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Sunder Subramanian

@sunder.subramanian

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My “roadside botany” series from Kohima, Nagaland is coming to an end soon. But for now, it’s another day, another tiny world discovered on a roadside embankment!

Today’s spotlight is on this gorgeous, texturally rich mat of Cladonia lichen I spotted clinging to a wall in Kohima. What you’re seeing isn’t a single plant, but a fascinating symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga working together to thrive on a bare, rocky surface. Those little pale green, leafy flakes are called squamules, and they slowly colonize damp, earthy embankments, creating a miniature forest of their own.

It’s a great reminder of how much resilient life thrives right next to our daily commute if we just pause to look closely. Next time you walk past an old wall, take a closer look—you might just find a whole ecosystem staring back at you!

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini. ✨

[shotoniphone, roadsidebotany, cladonia, lichenlove, kohima, nagaland, botanyseries, lichenology, urbanecology, naturetexture, tinyforest, lichensofinstagram, northeastindia, biodiversity, macrobotany, embankmentlife, natureobservation] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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10 days ago

Welcome to more roadside botany from Kohima, Nagaland. Spotted this resilient little Bottlebrush (formerly Callistemon, now widely grouped under the genus Melaleuca. Not sure which specific species this one is 😅) claiming its space in a vacant lot. You can spot it by the vivid pinkish-red flush of soft new apical growth contrasting with the mature green, and the narrow, alternately arranged leaves. While mature trees develop rugged, fissured bark, this young sapling’s slender trunk is still relatively smooth, quietly gathering moss and lichen in the damp air.

If you ever walk past one, try gently crushing a leaf. You will be hit with a crisp, resinous scent that smells exactly like a pine tree. It’s not a trick of the mind—Bottlebrushes belong to the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family, just like eucalyptus. Their leaves are packed with tiny essential oil glands that, when ruptured, release alpha-pinene, the exact same terpene compound that gives conifers their signature fragrance. A little piece of chemistry growing wild by the pavement.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[shotoniPhone, roadsidebotany, kohima, nagaland, bottlebrush, melaleuca, myrtaceae, alphapinene, plantidentification, noticingnature, urbanflora, everydaybotany, naturewriting] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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12 days ago

Welcome to another instalment in the roadside botany series, taking a closer look at the micro-ecosystems that quietly colonise the masonry and embankment walls around Kohima. It is a daily lesson in the simple act of noticing the environment immediately around us—what often just registers as a passing blur of “green dampness” is actually a complex, layered community.

In this cross-section of a damp retaining wall, two distinct residents are staking their claim: Pilea microphylla (the Artillery Plant) The multi-branched, creeping herbaceous plant in the foreground belongs to the Urticaceae family. It thrives in shaded rock crevices and is easily spotted by its tiny, somewhat succulent leaves arranged in opposite pairs along translucent green stems. It is a highly successful pantropical weed and a master at making a home out of damp urban masonry across humid montane environments; and Bryophytes (the Moss Matrix), providing the lush, textured backdrop is a dense, low-growing mat of true mosses. These acrocarpous mosses form tight cushions on the hard substrate, acting as resilient pioneer species. While they paint the town walls a brilliant green, naming the exact genus or species from a macroscopic view is scientifically impossible. Without a microscope to examine the leaf cell structure, midrib morphology, and reproductive sporophytes, we simply appreciate them as the vital foundation of this vertical ecosystem.
A reminder of how much resilient life thrives in the margins, cracks, and overlooked edges of our built environment.

Photographed on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini

[ShotoniPhone, roadsidebotany, kohima, nagaland, floraofindia, pileamicrophylla, artilleryplant, urticaceae, bryophyta, mosses, urbanecology, noticingnature, plantidentification, nagalandbiodiversity, wallflora, microecosystem, botany, urbanbotany, plantscience, naturewriting, streetplants] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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15 days ago

Welcome to another episode of “roadside botany” from Kohima, Nagaland! I found this “escaped ornamental” making itself at home among the monsoon overgrowth by the roadside. This Duranta erecta - commonly known as Variegated Golden Dewdrop spills through some chainlink fencing with bright, serrated persistence. There is a specific kind of quiet resilience in these neglected margins between the pavement and the wild—a reminder of how much there is to observe when we pay attention to the edges. Just another field note in the daily practice of roadside botany.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[ShotoniPhone, durantaerecta, goldendewdrop, variegatedplants, roadsidebotany, kohima, nagaland, urbanbotany, plantid, weedsandwildflowers, noticingnature, verbenaceae, everydaybotany, plantsofinstagram] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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18 days ago

