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 (668)

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 (697)

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/

  (715)

Entada phaseoloides

 What we grow  No Responses »
Feb 082014
 

Thank you Mr. Edmund Sana, Mr. Danny Tiu and Mr. Rey Palacio for the Gugo seeds you gave us a few years ago; they’ve grown fast and tall. Some have already colonized the canopy of the larger trees in the farm.

Photo specimen : Cultivated

Specimen height : 6-10 meters

Local names : Gugo, Balugo, Bayugo

Trade names : St. Thomas bean, Gogo bean

Botanical name : Entada phaseoloides

Family : Fabaceae-Mimosoideae

Traits : Coastal species; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Low to medium altitude species; Nitrogen-fixing; Perrenial; Salt-spray tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil; Sub-tropical to tropical species; Woody climber

Recommendations : Farms; Hedgegrow; Landscaping; Large gardens; Medicinal plant; Reclamation; Specimen; Urban parks; Wildcrafting

Used for : Used in traditional medicine; Seeds are used as ethnic-inspired ornaments and jewelries; Drinkable water may be obtained from cut stem (?); Cut, dried and pounded stems are used in making the olden Gugo hairwash

Native range : Coastal Africa, Coastal Asia (including the Philippines), Australia and Western Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

Chinese Plant Names - Entada phaseoloides http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=200012124

National Tropical Botanical Garden - Entada phaseoloides http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=4612 (724)

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 (734)

Casuarina equisetifolia

 What we grow  No Responses »
Dec 012013
 

Photo specimen : Cultivated

Specimen height : 6-14 meters

Local names : Agoho, Agoo

Trade names: Casuarina, Sea pine, She-oak

Botanical name : Casuarina equisetifolia

Family : Casuarinaceae

Traits : Deep-rooted; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Full-sun; Low altitude tree; Medium-sized tree to Large tree; Nitrogen-fixing; Salt-spray tolerant; Subtropical to Tropical tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Green manure; Home gardens; Landscaping; Large avenues; Large gardens; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living post; Living trellis; Mangrove management; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for coastal areas; Public spaces; Reclamation; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Roots, twigs and bark have uses in traditional medicine; Leaf litter as fuel; Raw material for Rayon fibres; Wood for flooring, interior works, ship building, paneling, poles, agricultural implements, walking canes; Pulpwood; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : Australia, New Zealand; New Guinea; Polynesia, Bangladesh; coastal Southeast Asia (including in the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further reading :

AgroForestry Tree Database (Casuarina equisetifolia) http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/Sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=477

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

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. P. Rojo) (659)

Native wild edible : Ficus pseudopalma

 Native wild edibles, Our Blogs, What we grow  No Responses »
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) (1118)

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 (669)

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) (593)

Pterocarpus indicus

 Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Sep 012013
 

Photo specimen : Semi-domesticated trees

Specimen height : 20-25 meters

Local names : Narra, Smooth narra, Prickly narra

Trade names : Narra, Smooth narra, Prickly narra

Botanical names : Pterocarpus indicus forma indicus

Pterocarpus indicus forma echinatus

Family : Fabaceae - Faboideae

Traits : Buttressed; Deciduous to evergreen; Drought tolerant; Emergent tree; Fast growing; Large tree; Long-lived species; Low to medium altitude species; Nitrogen-fixing; Spreading crown; Tolerant of infertile soil; Tolerant of occasional water-logging; Wind hardy; With extensive root system

Recommendations : Boundary marker; Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Green manure; Honey tree; Landscaping; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Medicinal plant; Ornamental tree; Plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Young leaves and inflorescence are edible but rarely eaten; Barks and leaves are used in the preparation of traditional medicines, also made into herbal teas and pills; Timber for boat building, light constructions, interior works, high-class furnitures, musical instruments, decorative veneers and flooring, tools and handicrafts; Red dye can be extracted from the heartwood; Felled branches for fuel wood and charcoal

Native range : Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Ryuku islands (Japan), Caroline islands, Bismarck Archipelago, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands

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

(Note : Difference between Smooth narra and Prickly narra is mainly about their fruit (pod). The latter’s fruit have soft pricks as compared to the former’s being smooth; other vegetative characteristics do not hold)

Further reading :

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

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry (Pterocarpus indicus) http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Pterocarpus-narra.pdf

  (753)

