Native wild edibles » Balinghasai Farms

Native wild edible : Embelia philippinensis

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Jul 152014

Photo specimen : Cultivated

Specimen height : 6 meters

Local names : Dikay, Lando

Trade names : Philippine embelia

Botanical name : Embelia philippinensis

Family : Primulaceae

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Full-sun; Low to medium altitude species; Much-branched; Perrenial; Scrambling; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil; Woody climber

Recommendations : Backyards; Bird food; Edible gardening; Farms; Fence climber; Fruit collector’s; Hedgegrow/Screen; Large gardens; Plantations; Reclamation; Urban parks; Wildcrafting

Used for : Tart young shoots and leaves are used as flavoring for soupy fish and meat dishes; Fruits may be eaten off hand or processed into preserves; Mature stems used as natural cordage

Native range : Philippines and Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia)

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

PROSEA - Embelia philippinensis http://proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=519 (735)

Native wild edible : Piper sarmentosum

Native wild edibles, Our Blogs, What we grow No Responses »

Jun 172014

Photo specimen : Cultivated

Specimen height : 1/2 meter

Trade names : Wild betel, Kadok, Chaphlu

Botanical name : Piper sarmentosum

Family : Piperaceae

Traits : Evergreen; Fast-growing; Herbaceous creeper; Low to medium altitude species; Perrenial; Shade tolerant

Recommendations : Backyards; Edible gardening; Farms; Home gardens; Landscaping; Large gardens; Living mulch; Medicinal plant; Natural ground cover; Ornamental; Pharmacological uses; Plantations; Potted/Container plant; Public spaces; Reclamation; Urban parks; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves are eaten with salad as condiment or used as vegetable or edible food wrap or as an alternative to Piper betel; Leaves, roots and fruits have uses in traditional medicine

Native range : India, Andaman Islands, China and Southeast Asia (including the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

An Investigation of the Vegetative Anatomy of Piper sarmentosum, and a Comparison with the Anatomy of Piper betle (Piperaceae) (Vijayasankar Raman, Ahmed M. Galal, Ikhlas A. Khan) file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Piper%20sarmentosum_anatomy.pdf

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Does Oral Ingestion of Piper sarmentosum Cause Toxicity in Experimental Animals? (Maizura Mohd Zainudin, Zaiton Zakaria, Nor Anita Megat Mohd Nordin and Faizah Othman) http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/705950/

Natural Antioxidants: Piper sarmentosum (Kadok) and Morinda elliptica
(Mengkudu) (Vimala Subramaniam, Mohd. Ilham Adenan, Abdull Rashih Ahmad & Rohana Sahdan) http://nutriweb.org.my/publications/mjn009_1/mjn9n1_art5.pdf (747)

Native wild edible : Momordica cochinchinensis

Native wild edibles, Our Blogs, What we grow No Responses »

Jun 142014

I have always wondered why we Filipinos have not exploit the use of our native Momordica cochinchinensis. I’ve heard from friends that they’ve encountered this strange fruit during forest walks and at times in forest clearings near settlements. In Thailand, where it is called Fak Khao, a few pieces of fruits may seasonally be seen in fruit markets. The orange, spiny fruits sometimes weigh from 250g to a kilo per piece and they are a little more expensive than the common fruits. There are small plantations in Surin but few and far between outside of the province. The red aril covering the seed is extracted to make a nutritious beverage; the same is also used in making glutinous rice desserts imparting a natural red color. The young shoots are steamed, dipped in Nam Prik (Thai chili sauce) and eaten with rice.

Photo specimen : Cultivated

Specimen height : 6-10 meters

Local names : Patolang-uwak, Balbas-bakiro

Trade names : Gac, Cochinchin gourd

Botanical name : Momordica cochinchinensis

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Traits : Dioecious; Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Full-sun; Low to medium altitude species; Perrenial vine; Woody climber

Recommendations : Backyards; Edible gardening; Farms; Fence climber; Fruit collector’s; Hedgegrow/Screen; Large gardens; Medicinal plant; Pharmacological uses; Plantations; Reclamation; Urban parks; Wildcrafting

Used for : Young shoots and flowers are eaten as vegetable; The pulp is also eaten; The nutritious aril is used in making specialty beverages, glutinous rice desserts and in the manufacture of dietary supplements; Aril is used as a natural food color; Leaves, roots and seeds have uses in traditional medicine

