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Manilkara zapota (Sapotaceae)

The leaves are simple, quite thick, shiny and dark green, while the young shoots are brown and rough. They are alternate and spirally arranged at the end of the branch. Matured leaves, 3.5-15 cm long and 1.5-7 cm wide, are ovoid and tapered at the en...

Mrs. Syazwani Binti Azeman • 29 February 2024 • 23802 views

Sonerila griffithii C.B.Clarke (Melastomataceae)

Sonerila griffithii C.B.Clarke is a rare species originally described from Gunung Ledang, Johor. This is due to the fact that it is currently only known to occur from Kedah and Johor, which is the type locality. However, its global distribut...

Dr. Avelinah Julius & Siti Eisya Nabiha Damahuri • 31 January 2024 • 24292 views

Meistera lappacea (Ridl.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman (Zingiberaceae)

Meistera lappacea, originally described from Pahang in Peninsular Malaysia, is also distributed in Java, Sumatra, and Thailand (POWO, 2023). It inhabits dense primary forests at high elevations, i.e., 1100–1500 m altitude. This species is ...

Siti Eisya Nabiha Damahuri & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 31 December 2023 • 23821 views

Ploiarium alternifolium (Bonnetiaceae)

Ploiarium alternifolium usually grows up to 10 m and rarely to 25 m tall, and the trunk diameter is 10-15 cm, depending on the locality. Plants growing in the river can grow only up to a height of 0.3 m, but those in swamps on peaty soil can...

Mrs. Syazwani Bt. Azeman • 15 December 2023 • 24441 views

Phaenicophaeus curvirostris (Shaw, 1810)

Phaenicophaeus curvirostris, known as the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, is a cuckoo belonging to the family Cuculidae (Avibase, 2018). The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha measures approximately 46 cm, including a 26 cm tail. It has a dark oily-green ...

Nurfahana Binti Mo`in & Ms. Nur Aina Amira Binti Mahyudin • 30 November 2023 • 25164 views

Chrysopelea paradisi (Boie, 1827)

Chrysopelea paradisi is a swift-moving snake from the family Colubridae. It is typically known as Paradise Flying Snake or sometimes called Paradise Tree Snake. The snake is native to Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, India, ...

Ms. Noor Faradiana Binti Md Fauzi & Mr. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman • 15 November 2023 • 27059 views

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (Piperaceae)

Scientifically known as Piper sarmentosum, this plant is one of the climbing herbs in the Piperaceae family. The genus name Piper is pepper in Latin, and sarmentosum refers to the long slender twigs of this species...

Ms. Nur Asma Fatin Umirah Binti Mahmud, Mrs. Sarah Nabila Binti Rosli & Mrs. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas • 31 October 2023 • 25318 views

Begonia herveyana King

Begonia is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the family Begoniaceae. It is a large and diverse group of plants with over 2,000 species and 10,000 hybrid and cultivar varieties, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plant...

Mr. Tan Kok Kiat • 16 October 2023 • 24696 views

Pangium edule Reinw. (Achariaceae)

Pangium edule is a small to moderately large tree, growing up to 26 m tall. The green leaves are clustered or spirally arranged at the apex of branches or twigs with a long petiole. It is large in that the young leaves are heart-shaped while...

Mrs. Norzielawati Salleh • 29 September 2023 • 24157 views

Libellago aurantiaca (Selys, 1859)

Libellago belongs to the family Chlorocyphidae and a majority of the species are diminutive. The members of the family Chlorocyphidae are quite unique compared to the other damselfly families because their wings are longer than their abdomen...

Mrs. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas & Academician Dr. Choong Chee Yen • 15 September 2023 • 23713 views

Vallaris glabra (L) Kuntze (Apocynaceae)

Vallaris glabra is a large climber that thrives in well-drained soils with full sunlight. The flowers bloom in the morning, producing a fragrant scent similar to pandan leaves mixed with burnt rice. The strong scent is beli...

Mrs. Sarah Nabila Binti Rosli & Aida Hidayah • 31 August 2023 • 24948 views

Agropsar sturninus (Pallas, 1776)

Agropsar sturninus, commonly known as the Daurian starling or Purple-backed starling, is a fascinating small bird in the Family Sturnidae. This species is known to inhabit secondary forests, forest edges, open areas and plantations including...