Canarium asperum ssp. asperum var. asperum

 Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Jul 032013
 

Photo specimen : Wild and cultivated trees

Specimen height : 8-25 meters

Habitats in the wild : Disturbed or secondary forests, dry grasslands, moist and dry thickets

Local name : Pagsahingin, Patsingin

Botanical name : Canarium asperum ssp. asperum var.asperum

Family : Burseraceae

Traits : Dioecious; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Tolerant of occasional water-logging; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Erosion control; Farms; Landscaping; Large avenues; Living fence; Nurse tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Tapped resin sold as Manila elemi or Elemi which is used in the manufacturing of paint, varnishes, perfumes, incense, aromatherapy and pharmaceutical products; Resin also used as illuminant; Wood for light interior works, furnitures, veneer, plywood, agricultural implements, musical instruments, boxes, crates and toys; Pulpwood; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines,New Guinea and Solomon Islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Further reading :

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)

The IUCN Red LIST of Threatened Species - Canarium asperum http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/33233/0 (823)

Macaranga tanarius

 Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Jun 302013
 

Photo specimen : Wild trees

Specimen height : 4-6 meters

Habitats : Coastal thickets, creekbanks, grasslands, roadsides, wastelands

Local name : Binunga

Botanical name : Macaranga tanarius

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Fruiting season : December to January

Traits : Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Low to medium altitude tree; Semi-decidious; Shade tolerant; Small tree; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Coastal protection; Cut and carry fodder; Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Green manure; Home gardens; Landscaping; Living fence; Living trellis; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforetation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruits added to palm juice to improve the quality of sugar produced; Bark and leaves are used locally in the preparation of Basi wine; Resin or gum from the bark is used as glue in making musical instruments; Black dye is obtained from the leaves; Tanin from the bark is used to toughen fishnets from seawater exposure; Leaves as cattle fodder; Pulpwood; Firewood and charcoal

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

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further reading :

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick)

World Agroforestry http://www.worldagroforestry.org/af/treedb/AFTPDFS/Macaranga_tanarius.pdf (899)

Trema orientalis

 What we grow  No Responses »
Jun 062013
 


Photo specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 8-14 meters

Habitats : Open slopes, grasslands, river banks

Local name : Anabiong

Trade name : Pigeonwood

Botanical name : Trema orientalis

Family : Ulmaceae

Fruiting season : March to July

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Have extensive root sytem; Medium-sized tree; Spreading crown; Tolerant of infertile soil; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Cut and carry fodder; Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Green manure; Landscaping; Large avenues; Large gardens; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living trellis; Medicinal plant; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Bark and leaves are used in traditional medicine; Bast fibre made into rope; Wood used for paneling, boards, wooden shoes, containers, toys and novelties; Bark and leaves yield black and coffee-coloured dye; Leaves used as animal fodder; Fallen leaves used as mulch; Pulpwood; Firewood and charcoal

Origin : Tropical Africa, India, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan; Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

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

Further reading :

AgroForestryTree Database (Trema orientalis)http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1654

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) (617)

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) (659)

Cratoxylum sumatranum

 What we grow  No Responses »
May 092013
 

Specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 4-6 meters

Habitats : In open grasslands, creek banks

Local names : Kansilay, Lakansilay, Paguringon

Botanical name : Cratoxylum sumatranum

Family : Hypericaceae

Fruiting season : May to July

Traits : Drought tolerant; Emergent tree; Evergreen; Low altitude tree; Small to medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Erosion control; Farms; Home gardens; Landscaping; Living fence; Medicinal plant; Ornamental tree; Pioneer species for reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Leaves and bark have medicinal uses; Timber for light construction, interior work, boards, paneling, furniture, poles, wooden crates, boxes and carving; Pulpwood; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : Southeast Asia (including the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Further reading :

Cratoxylum sumatranum http://www.asianplant.net/Hypericaceae/Cratoxylum_sumatranum.htm

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

Trees of Sungai Wain - Cratoxylum sumatranum http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/sungaiwain/ (587)