Native range : India, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

Flora of China - Momordica cochinchinensis http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022699

FOXNEWS Gac : Strange Name, Powerful Fruit (Chris Kilham) http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/22/gac-strange-powerful-fruit/

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Native wild edible : Sauropus androgynus

Native wild edibles, Uncategorized, What we grow No Responses »

Jan 192014

Specimen : Cultivated

Local name : Binahian, Chinese malunggay

Trade name : Star gooseberry, Sweet leaf

Botanical name : Sauropus androgynus

Family : Phyllanthaceae

Specimen height : up to 2 meters

Fruiting season : wet season

Traits : Fast growing; Semi-deciduous; Shade tolerant; Shrub; Willowy

Used for : Leaves are cooked and eaten as vegetable or used as fodder for cattles; Traditional medicine

Recommendations : Backyards; Edible gardening; Farms; Hedge; Home gardens; Livestock fodder; Medicinal plant; Potted; Wildcrafting

Native range : India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened

(Note : Over-consumption may lead to irreversible injury of the lungs)

Further readings :

EcoCrop - Sauropus androgynus http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=9593

South China Botanical Garden Checklist - Sauropus androgynus http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=610&taxon_id=200012609 (780)

Native wild edible : Ficus pseudopalma

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Dec 012013

In 2008 I went to a fruit nursery in Angeles City, Pampanga to purchase a few seedlings of Philippine native fruit trees and met there for the first time Verman “Berns” Reyes; the nursery owner and also the lone founding member of the merry group the “Rare Fruit Society of the Philippines” or what is always called “RFSP”. Asking for membership through Yahoogroup ([email protected]) was easy as a breeze and so in time I became a “Rarefruiter” (a moniker for every member) myself. RFSP now hosts thousands of members from different trades and professional backgrounds and still dozens get membered at RFSP’s Yahoogroup or Facebook page everyday. Anyway, on that first meeting, Berns gave me a lot of freebies and among those were half-germinated Lipote (Syzygium curranii) seeds and Niyog-niyogan (Ficus pseudopalma) seeds. Fast tracked to June 2011 and finally it was his turn, with fellow rarefruiters TJ Gonzalez, Boy Gonzalez and J.A. Aguirre, to visit the farm for some native fruit hunting and sight-seeing. Whenever we have visitors, I usually ask them to plant whatever native tree seedlings we have at the nursery to make the event meaningful and in line with our advocacy. At the time, it was the Niyog-niyogan seedlings that I had them out-plant.

Niyog-niyogan is a culturally important food source especially in the Bicol region of the Philippines where its young leaves are usually cooked with fish, chillies and the ubiquitous coconut milk.

Specimen : Cultivated

Local names : Niyog-niyogan, Lubi-lubi

Trade name : Philippine Fig

Botanical name : Ficus pseudopalma

Family : Moraceae

Height : 2 to 6 meters

Fruiting season : Year round

Traits : Evergreen; Fast growing; Prolific fruiter; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil; Willowy

Used for : Edible fruits; Leaves are cooked and eaten as vegetable; Leaves used as food wrap; Fodder for livestock; Firewood

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Home gardens; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Potted; Public spaces; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further readings :

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick) (1161)

Native wild edible : Terminalia catappa

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Oct 042013

Photo specimen : Domesticated and semi-domesticated trees

Specimen height : 14 - 18 m

Local name : Talisay

Trade names : Indian almond, Tropical almond

Botanical name : Terminalia catappa

Family : Combretaceae

Fruiting season : Fruits seen on January and August (probably year-round fruiting)

Traits : Buttressed; Deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Full-sun; Long-lived species; Low altitude species; Medium-sized tree; Salt spray tolerant; Spreading crown; Tolerant of infertile soil; Water-logging tolerant; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Backyards; Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Edible gardening; Erosion control; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Honey tree; Landscaping; Large avenues, Large gardens; Living fence; Living post; Living trellis; Mangrove management; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation of coastal areas; Plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Fruit pulp and seed kernel are edible (the nuts are important food source in the Pacific islands); Wine is made from fruit pulp fermentation; Timber for small constructions, interior work, veneers, plywood, musical instruments and furnitures; Firewood and charcoal

Native range : Tropical Asia (including the Philippines), Australia to the Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further reading :

