Kalak Kambing at Our Northern Mangroves

Kalak Kambing (Finlaysonia obovata) is a rather rare mangrove climber in Singapore. According to Wee Fong and his colleagues who published a paper recently on the Status and Distribution in Singapore of Finlaysonia obovata, the genus was named after the famous naturalist George Finlayson, while the species name "obovata" means "reversed egg" in Latin. It is considered nationally critically endangered as it was estimated that there are less than 50 mature individuals left in the wild, with some evidence of decline or fragmentation in its habitat.

Last Friday and Saturday, I decided to check out the population at Sungei Kadut, Kranji Nature Trail and Sungei Buloh, and also to take a few photos of the flowers and fruits.


The first individual I spotted at Sungei Kadut was climbing up an Api-api (Avicennia alba).


A number of them can be found in huge patches creeping over the river bank. Some of them were flowering too!


Most of them, however, occur in small bushes, such as the one above. There were at least 15 patches on both sides of the river, and I had not even walk all the way upper stream!

From my observation, it appeared that the ones that flower were the ones which managed to reach above the highest tide.


Most of the Kalak Kambing flowers I saw were purplish in colour. They are said to be pollinated by flies or beetles.


Here's a look at the entire bunch of flowers and buds. A small fruit was in fact developing on the right side.


Interestingly, there was another Kalak Kambing with cream-coloured flowers climbing on the same tree. See the cream-coloured flowers on top, and the purplish flowers below.


Further away, I found another one with cream-coloured flowers.


This one had a pair of small immature fruits too. Each fruit apparently contain numerous brown, flat, oblong-obovate seeds.


Over at Kranji Nature Trail, one of the Kalak Kambing which I have spotted previously was bearing mature fruits! While some people felt that the fruits resemble buffalo horns, I personally felt that they always remind me of the Pringles moustache.


In the photo above, there were actually 2 pairs of fruits. Can you spot both of them? Just try to see where are the Red Weaver Ants (oecophylla smaragdina).

I also went to check out the few Kalak Kambing that I had spotted at Sungei Buloh previously, but unfortunately, none were flowering or fruiting.

Thanks to Marcus and Peiting for accompanying me on these trips! :)