| Boerhavia diffusa (Family: Nyctaginaceae) |
| Nyctaginaceae?
Sound unfamiliar? It is the same family to which the well-loved Bougainvillea belongs. The minute flowers and purple bracts of Boerhavia offer clues to their association. This native creeper used to be fairly common along roadsides, but now limited to the old walls of Kampong Glam and Chinatown where it find its last foothold among cracks and ledges. The minute fruit is prickly and covered with sticky resins that help it attached to an unwary bird or passing animal for dispersal. (See close-up of its tiny flowers) |