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry (Terminalia catappa) http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/T.catappa-tropical-almond.pdf (710)

Native wild edible : Canarium ovatum

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Oct 042013

Photo specimen : Domesticated trees

Specimen height : 14-18 meters

Local name : Pili

Trade name : Pili Nut

Botanical name : Canarium ovatum

Family : Burseraceae

Fruiting season : Fallen fruits seen on December

Traits : Buttressed; Dioecious; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Full sun; Long-lived species; Low to medium altitude tree; Medium-sized to large tree; Spreading crown; Wind hardy; With extensive root system

Recommendations: Agroforestry; Backyards; Boundary marker; Edible gardening; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Plantations; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Specimen tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Nutritious and oily kernels are used in making pastries and confections and made into preserves but they are also good eaten raw; An oil suitable for culinary use, as raw material for soap making and as illuminant can be extracted from the pulp and the kernel; Young shoots are cooked as vegetables or used in green salads; Green pulp pickled; Ripe pulp boiled, seasoned and eaten as a delicacy; Wood and seed shells are used as fuel; Seed shells are processed and sold as small souvenirs and ornaments; Light construction wood used under cover; Wood for furnitures, handicrafts, musical instruments and novelties; Pulpwood

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Other Threatened Species (DENR AO 2007-

Further reading :

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops 6 Pili NutCanarium ovatum Engl. (R.E. Coronel)

DENR Administrative Order 2007-1 (Establishing the National List of Threatened Philippine Plants and their Categories, and the List of Other Wildlife Species) (636)

Native wild edible : Rourea minor

Native wild edibles, Salvaged No Responses »

Jun 282013

Materials identified by : Ulysses Ferreras (Field botanist)

Photo specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 4-6 meters

Habitat : Creekbank thickets

Local name : Kamagsa

Botanical name : Rourea minor

Family : Connaraceae

Fruiting season : April to June

Traits : Evergreen; Low to medium altitude species; Woody climber

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Home gardens; Landscaping; Large gardens; Medicinal plant; Ornamental; Public spaces; Urban greening; Vertical gardens; Wildcrafting

Used for : Edible fruit; Bark, root, seed and leaves are used in traditional medicine

Native range : Tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Australia and neighbouring Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

E-Prosea - Rourea minor http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=1281

Flora of China - Rourea minor http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200011842

Wild Edible Plants of Assam (Sri Brahmananda Patiri & Sri Ananta Borah) http://assamforest.in/publication/wildEdible_plantsAssam.pdf

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Native wild edible : Spondias pinnata

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

May 312013

Photo specimen : Wild

Local name : Libas

Trade name : Hog plum

Botanical name : Spondias pinnata

Family : Anacardiaceae

Specimen height : 20-30 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits collected on July

Traits : Deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Low to high altitude tree; Medium-sized to large tree; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Edible gardening; Erosion control; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Large gardens; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living trellis; Medicinal plant; Nurse tree; Plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Urban greening; Wild-crafting; Windbreak

Used for : Young fruits, inflorescence, young leaves and leafy shoots are used as vegetable; Ripe fruits are eaten raw or made into preserves; Bark, leaves and roots are used in folkloric medicine; Timber for temporary constructions; Wood for cases, boxes, chests, matchsticks

Native range : India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines),

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further readings :

Flora of China - Spondias pinnata http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200012721

India Biodiversity Portal - Spondias pinnata http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/18401

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (681)

Native wild edible : Piper retrofractum

Native wild edibles, Salvaged No Responses »

Apr 292013

$Piper retrofractum$

$Piper retrofractum$ Specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 3-5 meters

Habitats : On trees in moist thickets

Botanical name : Piper retrofractum

Local names : Litlit, Salimara

Trade names : Javanese long pepper, Balinese long pepper

Family : Piperaceae

Traits : Dioecious; Low altitude species; Perrenial; Herbaceous to woody climber

$Piper retrofractum$ Recommendations : Backyards; Edible gardening; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Home gardens; Landscaping; Medicinal plant; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruits used as spice; Fruits for pickling; Leaves, fruits and roots have uses in traditional medicine; Used in modern medicine

Native range : India, Bangladesh, China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened

Possible threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use

Further readings :

Flora of China Piper retrofractum http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200005592

