Indonesia Flora

Banyan tree

Indonesia is a completely tropical country and so her Vegetation is of the luxuriant type. Wherever the land is not under cultivation for food purposes it is covered with dense jungle which accounts for around thirty per cent of the entire area. An incredible variety of trees can be found in these forests including teak, sandalwood. camphor and several kinds of fig. The most important of the fig trees is the sacred banyan tree which is shown on the Indonesian Coat of Arms as a symbol of nationalism. This tree has aerial roots which hang down to take root when they reach the ground. Thus a whole grove can be made up by a single tree. The most famous Banyan Grove is in Bali and covers an area of one and a half acres. A large variety of palms can be seen throughout the country. The areca palm grows in North Sumatra and is famous for providing the betel nut chewed by the older generation. Coconut palms, sugar palms, sago palms and nipa palms are found everywhere. Bamboo and rattan which grow in Indonesia are used extensively for furniture

Orchid Flower

making. Exotic plants and flowers abound because of the constant humidity of the country. Orchids are among the most common of flowers, and their prices range enormously depending on rarity and popularity. They are a parasitic plant and prefer the dampened bark of a tree or house to grow on. Most have charming names such as pigeon orchid, Nun's, Lady's Slipper, antelope and, of course, Moonlight orchid which is the most widely cultivated and comes from Sulawesi. The tiger and spotted spider orchids are also very beautiful. Orchids come in every colour imagin-able, red, yellow, white, turquoise, mauve, etc. The frangipani tree grows throughout Indonesia and is greatly loved by all, except the Javanese who call it the graveyard tree. The

Gladiol flower

bougainvillaea is common too. The Dutch, during their rule, brought to Indonesia a number of plants familiar to Western eyes such as dahlias, gladioli, various types of daisy and aster. However, most of these flowers have to be grown on the upper slopes where it is cooler. The most famous flower, and one which grows only in Indonesia, is the Rafflesia, found in the region of Bengkulu, in South Sumatra. The lotus is one of Indonesia’s most beautiful flowers. Lilies grow profusely in a variety of colours and shapes. Many of the ferns and grasses have not yet been classified.