Month: November 2011

Categories
Stamps

Know 10 Trees: Trumpet Tree

This is the last of a three-part series featuring the ‘Know 10 Trees’ maximum cards.

Another tree which was featured among the three maximum cards was the pink-flowered Trumpet Tree, together with the Rain Tree and the Yellow Flame. Printed on A5 cardstock, these colourful maximum cards are affixed with a matching 1st Local stamp from the  ‘Know 10 Trees’ issue released on 26 May 2010.

The Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia rosea) originates from South America and is often planted for its shady crown. The deciduous tree can be up to 30 metres tall, and has large, trumpet-shaped flowers which comes in a pink-white tint. In Singapore, flowering usually occurs twice a year after a dry spell, around April and August. The flowers then develop into fruits with elongated pods, which subsequently split open to release winged seeds.

Graphics by Singapore Post

Text adapted from Singapore Post

Categories
Stamps

Know 10 Trees: Yellow Flame

This is the second post of a three-part series featuring the ‘Know 10 Trees’ maximum cards.

Also featured on one of the three maximum cards released in 2011 was the Yellow Flame, which is featured in this post. These maximum cards were given to SODA members who accumulated a certain number of points in a year.

The Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) is a medium-sized deciduous tree originating from most parts of China, Southeast Asia and the tropical regions of Australia. The tree can reach a height of around 15 to 25 metres, making it an attractive and common wayside tree. It has bright yellow flowers which grow in bunches of up to 40 centimetres in length. During the flowering season (which can last for several weeks), the whole crown of the tree is covered in a distinctive shade of yellow. The flowers develop into woody, purple-brown fruit pods which usually contains up to five seeds.

Next week, we will be featuring the Trumpet Tree. Check back soon!

Graphics by Singapore Post
Text adapted from Singapore Post

Categories
Stamps

20th World Orchid Conference (2011)

Singapore hosts the 20th World Orchid Conference (20WOC) from 13 to 20 November 2011 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The theme for the conference is Where New and Old World Orchids Meet. To commemorate this occasion, Singapore Post released five stamps and a special Collectors’ sheet on 12 November 2011, which coincides with the opening ceremony.

This event is jointly organised by the National Parks Board (NParks) Singapore and the Orchid Society of South East Asia (OSSEA). Singapore is currently the only Asian city which is hosting the international event for a second time. The 4th World Orchid Conference was also held in Singapore in October 1963.

Featured on the stamps are five commonly known orchids. The Vanda Miss Joaquim (1st Local) is the national flower of Singapore. The Renanthera 20th WOC Singapore (45 cents) is the official flower of the event. The Dendrobium World Peace (65 cents) and Cyrtocidium Goldiana (80 cents) are cultivated in Singapore, where the latter is popularly known as the Golden Shower here. The $2 stamp portrays Grammatophyllum speciosum, or the Tiger Orchid, the largest orchid in the world.

The Collectors’ sheet contains a $5 stamp and features an assortment of orchid species and hybrids placed in a woven basket. It is sold for $8. The designer for the stamps is  Nicodemus Loh.

The orchids featured in the stamp issue are also showcased at the World Orchid Show. As part of the 20WOC, the orchid show features over 75 magnificent displays of orchid species and hybrids from 23 countries. These orchids are also found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens as well as the National Orchid Garden. The National Orchid Garden boasts some 600 orchid species and hybrids on three hectares of carefully landscaped slopes.

The 21st World Orchid Conference will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2014.

Categories
Stamps

Know 10 Trees: Rain Tree

This is the first of a three-part series featuring the ‘Know 10 Trees’ maximum cards.

Singapore Post issued the ‘Know 10 Trees’ stamps on 26 May 2010, featuring ten trees which are found locally. The stamps were designed by Mr Wong Wui Kong, who also illustrated the oriental small-clawed otter stamp issue and the recent joint issue depicting the Singapore River, just to name a few.

Earlier this year, SingPost produced a set of three maximum cards for this issue. They featured the Rain Tree (below), the Yellow Flame and the Trumpet Tree. These maxicards were postmarked 31 March 2011.

The Rain Tree (Samanea saman) was brought into Singapore back in 1876 and is native to the temperate and tropical regions of South America. Its branches spread out widely, giving the tree an umbrella-shaped crown which spans 30 metres. Furthermore, the tree can reach a height of 25 metres, making it an excellent shade tree. Its flowers are fragrant and showy, with pink and white stamens. On a rainy day, the leaves of the tree would fold up, thus it is commonly known as the Rain Tree. It is also known as the Pukul Lima (which translates to 5 o’clock in Malay), as the leaves would fold up in the evenings.

Look out for the upcoming post on the Yellow Flame!

Graphics by Singapore Post
Text adapted from Singapore Post