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.

The Philippines, a tropical country located in Southeast Asia, is blessed with

beautifully diverse and colorful water creatures, insects and unique flowering plants.
Here are some of the most beautiful and unique plants that you’ll find only in the
Philippines.

Local Name: Almaciga

Scientific Name: Agathis Philippinensis
Descriptions
Almaciga is a large tree with a pyramidal crown and whorled branches,
growing to a height of 50 to 60 meters, the trunk up to 3 meters in diameter with
a smooth and graying bark exuding resin. Leaves are simple, opposite or nearly
so, entire and leathery, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, obtuse, 3 to 9.5
centimeters long, and 1 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Male cones are cylindrical-
oblong, 1.5 to 5 centimeters long. Female cones are 2.5 to 5 centimeters long,
globosely or ovoid, up to 5 centimeters in diameter; scales are broadly cuneate, 1
to 1.5 centimeters across. Seeds are about 1 centimeter long, with the falcate de
curved obtuse wing. It is highly valued for its resin—the world-renowned Manila
copal—which is used in manufacturing varnishes, lacquer, soap, paint, printing
inks, linoleum, shoe polish, floor wax, plastic, water proofing materials, paper
sizing, and other products. Locally, it is used for torches and as starting fire,
incense, fuel wood, caulking substance, and smudge for mosquitoes.

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

Banaba is a deciduous tropical flowering tree, reaching up to 5 -10 meters

high, sometimes growing to a height of 20 meters. Bark is smooth, gray to cream-
colored, and peels off in irregular flakes. Leaves are smooth, large, spatulate,
oblong to elliptic-ovate, 4 to 8 centimeters in width, 12 to 25 centimeters in
length, shedding its leaves the first months of the year. Flowers are 6-parted,
purplish lilac or mauve-pink, rarely pink, 5 to 7.5 centimeters across, and borne in
large, terminal panicles up to 40 centimeters in length. Petals are oblong-obovate or
obovate, shortly clawed, and 3 to 3.5 centimeters long; the margins are undulate
and hardly fimbriate. Fruit is a large nutlike capsule, obovoid or ellipsoid, and 2 to
3.5 centimeters long. Seed is pale brown, with a wing 12 to 18 millimeters long.

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

Descriptions: The plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. It is a holoparasite of

vines in the genus Tetrastigma (Vitaceae), spreading its absorptive organ,
the haustorium, inside the tissue of the vine.[1] The only part of the plant that can
be seen outside the host vine is the five-petalledflower. In some species, such
as Rafflesia arnoldii, the flower may be over 100 centimetres (39 in) in diameter,
and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). Even one of the smallest species, R. baletei,
has 12 cm diameter flowers.
The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which
translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower" (see below). The foul odor attracts
insects such as flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most
species have separate male and female flowers, but a few have hermaphroditic
flowers. Little is known about seed dispersal. However, tree shrews and other
forest mammals eat the fruits and disperse the seeds.
Distributions / Locations:
The species has been Distributed in Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and Mt
Kitanglad in Bukidnon. Second, Rafflesia mira and Rafflesia magnifica are two
names for a single species. Both were discovered at Mt Candalaga in Maragusan,
Compostela Valley. The two forms differ in size measurements in which the
scientific description of Magnifica came from measurements of flowers in full bloom
while that of Mira was from photographs of nearly dead samples. The medium-
sized Mira and Magnifica flowers measure about half a meter and they have round
or elliptic perigone wart. The third species on Mindanao is the Rafflesia mixta
which is found so far only in the town of Mainit, Surigao del Norte. It shows a
combination of three features of Philippine Rafflesia, namely: the shape and size of
the conical process in Rafflesia schadenbergania, the floral size and sparsely
distributed perigone warts of R. speciosa, and the overall resemblance, floral size,
faint scent, diaphragm and ramenta morphology of R. mira. Fourth, is Rafflesia
verrucosa which is found only in Mt. Kampalili in Davao Oriental Province.
Local Name: Calachuchi / Kalachuchi C. Bis.)Kalachuche (Tag., Bik.) Kalasusi
(Tag.) Kalanuche (Ilk.)
Scientific Name: Plumeria rubra/Plumeria acuminata
Descriptions

Kalachuchi is a small, deciduous tree, 3 to 7 meters high, with a crooked

trunk, smooth and shining stems, succulent, with abundant sticky, milky latex. Bark
has a smooth, papery outer layer which is grey, shining, and constantly exfoliating in
small flakes. Wood is yellowish-white and soft. Branches are thick, fleshy, swollen
and leafy at the tips. Leaves are crowded at the terminal end of the branch,
commonly oblong in shape, 20 to 40 centimeters long, 7 centimeters wide, spirally
arranged at the ends of the branches. Flowers are numerous, fragrant and large, the
upper portion whitish, while the inner lower portion yellow, 5 to 6 centimeters long.
Fruits are linear-oblong or ellipsoid follicles, with a pointed tip, 15 to 20 centimeters
long, 1.5 to 2 centimeters in diameters. Seeds are numerous and winged.
Distributions / Locations
Kalachuchi has been cultivated throughout the Philippines for ornamental
purposes.
Local Name: Ipil Ipil
Scientific Name: Leucaena leucocephala
Descriptions:
Ipil-ipil is a small tree growing up 8 meters high. Leaves are compound, 15
to 25 centimeters long, with hairy rachis. Pinnae are 8 to 16, and 5 to 8
centimeters long. Leaflets are 20 to 30, linear oblong, and 7 to 12 millimeters
long. Heads are solitary, at the axils of the leaves, long-peduncled, globose, and 2
to 5 centimeters in diameter, with many flowers. Flowers are whitish, in dense
globule heads, 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter. Fruit is an oblong or linear pod,
strap-shaped, 12 to 18 centimeters long, 1.4 to 2 centimeters wide, papery, green
turning to brown and splitting open along two edges when mature, and several
fruits developing from each flower head. Each pod contains 15 to 25 elliptic,
compressed, shining, brown seeds, each 5 to 8 millimeters long, 3 to 5 millimeters
wide.

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.