Welcome to another episode of “roadside botany”. Often, there is a quiet structural elegance to be found in things growing wild by the roadsides… and one such example included the fern in my previous post. Here’s another stunning example that I found on a walk in Kohima, Nagaland - this is a plant of the genus Breynia (high likelihood that it is Breynia retusa, commonly known as the Cup and Saucer plant or Cupped Coral-berry). Before its leaves mature to a darker green, the young growth at the branch tips emerges with a striking, vibrant pinkish-red flush along slender, arching stems. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, southern China, and Southeast Asia.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[ShotoniPhone, roadsidebotany, breyniaretusa, cupandsaucerplant, cuppedcoralberry, phyllanthaceae, theactofnoticing, roadsideecology, kohimaflora, nagalandnature, wildshrubs, nativeplants, plantidentification, indianbotany, asianflora, nonedible, wildplants] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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23 days ago

My Kohima sojourn has come to an end, but not my series on “roadside botany” - I still have a few episodes to go 🙂! It is easy to walk right past the stone embankments that line our roads, seeing them only as infrastructure. But if you pause and practice the quiet act of noticing, you’ll find that these damp crevices host entire, thriving miniature universes. Spotted this tiny vertical ecosystem clinging to a roadside wall here in Kohima. The centre-piece - a fern, likely belonging to the Athyrium genus (commonly known as Lady Ferns or Painted Ferns) — with that beautiful, deep purplish-red stem—unfurling against a vibrant, creeping mat of Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (Lawn Pennywort) and Drymaria cordata (Tropical Chickweed). All this rooted in nothing but a thin sponge of foundational moss (nestled deeply into the darkest, most shaded joints between the stones, particularly visible at the very top right) and trapped moisture. These non-vascular plants act as a sponge, retaining the moisture that allows the ferns and pennyworts to survive on an otherwise hard rock face.

These ecosystems on the margins are a masterclass in resilience and quiet beauty, not in some deep forest, but right at eye level on the walk home.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[shotoniPhone, roadsidebotany, kohima, nagaland, actofnoticing, everydaynature, wildferns, athyrium, hydrocotyle, moss, microhabitat, urbanbotany, botanizing, nagalandflora, shotoniphone, naturewriting, plantsofinstagram, natureindetail] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

Finally unpacking after five long months on the road, and the absolute best part of walking back through my front door was discovering this gorgeous volume waiting for me. This book by T. R. Shankar Raman and @manalipatilart and its mapping of fifty native species feels less like a traditional field guide and more like a gentle invitation to pause and truly notice the quiet, rooted histories standing silently across our changing landscapes. Can’t wait to deep dive into this! ☕️🙂

[bookstagram, treesofmycountry, trshankarraman, manalipatil, naturalhistory, treesofindia, indiannaturewriting, naturebooks, botanicalillustration, bibliophile, indianflora, ecologybooks, natureobservation] by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

Kohima has a brilliant new spot. Lizü (@lizu.kohima) opened its doors just four days ago, and it is already setting a new culinary standard in the city. 🍽️✨ I stopped by for dinner yesterday with a few colleagues, and the food was absolutely superlative—a perfectly crisp Caesar salad and a spot-on spaghetti aglio olio, one of the best I’ve had anywhere.

I went back for lunch today and was completely blown away (I had asked yesterday if they could make vegetarian steamed momos, and even though they weren’t on the menu, the kitchen happily accommodated. So I pre-ordered them for lunch the next day - today). Let me just say: Lizü is the only place in Kohima that has delivered (truly fantastic 🤤!) veg momos! I think I have a new favourite restaurant here in Kohima 🙂!

Beyond the exceptional food, the space itself is gorgeous. The well-designed interiors create a wonderfully relaxed vibe, making it the perfect place to unwind. A special mention to the staff as well—the service is top-notch, highly attentive yet completely unobtrusive.
If you’re in Kohima, this is an absolute must-visit.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[ShotoniPhone, Lizü, kohima, lizukohima, nagaland, newrestaurant, kohimacafes, northeastindia, vegmomos, caesarsalad, spaghettiaglioolio, kohimadiaries, restaurantinteriors, greatservice, nagalandtourism, hiddengem] by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