Piperidine alkaloids from Piper retrofractum Vahl. protect against high-fat diet-induced obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and activating AMP-activated protein kinase. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21741367 (612)

Native wild edible : Premna odorata

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Jan 102013

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitats : Secondary forests, ridges, grasslands, wastelands and roadsides

Local name : Alagaw

Botanical name : Premna odorata

Family : Verbenaceae

Specimen height : 4-8 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits observed from April to June

Traits : Bushy; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast growing; Small tree; Tolerant of infertile soils; Tolerant of occasional water-logging

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Edible gardening; Farms; Green manure; Hedging; Homegardens; Nurse tree; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : New leaves are used in flavoring Filipino dishes like Pinaksiw; Leaves are used as food wrap; Leaves, flowers and roots have various uses in traditional medicine; Fuelwood

Native range : South Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) and Australia

National conservation status : Not threatened

Possible threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use; Indiscriminate cutting of wild trees for fuelwood production

Further readings :

Bureau of Plant Industry Medicinal Plants Publication - Premna odorata http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/a/alagau.pdf

E-Prosea - Premna odorata http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=392 (594)

Native wild edible : Alpinia elegans

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Dec 122012

The original fruit samples of this one were from Mr. Edmund Sana of the Dept. of Agriculture; we fondly called him “Sir” or “Kuya Ed”; a very generous guy who finds enjoyment in giving out planting materials to fellow members at the Rarefruit Society of the Philippines.

Materials identified by : Ulysses Ferreras (Field Botanist)

Specimen : Wild & Cultivated

Habitat : Along creeks

Local names : Tagbak, Tugbak

Botanical name : Alpinia elegans

Family : Zingiberaceae

Height : 2-3 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits observed in March

Traits : Herbaceous; Low to medium altitude species; Rhizomous; Thicket-forming; Tolerant of frequent inundation

Recommendations : Fruit collector’s; Ornamental plant; Public gardens; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruit rind edible but a little woody in texture; Rhizomes, leaves and juice of the stem are used in traditional medicine

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

Possible threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use; Water pollutants and runoffs

(Note : Synonymous to Kolowratia elegans)

Further reading :

Alpinia elegans http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/herbarium/digitallib/collections/hlaplants/pdfs/Zin_Alpinia_elegans_w.pdf

Bureau of Plant Industry Publications - Kolowratia elegans http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/t/tagbak.pdf

E-Prosea - Alpinia elegans http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=898 (901)

Native wild edible : Diospyros blancoi

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Dec 102012

I’ve been reading but correct me if I’m wrong : Diospyros blancoi is not Diospyros philippinensis and these two are often confused as one and the same. Reliable literatures suggest that they are separate species. Diospyros blancoi, however, is synonymous to Diospyros philippensis and Diospyros discolor. The mistaken identity may have been caused by the absence of available images of Diospyros philippinensis in books and online and also the accidental rhyming of Diospyros philippinensis and Diospyros philippensis; an unknowing reader/researcher would think that the latter is just the misspelt version of the former, right? In Rojo’s Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees book, the former has the local name of “O-oi”. If this is indeed a fact, I would like to see live images of Diospyros philippinensis, much better though if live specimen. This tree must be regarded just the same as we regard our proud Mabolo/Kamagong (Diospyros blancoi), after all it’s also an Ebony (a name for a group of important related tree species specially characterized by their hard and dense wood which comes streaked or dark or plain) - and it carries our name with it!

Anyway, here’s your Diospyros blancoi.

Specimen : Cultivated

Local names : Mabolo, Kamagong

Trade name : Velvet apple, Camagon

Botanical name : Diospyros blancoi

Family : Ebenaceae

Specimen height : 14 meters or higher

Fruiting season : Possibly year-round

Traits: Dioecious; Evergreen; Low to medium altitude tree; Medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Typhoon resistant; Wind hardy

Recommendations: Agroforestry; Backyards; Coastal stabilization; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Home gardens; Landscaping tree; Large avenues; Living fence; Ornamental tree; Plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Edible fruit; Edible seeds; Fruit may be cooked and eaten as vegetable; Premium wood for furnitures, wooden decors, veneer, musical instruments and for carving

Native range : Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines

National conservation status : Critically Endangered Species (DENR AO 2007-1)

Further readings :