Alstonia scholaris

 What we grow  No Responses »
Apr 192013
 

Specimen : Wild and semi-domesticated trees

Specimen height : 20-30 meters

Habitats : In open woodlands, coastal thickets and along natural waterways

Local name : Dita

Trade name : Devil tree, Milkwood, White cheesewood, Milky pine

Botanical name : Alstonia scholaris

Family : Apocynaceae

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

Recommendations : Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Mangrove management; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Specimen tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Latex are made into chewing gum; Fiber are obtained from the bark; Inflorescence yields essential oil; Sap from the bark is used as tonic, vermifuge and anti-malarial drug; Latex and leaves are also medicinal; Wood for interior work, veneer, plywood, wooden crates, bowls, food containers, boxes and shoes, coffins, chalkboards, small wooden items, buoys or floats and carving; Pulpwood; Fuelwood

Native range : India, Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia and neighboring islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

(Note : The wood is made into chalkboards and slates used for school hence the epithet “scholaris”)

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)

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick)

World Agroforestry Centre - AgroForestry Tree Database Alstonia scholaris http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=201 (783)

Parkia timoriana

 What we grow  No Responses »
Apr 182013
 


Photo specimen : Wild

Specimen height : About 25 meters

Habitats : Riverine and limestone forests, secondary forests

Local name : Kupang

Botanical name : Parkia timoriana

Family : Fabaceae - Mimosoideae

Traits : Buttressed; Emergent tree; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Large tree; Low to medium altitude tree; Nitrogen-fixing; Semi-deciduous to Evergreen; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Boundary marker; Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Fodder tree; Landscaping; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Ornamental tree; Paper and pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Fruits reportedly edible and can be eaten raw or cooked; Leaves, root, bark and seeds have uses in traditional medicine; Cut and carry fodder; Firewood and charcoal

Native range : India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

(Note : Literatures claim this is synonymous to Parkia javanica)

Further readings :

ASEAN Tropical Plant Database http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/html/print.jsp?rno=145

Parkia javanica http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/k/kupang.pdf

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo)

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick)

(632)

Sterculia rubiginosa

 Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Mar 192013
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : Creek banks

Local names : Sinaligan, Kadlihan, Panakitin

Botanical name : Sterculia rubiginosa (3 varieties occur naturally in the Philippines - var. rubiginosa, var. divaricata and var. setistipula)

Family : Malvaceae

Height : 6-10 meters

Traits : Dioecious; Semi-deciduous to deciduous; Fast-growing; Low to medium altitude tree; Small to medium-sized tree; Tolerant of occasional water-logging

Recommendations : Erosion control; Farms; Honey tree; Landscaping; Large gardens; Living fence; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Urban greening

Used for : Timber for light constructions, interior work, wooden containers, shoe heels, veneer, plywood; Pulpwood

Native range : Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Further readings :

ASEAN Tropical Plant Database - Sterculia rubiginosa http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/html/print.jsp?rno=873

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) (617)

Tabernaemontana pandacaqui

 What we grow  No Responses »
Feb 182013
 

Specimen : Domesticated

Local name : Pandakaki

Botanical name : Tabernaemontana pandacaqui

Family : Apocynaceae

Height : 2-3 meters

Fruiting season : Possibly year-round

Traits : Drought-tolerant; Large shrub to small tree; Semi-deciduous to evergreen; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soils; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Hedging; Home gardens; Landscaping; Nurse tree; Ornamental; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves, root, bark, latex, sap from the ripe fruit and even a poultice of the whole plant are used in traditional medicine; Leaves are used as bath

Native range : Thailand, Taiwan, The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further readings :

Bureau of Plant Industry’s Medicinal Plants Publication - Pandakaki (Tabernaemontana pandacaqui)

E-Prosea (Tabernaemontana pandacaqui) http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=1326 (560)

Adenanthera intermedia

 Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Feb 152013
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : Creek banks

Local name : Tanglin

Botanical name : Adenanthera intermedia

Family : Fabaceae

Height : 8-12 meters

Fruiting season : May to August

Traits : Fast growing; Nitrogen-fixing; Shade tolerant; Small to medium-sized tree; Tolerant of occasional waterlogging

Recommendations : Erosion control; Fallow improvement; Farms; Honey tree; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living trellis; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Bark and seeds have medicinal uses; Seeds used as beads in making ethnic-styled jewelries and ornaments; Leaves as animal fodder; Timber for general construction, posts, flooring, paving blocks and furniture; Timber as substitute to Ipil (Intsia bijuga); Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Other Threatened Species (DENR AO 2007-1)

Possible threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use; Indiscriminate cutting of wild trees for fuelwood and charcoal 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) (527)

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