Ms. Anis Zafirah Binti Zam Beri & Mr. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman • 31 July 2023 • 23143 views

Dracontomelon dao (Blanco) Merr. & Rolfe

Dracontomelon dao is an emergent tree or a large evergreen canopy tree growing up to 45 m tall, with a dense rounded crown. It has a straight and cylindrical bole, supported by steep and strong plank-like buttresses. The outer bark is greyis...

Mr. Nik Faizu Bin Nik Hassan & Mrs. Rafidah Abdul Rahman • 30 June 2023 • 23814 views

PARASITIC CYMOTHOIDS: A FISH’S NIGHTMARE

The above parasitic “tongue biter” is Cymothoa eremita collected from the host Nemipterus furcosus. The first collected specimen was from Malaysian waters (in Sarawak) by Anand et al. (2015, 20...

Dr. Melissa Beata Martin • 31 May 2023 • 24444 views

Pternandra echinata Jack (Melastomataceae)

Known as “Sial menahun” in Malay, Pternandra echinata, from the family Melastomataceae, is an evergreen, small to medium-sized tree that can grow up to 30 m tall. This tree is distributed in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapo...

Mrs. Syazwani Binti Azeman • 28 April 2023 • 23724 views

Calyptomena hosii (Sharpe, 1892)

Calyptomena hosii, commonly called Hose's Broadbill, is a bird classified under Family Calyptomenidae. It is an endemic species in Borneo. The distribution of this species is restricted to the hill and submontane mixed dipterocarp fores...

Ms. Noor Faradiana Binti Md Fauzi & Mr. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman • 31 March 2023 • 24752 views

Shorea sumatrana (Sloot. ex Thorenaar) Sym. ex Desch. (Dipterocarpaceae)

A species, Shorea sumatrana is distributed from Sumatra, Peninsular Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the species epithet, sumatrana refers to Sumatra, which was one of the locations where this plant was found (Flora & F...

Mrs. Norzielawati Bt. Salleh • 28 February 2023 • 25712 views

Buceros bicornis Great hornbill

The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is also known as the concave-casqued hornbill or great pied hornbill. It can be found in south-west India, south China and Indochina south to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra (Indonesia). The Great Hornbi...

Mr. Muhammad Faris Bin Mohd Ridza & Mr. Tan Kok Kiat • 31 January 2023 • 28121 views

Sonerila tenuifolia Blume (Melastomataceae)

Sonerila tenuifolia is easily recognised from its erect habit and the long leaf stalk (petiole of 0.5─1.8 cm long).

Siti Eisya Nabiha binti Damahuri & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 30 December 2022 • 27192 views

Buxus rupicola Ridl.

Buxus rupicola is known as one of the rare and endemic species in Peninsular Malaysia. The species is only known from Kedah where it is found in a few islands in Langkawi (Pulau Dayang Bunting and Pulau Simpang Tiga Kechil) (Kiew ...

Ms. Fatin Qurratul 'ain Binti Saberam & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 15 December 2022 • 27085 views

Globba fragilis S.N. Lim (Zingiberaceae)

Globba fragilis is a small-sized ginger from the semi-evergreen rain forests in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. Its Latin name ‘fragilis’ means fragile, referring to the petite look of the plant. The plant was firs...

Dr. Sam Yen Yen • 30 November 2022 • 28096 views

Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M.Sm (Zingiberaceae)

It is popularly used in local Nyonya or Malay dishes such as “nyonya laksa”, “asam laksa”, “nasi ulam”, “asam pedas” and “nasi kerabu” to enhance flavour.

Ms. Nur Liyana Hazwani Shahdani & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 15 November 2022 • 29243 views

Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B.Rob. (Rhizophoraceae)

This ‘tangar semak’ or scientifically named Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B.Rob. is another species of Ceriops that occurs in Peninsular Malaysia.

Ms. Munira Mohd Sazali & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 31 October 2022 • 27949 views

Donax canniformis (G.Forst.) K.Schum. (Marantaceae)

Locally, D. canniformis is known as ‘bemban’ (Ridley & Curtis, 1902). In Malay culture, the rhizomes of bemban are traditionally used to cure shingles (Ibrahim & Amalina, 2007).

Ms. Nur Liyana Hazwani Shahdani & Dr. Avelinah Julius • 14 October 2022 • 29179 views

Pitta moluccensis (Statius Muller, 1776)

Pitta moluccensis or Blue-winged Pitta is a passerine bird under the family Pittidae. Pittas has stout bills, short tails and long legs with no visible scaling (Robson, 2015).

Ms. Nur Aina Amira Binti Mahyudin & Mr. Kaviarasu Munian • 30 September 2022 • 28619 views