DENR Administrative Order 2007-1 (Establishing the National List of Threatened Philippine Plants and their Categories, and the List of Other Wildlife Species)

Flora of China - Diospyros philippensis http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200017604

Fruits of Warm Climates (Julia F. Morton) Mabolo Diospyros blancoi A. DC. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mabolo.html

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

World Agroforestry Center (AgroForestry Tree Database) http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18079 (1035)

Native wild edible : Artocarpus blancoi

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Dec 052012

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitat : Riverine forests, open slopes, grasslands, moist and dry thickets

Local name : Antipolo, Tipolo

Botanical name : Artocarpus blancoi

Family : Moraceae

Specimen height : 10-30 meters

Fruiting season : March to June

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast growing; Low to medium altitude tree; Medium-sized to large tree; Salt spray tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil; Tolerant of occasional water-logging; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Backyards; Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Landscaping; Large avenues; Living fence; Mangrove management; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Paper and pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Fruits are cooked and eaten as vegetable; Seeds are eaten boiled, fried or roasted; Timber used for poles and constructions that needs durability; Wood for furnitures, paneling, flooring and musical instruments; Firewood and charcoal

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation Status : Not threatened

Threats : Indiscriminate cutting of wild trees for firewood and charcoal production; Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial and residential use

Further readings :

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (843)

Native wild edible : Glycosmis pentaphylla

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Nov 302012

These surprisingly hardy, early fruit-bearing shrubs were given to us as seeds around 2 years ago by fellow member of the Rarefruit Society of the Philippines, Rizalina Sabalburo, whom we fondly called ”Tita Sally”. They are producing fast-ripening fruits like crazy! We reckon it will make a good hedging material with its thick, sound-proofing, evergreen foliage and consistent rapid growth

Specimen : Cultivated shrubs

Local names : Linawin

Trade names : Gin berry, Rum berry

Botanical name : Glycosmis pentaphylla

Family : Rutaceae

Specimen height : 2 meters

Fruiting season : possibly year round

Traits : Evergreen; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Shade tolerant; Shrub to small tree; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Edible gardening; Farms; Greenhouses; Hedging; Home gardens; Ornamental; Potted; Public spaces; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruits are edible; Leaf, stem and root are used in traditional medicine

Native range : India, South China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) and New Guinea

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further readings :

Biodiversity Informatics and co-Operation in Taxonomy for Interactive Shared Knowledge base (BIOTIK) - Glycosmis pentaphylla http://www.biotik.org/india/species/g/glycpent/glycpent_en.html

GlobinMed Global Information Hub on Integrated Medicine - Glycosmis pentaphylla http://www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79252:glycosmis-pentaphylla-retz-dc&catid=199&Itemid=139

University of California Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Variety Collection - Glycosmis pentaphylla http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/glycosmis.html (675)

Native wild edible : Morinda citrifolia

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Oct 112012

Specimen : Cultivated trees

Local names : Apatot, Bangkoro

Trade names : Noni, Morinda, Indian mulberry

Botanical name : Morinda citrifolia

Family : Rubiaceae

Specimen height : 2-4 meters

Fruiting season : Year round

Traits : Evergreen; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Salt spray tolerant; Shade tolerant; Shrub to small tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Coastal stabilization; Edible gardening; Farms; Home gardens; Honey tree; Living fence; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Plantations; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruits eaten raw or cooked or processed and sold commercially as Noni juice; Young leaves are eaten as vegetable or used as wrap in cooking fish or meat; Fruits and leaves are boiled or infused in hot water to make a medicinal tea; Fruits are eaten as purge; A red dye is obtained from the bark which is used in processing textiles; Fodder tree; Timber used in light constructions and carving; Fuelwood

Native range : Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) to Australia

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Note : There appears to be 2 variants of this species - M. citrifolia var. citrifolia and M. citrifolia var. bracteata as quoted in the literature below. Rojo’s Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees also listed a species M. bracteata.

