Aruban Flora

On Wednesday 27th of September Post Aruba NV emitted its stamp series Aruban Flora.

This emission was done in collaboration with Aruba National Park Foundation (FPNA) through a Nature Photography Competition.

The pictures of the first and second place winners of the Professional and Amateur class have been put together by Mr. Paul Wong in a souvenier sheet. The stamp emission is accompanied by a First Day Cover envelope that was also designed by Mr. Paul Wong.

Aruba’s flora is unique, beautiful and diverse. With year-round sunshine, a tropical yet arid climate, with little rain, only plants that can survive with a minimal amount of water thrive on the island.

Aruba National Park Foundation (FNPA) is very committed to preserve, protect and restore Aruba’s Flora Biodiversity for a more sustainable future. Therefore, the Nature Photography Competition is a unique opportunity for aspiring nature photography artists to enhance their talent and capture the splendor of nature.

And the FPNA calls out to everyone living and visiting Aruba to give a helping hand on the preservation and protection of Aruba’s Native Flora.

Love on a Stamp - Boerhavia coccinea
With a tendency to grow pretty high, these flowers sometimes try to get the attention they deserve. Loved by the little grayish-blue butterflies (Hemiargus Hanno) that fly from one red-violet flower bunch to the next, feasting on their sweet taste, but by far not appreciated enough by the human eye. They are often walked past without being seen, are probably rarely observed up close and therefore they are also highly underrated when it comes to their beauty.

When I first tried to capture a close-up, I was amazed by what I discovered. These red-violet “buds” actually consist of many perfectly designed tiny red-violet flowers sitting closely together. These flowers are only about 2mm long. Due to the rainfall, the yard was full of these, making it a joy to capture them in many different ways. This one especially stood out because of its heart-shaped form.

Flower Description:
Boerhavia coccinea, in our native language known as “batata di porco” is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family which is known by many common names, including scarlet spiderling, red boerhavia, and in Spanish: “hierba del cancer” and “hierba de la hormiga”. It blooms in the period April to November. And it is native to the countries in the northwest of South America, some islands in the Caribbean, countries in Central America and in some states in the south of North America.

Mala Mujer and the Bee - Bulb-Nettle-Spurge
This is Mala Mujer, Bulb-Nettle-Spurge, most commonly known by the name of “Bringamosa”
(Cnidoscolus urens), which is the local name for this plant.

In this picture, you can witness a Bee sticking its tongue into the “Bringamosa” Flower to drink a bit of nectar!

Flower Description:
Cnidoscolus urens is a perennial, tropical stinging herb, which is known as ‘bull nettle’, ‘spurge nettle’, ‘bringamosa’ or ‘mala mujer’. This species has an erect stem and is herbaceous when young, turning woody with age and from 50 to 150 centimeters tall. Leaves are lobed and large, while the white flowers occur in cymes, producing a spiny 3-seeded capsule with seeds rich in fats and proteins. The large, white flowers have five petals. Male and female flowers are on different plants. Flowers occur throughout the spring and summer followed by a small capsule that produces three large seeds. The entire plant above ground, including the flower petals, is covered with stinging hairs. As the common names imply, the urticating hairs on this plant contain a caustic irritant that inflicts a painful sting to those who contact it with bare skin. It can cause a painful, irritating rash and can cause more serious reactions with some people.
The plant is native to countries in Central and South America and some islands in the Caribbean.

Dama di Anochi - Cereus hexagonus
Flower and visible fruit from the cactus during the morning golden hour.

Flower Description:
Cereus hexagonus grows like a tree with erect shoots that branch out from near the base and can reach heights of growth of up to 15 meters.

The white flowers are 20 to 25 centimeters long. The 5.5 to 13 centimeters long, egg-shaped fruits are light red. They contain white or pink flesh.

Flor di Huña di Gato - Mimosa distachya
This plant is one that puts the Hubada (Vachellia tortuosa) to shame if you get hooked by it. After some heavy rainfall, every corner of the Aruba National Park is filled with Huña di Gato. The bees all take pleasure in enjoying its flowers!

Flower Description:
Mimosa distachya are low shrub with double compound leaves; the stems are provided with strongly compressed, very sharp spines and very prickly. The flowers are arranged in cylindrical clusters, the pods pressed flat and do not have obvious petals. They are pinkish and bloom usually after some rainfall.