Pwunso botanic garden between rain and wind bands for 92W

Tropical disturbance 92W was passing south of Pohnpei on Tuesday. Bands of rain and winds gusting to 30 knots were crossing the island. A meeting of the emergency management team at 3:00 in the afternoon resulted in a decision to carry on with classes. Out of concern for students who might have a long trek back to a home in a village, I decided attendance could not be enforced for this class. The governor had already shortened the school day, and the private schools had dismissed at midday. Only the college remained operational.

One eye on the branches overhead

I worked closely with maintenance and the driver, ensuring that they felt the trip to town was sufficiently safe. I met the bus at Pwunso and asked the driver if he could stay. A strong wind and rain band had crossed the island at 3:00 and I did not know how long a window between bands that the class might have. I also kept one eye on the branches overhead, aware that the wind was bringing down branches. I told the driver that if the weather deteriorated suddenly, I would evacuate the students to the bus immediately.

Angiosperm: Ficus prolixa. Banyan, aiau, auu, aw, kohnyah, leaves as hair conditioner

In light of concerns for safety and minimizing exposure to risk, this term the class did not walk around to the back of the garden to see the Agathis lanceolata, Pimenta dioica, and Swietenia mahagoni. I ran a fast sweep from the Ficus prolixa around to the Myristica fragrans.

Angiosperm: Syzygium aromaticum. Clove tree.
Gymnosperm: Araucaria columnaris. Cook Island Pine. Family: Araucariaceae


Tropical class dressed for winter weather: Darnick, Ray, Garvin, Kayleen

Jedidiah, Jill smell leaves from Syzygium aromaticum (cloves)

Delinah, Faustino, Mailyn, Sepe Rose
 

The wind brought down branches packed with Araucaria columnaris male cones. The overall darkness due to overcast conditions and blowing rain.


Male cones for Araucaria columnaris.


Blurry, but those are all males cones. None of those are awl shaped leaf spikes.

Close up of male cone cluster
 
Checking out the angiosperm Cinnamomum verum. Cinnamon tree.

The cycad had a cone, but the lighting and angle inveighed against photographing the cone. We also saw the angiosperm Coffea robusta (Coffee) and the angiosperm Piper nigrum (Black pepper) in the family Piperaceae. 

Mace inside a nutmeg fruit. Myristica fragrans. 
The class also viewed the angiosperm timber tree Eucalyptus deglupta, also known as a painted eucalyptus, painted gum tree, or Mindinao gum.

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