Further readings :

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry (Morinda Citrifolia) http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Morinda-noni.pdf

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick) (903)

Native wild edible : Gnetum gnemon

Native wild edibles, What we grow No Responses »

Sep 272012

Specimen : Cultivated trees

Local name : Bago

Trade name : Gnetum

Botanical name : Gnetum gnemon

Family : Gnetaceae

Specimen height : 4-6 meters

Fruiting season : Immature fruits observed in August and December

Traits : Dioecious; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Shade tolerant; Small tree; Tolerant of infertile soils

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Edible gardening; Fallow improvement; Farms; Hedging; Home gardens; Ornamental tree; Plantations; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Seed kernels are edible and are fried, roasted or boiled, or pounded and made into cakes for making Emping; New leaves are eaten as vegetable; Bark fibre is made into rope; Inner bark made into bow string; Timber for simple constructions, house beams or made into boxes and tool handles; Pulpwood; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : Malay peninsula, Indonesia, The Philippines, New Guinea and neighboring Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Note : Gnetum gnemon var. gnemon is the specific species naturally found in the Philippines per Rojo’s ”Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees”

Further readings :

Research Information Series on Ecosystems Vol. 13 No. 2 May-August 2001 - Gnetum gnemon (R. Cadiz & H. Florido)

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry (Gnetum gnemon)
http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Gnetum-gnetum.pdf (870)

Native wild edible : Buchanania arborescens

Native wild edibles, Salvaged, What we grow No Responses »

Sep 122012

Someone who would see a Balinghasai tree for the first time would instantly think that it’s just some kind of a Mango tree - that’s what I thought it was in 2008 when I first saw one in wooded section of the old farm. The leaves look exactly the same and the flowers have unmistakable resemblance. Somehow though, something didn’t matched-up - the size, the form, the reach of the branches - so I wasn’t totally convinced. Then on a vacation in Panglao island in Bohol in 2009 I got the chance to see a few trees in fruit; the trees were weighed down with clusters of small, blackish or purplish fruits that the resort attendant said are picked and eaten like ordinary berries by the locals. I tried one myself but I didn’t enjoy the taste, or probably the lack of it. Maybe there are trees that bear sweeter fruits?

Just recently, we discovered that our creek and adjoining smaller tributaries are home to juvenile Balinghasai trees. Large ones were cut down years ago - fallen victims to wood poaching and charcoal making but there are few remaining decent-size trees in nearby thickets. The one I saw in 2008 has been one of the unguarded victims, it wasn’t there anymore when we came back to check for fruits…. the hapless tree was gone but its name stays in this farm.

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitats : Mangrove swamps, sandy beaches, creek bank thickets, open grasslands

Local names : Balinghasai, Malamangga, An-an

Trade name : Sparrow’s mango

Botanical name : Buchanania arborescens

Family : Anacardiaceae

Height : 6-8 meters

Fruiting season : Possibly year round

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast growing; Salt spray tolerant; Small to medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Water-logging tolerant; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Living fence; Nurse tree; Mangrove management; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Timber plantationst; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Fruits edible; Timber for light constructions, interior works, veneer, plywood, furnitures and novelties; Pulpwood; Firewood and charcoal

Native range : Andaman Islands, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Australia and nearby Pacific islands
National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use; Indiscriminate cutting of wild trees for charcoal and fuelwood production

Further readings :

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (875)

Native wild edible : Cordia dichotoma

Native wild edibles, Salvaged, What we grow No Responses »

Sep 032012

What can be an addition to our regular boring vegetables.

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitats : Creek bank thickets, open slopes, grasslands, roadsides

Local name : Anonang

Trade names : Glue berry, Fragrant manjack

Botanical name : Cordia dichotoma

Family : Boraginaceae

Specimen height : 5-8 meters

Fruiting season : May to July

Traits : Deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Low altitude species; Small tree

Used for : Fruits are eaten raw or cooked as vegetable or even pickled for eating; Leaves, flowers and seeds are also edible; Leaves as animal fodder; Seeds and bark are medicinal; Ripe fruits are used as paste; Timber for furniture; Wood for carving; Fuelwood and charcoal

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Fruit collector’s; Living fence; Nurse tree; Pioneer tree for reforestation purpose; Plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Urban greening; Vegetable tree; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Native range : Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), China, Ryuku Islands (Japan), Taiwan, New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Threats : Conversion of woodlands to agricultural, commercial or residential plots; Cutting of wild trees for fuelwood and charcoal production

Further readings :

World Agroforestry Centre (AgroforestryTree Database) - Cordia dichotoma http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/products/afdbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1777

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue)

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Flavor & Fortune - Tree seeds (Jacqueline M. Newman) http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=263

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick) (968)