14 Feb 2015
Hypericum balfourii
Socotra is the only place on earth I have encountered hypericum trees! The Haghier mountains of socotra is home to many species of hypericum, but this one…
13 Feb 2015
Hypericum scopulorum
Never in my entire life have I seen hypericum grow as dense and tall shrubs as on top of Socotra (Skand)! I was mesmerized by the abundance of plants and…
13 Feb 2015
Hypericum scopulorum
Never in my entire life have I seen hypericum grow as dense and tall shrubs as on top of Socotra (Skand)! I was mesmerized by the abundance of plants and…
13 Feb 2015
Hypericum scopulorum UV
Hypericums are beautiful in UV light, as they are not uniformly colored, and this species is no exception. This species forms impenetrable thickets dotted with…
12 Feb 2015
Hypericum balfourii UV
The flowers of this giant of hypericums are dark in center in UV, compared to the all-yellow in visible light.
12 Feb 2015
Hypericum balfourii
When I suddenly stood in front of a hypericum balfourii tree, my heart jumped an extra beat and I jumped towards it in awe to make sure I did not hallucinate!…
12 Feb 2015
Hypericum balfourii
When I suddenly stood in front of a hypericum balfourii tree, my heart jumped an extra beat and I jumped towards it in awe to make sure I did not hallucinate!…
12 Feb 2015
Socotra bottle tree (Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum)
This is the iconic and endemic bottle tree, or desert rose of Socotra - Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum. When you find one in bloom like this one you simply…
12 Feb 2015
Socotra bottle tree (Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum) UV
What's interesting with this landscape view of the bottle tree, is that the flowers appear same color in UV as the lichen on the rocks! Endemic.
12 Feb 2015
Socotra bottle tree (Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum)
Many species of plants on Socotra have evolved seed pods like this, and I don't know why this is a design preferable here, as the content is dispersed by wind…