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Cyclones are generally thought to be destructive. However, in some ecosystems, such as in the Mascarenes, cyclones are a part of nature, and play a vital role, in destruction and rejuvenation. A natural order rises from the chaos. Cyclones, in pristine ecosystems, are a blessing in disguise, in fact a natural necessity! The native and endemic fauna and flora have evolved with cyclones, get battered by them, know how to avoid them, resist, have adapted to them, and spring back.
One of most striking manifestations of this resilience is the bois cyclone, Homalium spp. One species, H. integrifolium, is endemic to Mauritius, whilst another species, H. paniculatum is shared with Reunion. Both species are known as the ‘bois de rivière’ due to their preference for humid regions, and they love growing along rivers! H. integrifolium is a shrub or a small branching tree, compared to the H. paniculatum which can reach 30 metres in height. There is a slight suspicion that the two species hybridise naturally, but advanced studies will need to confirm the matter.
The two species have gained the additional epithet of ‘bois cyclone’ in Mauritius, since they need a strong cyclone to initiate flowering. The reason for this phenomenon is that the bois cyclone would have flowered abundantly after a cyclone, produced masses of fruits to quickly colonise gaps in the forest on pristine Mauritius and Reunion. This massive flowering, also called ‘masting’ has been observed in the past. In the scientific publication, La Flore des Mascareignes, American botanist David Lorence noted that the species flowered abundantly in February 1975 after the passage of Cyclone Gervaise, and the late Gabriel d’Argent, MWF Botanist, kept a mental repertoire of the flowering over seven decades.
After Cyclone Belal crossed Mauritius in mid-January, something very special is happening in our forests after over a decade. The aptly named bois cyclone, is flowering abundantly. This rare spectacle of nature is a beauty to the eye. The view of sparkling lovely white, sometimes yellow flowers, sometimes with reddish gleams, covering almost the whole canopy of the trees can be seen in the Black River Gorges National Park, Chamarel, Mondrain, Valhalla, Henrietta amongst others.
Since the bois cyclone only flower after strong cyclones (which appear to be getting rarer) and that the distribution of the plant has rarefied throughout the years, due to habitat loss and degradation, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is seizing this rare opportunity to collect seeds for propagation and restocking. We fear that despite heavy flowering and fruiting, the regeneration of the species may be extremely suppressed by invasive alien species such as goyave de Chine, privet, and ravenala and dwindling forests.
To continue to celebrate the International Day of Forests, let us admire these trees at the height of their glory since the flowering will end soon.
