Rhimphalea sp. - Sikkim Moth

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Clade: Euarthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Crambidae

Genus: Rhimphalea.

Species: Rhimphalea sp. Lederer, 1863

Other Names: 

Special feature:  Rhimphalea is a genus of small moths, which is part of the Crambidae family.

Panus lecomtei - Sikkim Fungi

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Fungi

Division:         Basidiomycota

Class:             Agaricomycetes

Order:            Polyporales

Family:           Polyporaceae

Genus:            Panus

Binomial name: Panus lecomtei (Fr.) Corner 1981

Other Names: 

Special feature: Basionym (Previous Name) : Lentinus lecomtei Fr. 1825      @Index Fungorum

Panus Lecomtei is a fungus from a Polyporaceae family. This particular fungi was found at the cut out log of a barr tree (fiscus sp.)

Panfuti (Bryophyllum pinnatum) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Order              Saxifragales

Family:           Crassulaceae

Genus:            Bryophyllum

Species:           Bryophyllum pinnatum

Binomial name: Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken

Other Names:  Air Plant, Life Plant, Cathedral Bells, Goethe Plant, Patharkuchi (Bengali), Panfuti (Maharastra)

Special feature: Bryophyllum pinnatum is a succulent plant native to Madagascar, which is a popular houseplant and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas.

The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - who also was an amateur naturalist of some repute - was "passionately fond" of this plant and liked to give the baby plantlets as gifts to friends who visited his home. He also discussed his air plant at length in an essay titled Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien ("History of my botanical studies").

Bryophyllum pinnatum has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides. These can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals.

Bryophyllum pinnatum has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension. The juice made of Bryophylum is useful for cure of kidneystones, although there is no evidence-based clinical indication for these uses in modern medicine and, indeed, such usage could prove dangerous and even fatal in some cases. (Wikipedia)

African tuliptree (Spathodea campanulata) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Family:           Bignoniaceae

Genus:            Spathodea

Species:           Spathodea campanulata

Binomial name: Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv.

Other Names:  African tuliptree, fountain tree, pichkari or Nandi flame

Special feature: Spathodea is a monotypic genus in the flowering plant family Bignoniaceae, with a single species pathodea campanulata

The tree grows between 7–25 m (23–82 ft) tall and is native to tropical dry forests of Africa. It has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders.

This tree is planted extensively as an ornamental tree throughout the tropics and is much appreciated for its very showy reddish-orange or crimson (rarely yellow), campanulate flowers. The generic name comes from the Ancient Greek words σπαθη (spathe) and οιδα (oida), referring to the spathe-like calyx. It was identified by Europeans in 1787 on the Gold Coast of Africa.

The flower bud is ampule-shaped and contains water. These buds are often used by children who play with its ability to squirt the water. The sap sometimes stains yellow on fingers and clothes. The open flowers are cup-shaped and hold rain and dew, making them attractive to many species of birds. (Wikipedia)

Blue-fronted redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis - female) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Muscicapidae

Genus:            Phoenicurus

Species:           P. frontalis

Binomial name: Phoenicurus frontalis Vigors, 1832

Other Names:  The female is brownish-grey, with paler under parts. Its range includes the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. (Wikipedia)

Yellow-bellied fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxantha) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:              Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Stenostiridae

Genus:            Chelidorhynx Hodgson, 1844

Species:           C. hypoxantha

Binomial name: Chelidorhynx hypoxantha Blyth, 1843

Other Names:  yellow-bellied fairy-fantail

Special feature:  It is yellow below and has a black eye-stripe, white wing-bar and broad black tail tipped white.

It used to be placed in the family of the fantails (Rhipiduridae), but DNA analysis has shown it to be a close relative of the fairy flycatcher and it has therefore been transferred to the Stenostiridae (IOC World Bird List), in the re-validated monotypic genus Chelidorhynx. (Wikipedia)

Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia) - Sikkim Flora

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Family:           Euphorbiaceae

Genus:            Euphorbia

Species:           E. pulcherrima

Binomial name: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch

Other Names:  Poinsettia, Christmas plant, lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower

Lalupate (Nepali)

Special feature:  The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. (Wikipedia)

Poinsettias received their name in the United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. He sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person. December 12th is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851. (extension.illinois.edu/)

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Garrulax ocellatus (Spotted laughingthrush) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Leiothrichidae

Genus:            Garrulax (disputed)

Species:          G. ocellatus

Binomial name: Garrulax ocellatus (Vigors, 1831)

Other Names: 

Special feature:  The spotted laughingthrush (Garrulax ocellatus) is a bird species in the Leiothrichidae family. In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is sometimes placed in the genus Ianthocincla, as I. ocellata. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. (Wikipedia)