Flora
Flora
Flora
-is the plant life occurring in particular region or time, generally the naturally
occurring or indigenous- native plant life. A treatise on or list of the plants of
an area or period.
Distributions / Locations
In primary forests, at medium and higher altitudes, 200 to 2,000 meters
above sea level. Almaciga grows in almost all mountainous forests, particularly in
Quezon, Zambales, Palawan, Cagayan, Abra, Kalinga Apayao, Nueva Vizcaya,
Samar, Zamboanga, and Davao, and in most other islands and provinces.
Local Name: Bitanghol
Scientific Name: Calophyllum blancoi
Descriptions
A medium sized tree attaining a diameter of 60 cm and stem of 12 to 18
clear of branch. Without buttress. Twigs 4-angled, terminal bud plump, 6-20 mm
long. Leaves elliptical to sub oblong, rarely obovate, (3-)5-25(-30) cm long,
cuneate or abruptly attenuate at base, acuminate at apex, with 5-18(-22) veins
per 5 mm.
Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary, branched up to 2 times, 9-many-
flowered; flowers with 8-16 sepals. Fruit ovoid to sub spherical, 12-22 mm long,
with fairly thin, compact outer layer, green, bluish or black.
Distributions / Locations
Usually in well-drained forest to 1990 m altitude. It is mostly found in the
provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Palawan, Aurora, Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte,
Zamboanga del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Davao del
Norte, Davao Oriental, and Lanao del Sur province.
Local Names: Banaba (Tagalog) Nabulong (Neg.) Makablos (Pang.)
Kauilan (P. Bis.)
Scientific Name: Lagerstroemia speciosa
Descriptions
Distributions / Locations
In most or all islands and provinces, chiefly in secondary forests at low and
medium altitudes. Found in the Bataan Islands and northern Luzon to Palawan,
Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.
Cultivated in Manila for its beautiful flowers.
.
Local Name: Benguet / Baguio Pine (Eng.) Saleng (Ilokano)
Scientific Name: Pinus Kesiya
Descriptions
Baguio pine also known as Benguet/Luzon Pine is a tall trees growing 30 up
to 40 meters with a diameter of 140 centimeters. Bark is dark brown, irregularly
flaking, deeply fissured. Wood with numerous resin canals. Branches are
spreading, longest at the base and shorter upwards. Crown is narrow, with weakly
developed lateral branches. Needles are in fascicles of three, sometimes two, with
a persistent sheath, dark green, and up to 22 centimeters long. Cones are ovoid,
up to centimeters cm long, 3-5 centimeters diameter, solitary or in pairs, brown in
color.
Distributions / Locations
Benguet pine is locally common in the highlands of Northern Luzon forming
distinct forest in the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Abra, Ifugao and
Kalinga. Often occurring in open pure stands on steep slopes at high elevations of
300-2700 m. where it is widely cultivated.
Also found in the Khasi Hill in India, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos,
China, and Vietnam.
Local Names: Apitong (Tag. Bik. Bis. Sul.) Pamantulen (Pang. Ilk.) Kamuyao /
Palailan (Cagayan) Acete (Zambales) Alakal (Palwan) Balau (Bulacan, Palawan,
Misamis, Zamboanga) Duko (Isabela)
Scientific Name: Dipterocarpus grandiflorus
Descriptions
Apitong is a medium size to large resinous tree growing to a height of about
40 meters. Trunk is straight, cylindrical, and branchless up to 30 meters, up to
125 centimeters in diameter. Buttresses are absent or few, up to 1.5 meters high
and 1 meter long. Bark surface is light gray and slightly fissured, 6 to 8
millimeters thick, with a reddish inner bark. Leaves are alternate, ovate, leathery,
glabrous, 10 to 20 centimeters long, 9 to 12 centimeters wide, with 15 to 17 pairs
of secondary veins, pointed at the tip and rounded at the base. Petioles are 5 to 7
centimeters long, thickened at the end of the base. Flowers are large, about 5
centimeters long, rose-colored, and fragrant. Petals are large, oblong to narrowly
oblong, creamy white with a prominent stripe down the center, stamens 30, ovary
3-celled, with the base enclosed in the calyx tube. Fruit is oblong, about 5
centimeters long, with five wing like projections from the sides.
Distributions / Locations:
It is mostly found all throughout the Philippines. Luzon (Widespread in most
Provinces), Mindoro, Palawan, Sibuyan, Biliran, Samar, Panay, Negros, Mindanao:
Misamis, Agusan
Local Name: Mindoro Pine (Eng.) Tapuyao, Tinyu (Tag.)
Scientific Name: Pinus Merkusii
Descriptions
Pinus Merkusii is a medium sized to large tree attaining a height of 25-45 m
and a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. The bark is orange-red, thick and deeply
fissured at the base of the trunk, and thin and flaky in the upper crown. The
leaves or “needles” are in pairs or occur in group of two, very slender, measures
15-20 cm long and less than 1 mm thick, green to yellowish green. The cones are
narrow conic, measuring 5-8 cm long and a 2 cm broad at the base when closed,
green at first, and becomes glossy red brown when ripe. At maturity they open to
4-5 cm broad to release the seed. The seeds are 5-6 mm long, with a 15-20 mm
wing. Seeds are wind dispersed.
Distributions / Locations
The species is usually found in the provinces of Mindoro and Zambales,
occurs in an open groves of pure stands scattered throughout the grassland areas
of the mountains.
Local Names: sagat,molave,amugauan
Scientific Name: Vitex parviflora
Descriptions
Vitex parviflora is a medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 30(-38) m tall,
bole up to 125(-200) cm in diameter and branchless for up to 20m, but often
much shorter and crooked, with buttresses; bark surface smooth, shallowly
fissured or flaky, pale grey to pale yellowish-brown, inner bark pale yellow to
bright orange; crown often spreading. Leaves opposite, compound, 3-foliate,
leaflets glabrous below. Inflorescence terminal and in the upper leaf axils,
paniculate, rather lax; flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, calyx cup-shaped, with 5
lobes, calyx lobes absent or indistinct; corolla with a short tube, bluish, 2-lipped,
upper lip 2- lobbed, lower lip much larger and 3-lobed, pubescent outside;
stamens 4, inserted on the corolla tube, exserted, didynamous; ovary superior, 2-
4 chambered, with 1 filiform style having a bifid stigma. Fruit a drupe, subglobose,
sessile on the often enlarged calyx, 5mm in diameter, bluish-black when mature,
1-4 seeded. Seed obovoid or oblong, lacking endosperm
Distributions/Locations
Molave is common in both secondary and open primary forests at low
altitude throughout the Philippines in all or most islands and provinces.
Local Name: Rafflesia
Scientific Name: Rafflesia Manillana
Distributions / Locations:
In settled areas at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines in
sandy beaches, inundated localities. It is mostly found in Northern Luzon,
Babuyan Island, Palawan, and Mindanao.