hutan, meaning “forest”. The locals originally used the name to refer to actual forest-dwelling human beings, but the word underwent a semantic extension to include apes of the Pongo genus at an early stage in the history of Malay.

Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus Struthio in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. They lay the largest eggs of any living land animal. With the ability to run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph), they are the fastest birds on land.

The History of Orang Utan

Source: Photo from Rajan Jolly

Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the large superfamily Papilionoidea, which contains at least one former group, the skippers (formerly the superfamily “Hesperioidea”), and the most recent analyses suggest it also contains the moth-butterflies (formerly the superfamily “Hedyloidea”). Butterfly fossils date to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago.

The History of Ostrich The History of Butterfly Source: Photo from Lori Brewerton 8

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Source: Photo from Borneo Adventure

The name “orangutan” (also written orang-utan, orang utan, orangutang, and ourang-outang) is derived from the Malay words orang, meaning “person”, and hutan, meaning “forest”. The locals originally used the name to refer to actual forest-dwelling human beings, but the word underwent a semantic extension to include apes of the Pongo genus at an early stage in the history of Malay.

Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus Struthio in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. They lay the largest eggs of any living land animal. With the ability to run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph), they are the fastest birds on land.

The History of Orang Utan

Source: Photo from Rajan Jolly

Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the large superfamily Papilionoidea, which contains at least one former group, the skippers (formerly the superfamily “Hesperioidea”), and the most recent analyses suggest it also contains the moth-butterflies (formerly the superfamily “Hedyloidea”). Butterfly fossils date to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago.

The History of Ostrich The History of Butterfly Source: Photo from Lori Brewerton 8

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Source: Photo from Birdspot

Source: Photo from Bernama

The History of Hornbill

Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, “buceros” being “cow horn” in Greek. Hornbills have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae (the atlas and axis respectively) are fused together. This probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. A number of mainly insular species of hornbill with small ranges are threatened with extinction, namely in Southeast Asia.

The History of Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be seen in Europe. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 116 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests

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