Macro Flower/flower challenge: New Zealand Bottle Brush

I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday


http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/p/join-my-photo-challenge-flowers-on.html

This is a flax, unlike most bottle brushes which are small trees or shrubs. Another name is Knights Lily. Four million years ago, a volcano created some small islands off the coast of New Zealand. Captain Cook discovered the islands in 1760 and named them the Poor Knights Islands. Separated from the mainland for millions of years, the islands developed unique plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. A beautiful example of this is the Poor Knights Lily - Xeronema callistemon.

Xeronema callistemon - Poor Knights Lily

Xeronema (pronounced Zer-oh-NEM-uh) has unusual bottlebrush flower clusters that grow horizontally, looking like a giant red toothbrush. The flower stalk starts out vertical and then take a curious turn sideways. Stunning red flowers emerge straight up from the stalk, tipped with bright orange pollen. The total length of the flowering portion averages 7 to 10 inches, although it can potentially get to 18 inches.


It's illegal to land on the Poor Knights Islands, which are now a protected reserve. This makes Xeronema an extremely rare species that few people grow in the United States.

I took this photo at the courtyard of the Winter garden at the Auckland Domain.

Macroflowers: Ginger flower

This post is to celebrate and congratulate my younger sister Margaret. She has been teaching at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak.

Today is the Sarawak Governor's birthday. Often on this occasion he would give honours to prominent people in the society. Margaret is to be awarded with a Pingat Bintang Kenyalang (Gold) on the occasion of the Governor's (TYT) birthday. This is the highest level for a government servant for that level. The next level is the Datuk category.

Our parents have died, otherwise, I am sure they would be very proud of her. The siblings rejoice with her achievement.


This was when Margaret was awarded with her PhD from the University of Christchurch. She did her studies in Lincoln College.


Last December, she visited New Zealand with her family. ( Sam is with them in the photo.) Her Alma mater welcomed her in Lincoln.

Margaret is an expert in plants, especially tropical plants. She conducts workshop for tour guides imparting her knowledge of Sarawak plants. I choose this native of Sarawak, the ginger flower to present to her. This is grown in the tropical green house in the Winter garden of the Auckland Domain.


I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday