Flora & Fauna
Posted in birds, nature, photos with tags bougainvillea, fauna, flora, flower, peacock, peafowl on December 2, 2007 by naturespalette
Above: Pink bougainvillea bush from my last trip to Guanajuato, Mexico
Flora: Bougainvillea (bougainvillea spectabilis)
The bougainvillea plant grows in the biome of the Amazon rainforest in Central and South America, although can grow very well in many other climates. The plant can reach over thirty feet tall and can be either in vine, tree, or shrub form with sharp thorns. The leaves of the bougainvillea are heart shaped with drip tips at the ends. The “flowers”, called bracts, come in many colors including pink, red, orange, white, and yellow. The actual flower of the plant is a tiny white speck in the center of the colorful bract.
Above: Photo of a peacock is full display courtesy of wikipedia
Fauna: Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
Peafowl, of the pheasant family, are best known for the male’s extravagant tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The entire tail is lost through molting each year, and a new tail is grown during the next breeding season. The female of the species, like many birds, is much less colorful with brownish plumage and a short tail. Peacocks are forest birds that nest and feed on the ground. They can fly quite well, however, and roost in trees at night to sleep.