A different sort of post, for a change. Even under the heavy, overcast monsoon skies of Kohima, the sunflowers find a way to stand tall and seek the light. As this chapter in Nagaland comes to an end, I find myself pausing to take it all in. From observing the wild flora that quietly reclaims the embankments to experiencing the deep, enduring resilience of the hills, this landscape has woven itself into my memory. I am truly going to miss the dramatic skies, the vibrant natural life, and the profound spirit of this place. Farewell, Nagaland. For now. As always, I’ll be back, of course 🙂

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[ShotoniPhone, Kohima, Nagaland, Sunflowers, Monsoon, MonsoonSky, Overcast, NortheastIndia, NagalandDiaries, FloraObservation, FarewellNagaland, NatureNotes, HillState, Memories, BotanicalBeauty, EverydayNature] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

Welcome to another episode of balcony entomology! Meet the Apple Green Scarab Beetle (Anomala dimidiata)—a metallic jewel with a heavy ecological footprint and a secret double life -✨🪲 they’re monsoon shape shifters.

Triggered by the first pre-monsoon rains across the Himalayas and Northeast India, this insect lives in two completely distinct acts. For up to 278 days, it hides underground as a “white grub,” voraciously devouring the root systems of crops like maize and potatoes. Come June-July, it transforms and takes to the skies as an adult, shifting its diet entirely to strip the canopy foliage from apple, kiwi, and forest trees.

It uses hyper-sensitive antennae to sniff out specific botanical scents (like alpha-Pinene), cutting through the “noise” of the forest to pinpoint its exact next meal. Once it feasts, specialized symbiotic bacteria in its hindgut ferment and break down up to 65% of the raw, woody plant cellulose that most other creatures can’t digest!

[AnomalaDimidiata, AppleGreenScarabBeetle, ScarabBeetle, Entomology, InsectLifeCycle, WhiteGrub, AgriculturalPest, HimalayanWildlife, NortheastIndia, InsectFacts, BugLife, NatureScience, Symbiosis, PestEcology] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

Welcome to another episode of balcony entomology 🐜! Spotted this incredible master of camouflage in Kohima, Nagaland! Meet the Leaf-footed Bug, belonging to the genus Dalader (highly likely Dalader acuticosta). Unlike beetles, which have hard wing cases that meet in a straight line down their backs, true bugs have wings that overlap flat to create an ‘X’ or diamond pattern near the rear. The edges of its abdomen are wide, flattened, and scalloped to perfectly mimic a dried leaf. These fascinating, plant-feeding bugs are well-documented throughout Northeast India.

Fun fact: Dalader acuticosta is recorded as one of the traditional edible insects in Nagaland!

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini

[ShotoniPhone, entomology, truebug, hemiptera, coreidae, leaffootedbug, dalader, daladeracuticosta, kohima, nagaland, nagalandinsects, insectsofinstagram, naturephotography, bugslife, camouflage, macro, insectidentification, biology, ecology, wildlifeofindia, northeastindia, balconyentomology] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago

Welcome to another episode of roadside botany! Today I found this bright burst of white and yellow by the roadside in Kohima, Nagaland, during a walk. Meet the Erigeron annuus, commonly known as Daisy Fleabane, a resilient little wildflower that loves to pop up along paths, crevices, and embankments. Native to North America, annual fleabane has widely naturalised across the hilly terrains, high altitudes, and cooler microclimates of North East India. It functions as a pioneer species that thrives aggressively in disturbed environments, making it a very common sight growing wild along roadsides, pastures, and walking trails around Kohima.

This is edible, but with a catch! While the leaves are technically non-toxic and edible, their fuzzy texture and slightly astringent taste aren’t for everyone. If foraged, they are best harvested young and boiled as a wild leafy green or steeped into a mild tea. As the name “fleabane” suggests, this plant has a rich botanical history. Traditionally, it was gathered, dried, and either burned or hung in clusters in homes to repel fleas, gnats, and other insects. Additionally, various indigenous cultures have historically used extracts from the plant in traditional herbal medicine for its mild diuretic and astringent properties.

Shot on an @apple iPhone 13 Mini.

[ShotoniPhone, roadsidebotany, wildflowers, daisyfleabane, erigeronannuus, fleabane, kohima, nagaland, nagalanddiaries, northeastindia, wildedibles, foraging, botany, plantidentification, naturephotography, herbalmedicine, plantsofinstagram, roadsideflowers, weedsorwildflowers, incredibleindia, naturelovers, botanist] taken in Kohima, Nagaland by @sunder.subramanian

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a month ago