| Lonkang Less Traveled By (lonkang - drain, in Malay language) |
| About two years
ago (year 2002), an unfamiliar herb caught my eyes in the drain along
Canberra Road (Singapore). Spigelia anthelmia is her name.
It took me almost six months to establish her identity and for a brief
moment then, I felt a tremendous sense of achievement. It was like
reaching the peak of a very high mountain on my own. However, in retrospect,
I did not climb on my own at all. She was by my side all the time,
and it was in getting there together - the countless unspoken conversations
we had, and the unexpectedly delightful vistas
we took in at the turn of each new book resource or place of enquiry
- that had made all the difference. Spigelia is a new herb in Singapore (see photo below) and has established herself quite successfully in the drains and open spaces along Canberra Road in Sembawang district. The learning curve I took lead me to Loganiaceae - her family, Contortae - the Order to which this family belongs, the sister families relating to Loganiaceae - i.e. Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Gentianaceae, and the initial 'wrong turn' of going into Rubiaceae (coffee family). As it turned out, Loganiaceae did indeed resemble Rubiaceae in the opinion of some taxonomists. And even the indole ring became part of my vocabulary now. I relate this journey I took with Spigelia not to show how clever I became through this academic exercise, but to show how in every nook and corner outdoors (even in your own neigbourhood) there lies great opportunities for fun learning through self discoveries, observations and intepretations. Book-learning is nothing without field enquiries. Make every plant, every stone, every tree, beach, river or drain, your friend. Take your time to know and understand your friend. You will discover for yourself the wonderful world beyond the man-given names. As for the children... yes, the children: do we give them the time, the space and freedom to do just that? Where have all the flowers gone? Explosive capsules of Spigelia anthelmia: I woke up one morning to find my balcony sprewn with tiny seeds. See flowers | leaves | habit | |
