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 (767)

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 (764)

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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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 (788)

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 (788)

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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Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens

 Salvaged  No Responses »
Jun 272013
 

Photo specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 4-5 meters

Habitats : Creek banks, roadsides, scrublands and thickets

Local name : Bolokabok

Trade names : Velvet bean, Cowitch

Botanical name : Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens

Family : Fabaceae - Faboideae

Fruiting season : November to January

Traits : Annual climber; Fast-growing; Nitrogen-fixing; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Collector’s; Fallow improvement; Green manure; Cut and carry fodder; Ornamental vine

Used for : Various parts are used in traditional medicine; Forage and silage

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

National conservation status : Not threatened

(Note : var. utilis for non-stinging, cultivated forms and var. pruriens for stinging, wild forms)

Further reading :

Tropical Forages - Mucuna pruriens http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Mucuna_pruriens.htm (1667)

Premna subscandens

 Salvaged  No Responses »
May 082013
 

Materials identified by : Ulysses Ferreras (Field Botanist)

Specimen : Wild

Specimen height : 3-5 meters

Habitats : Creek banks and moist thickets

Botanical name : Premna subscandens

Local name : Alagaw-baging

Family : Lamiaceae

Traits : Low to medium altitude species; Woody climber

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Home gardens; Medicinal plant; Public spaces; Urban greening; Vertical gardens; Wildcrafting

Native range : China and the Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

(2 varieties include Premna subscandens var. glabrescens and Premna subscandens var. minutiflora)

Further reading :

A Collagen Network Formation Effector from Leaves of Premna Subscandens (Hirokazu Sudo, Kaori Kijma (née Yuasa), Hideaki Otsuka, Toshinori Ide, Eiji Hirata, Yoshio Takeda, Masayuki Isaji and Yoshikazu Kurashina)

Flora of China Premna subscandens http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019416

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Native wild edible : Piper retrofractum

 Native wild edibles, Salvaged  No Responses »
Apr 292013
 

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

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 (621)

Epipremnum pinnatum

 Salvaged  Comments Off
Mar 122013
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : On shaded usually aged trees, in creek banks

Local name : Amolong

Trade name : Centipede tongavine, Tongavine

Botanical name : Epipremnum pinnatum

Family : Araceae

Traits : Fast growing; Epiphytic; Shade tolerant

Recommendations : Home gardens; Landscaping; Ornamental; Public spaces; Urban greening

Native range : Bangladesh, Andaman Islands, Japan, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia and neighboring Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further reading :

Exotic Rainforest - Epipremnum pinnatum http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Epipremnum%20pinnatum%20pc.html (470)

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 (594)

Symphorema luzonicum

 What we grow  No Responses »
Dec 312012
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : Moist thickets

Local name : Malasiad, Mulawin-baging

Botanical name : Symphorema luzonicum

Family : Lamiaceae

Height : 4-8 meters

Fruiting season : May - June

 

Traits : Lowland species; Scandent shrub or woody climber

Recommendations : Home gardens; Landscaping; Ornamental vine; Public spaces; Urban greening

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

Threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use

Further readings :

INTERNET ARCHIVE - Full text of “Phytologia” http://www.archive.org/stream/phytologia02glea/phytologia02glea_djvu.txt

Philippinean Ecosystems http://www.terrestrial-biozones.net/Paleotropic%20Ecosystems/Philippinean%20Ecosystems.html

VIETNAM PLANT DATA CENTER - The diversity of the flora of Vietnam 14. Symphorema Roxb. and S. involucratum Roxb., a new genus and species occurrence for the flora http://botanyvn.com/cnt.asp?param=news&newsid=505&lg=en (671)

Abrus precatorius

 What we grow  No Responses »
Dec 192012
 

Specimen : Wild and domesticated

Observed habitats : Riverine forest and bamboo thickets

Local name : Saga-saga

Trade names : Jequirity, Precatory bean

Botanical name : Abrus precatorius

Family : Fabaceae

Height : 4-6 meters

Fruiting season : Fruits observed in February and July (possibly year round)

Traits : Fast-growing; Prolific fruiter; Woody climber

Recommendation : Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves, seeds and roots are employed in traditional medicine; Leaves or roots are used as substitute for liquorice; Seeds used in making ornaments and ethnic-styled jewelries

Native range : Africa, tropical Asia (including the Philippines), Australia to the Pacific Islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

(Notes : Seeds highly toxic)

Further readings :

Bureau of Plant Industry Medicinal Plants Publication (Abrus precatorius) http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/s/saga.pdf

PROSEA (Abrus precatorius) http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=124 (635)

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 (909)

Carmona retusa

 What we grow  No Responses »
Sep 212012
 

Specimen : Cultivated

Local name : Tsaang-gubat

Trade names : Philippine tea, Fukien tea

Botanical name : Carmona retusa

Family : Boraginaceae

Specimen height : 3-4 meters

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast-growing; Shade tolerant; Shrub to small tree

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Hedging; Home gardens; Ornamental shrub; Plantation; Potted; Public spaces; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fresh and dried leaves are used as tea; Bonsai material; Topiary material

Native range : India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further reading :

Carmona retusa http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/reports/pdf/carmona_retusa.pdf (1138)

Clerodendrum quadriloculare

 What we grow  No Responses »
Sep 132012
 

Specimen : Cultivated

Local name : Bagawak-morado

Trade name : Star burst clerodendrum

Botanical name : Clerodendrum quadriloculare

Family : Lamiaceae

Specimen height : 2-4 meters

Fruiting season : February to April

Traits : Deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast-growing; Large shrub to small tree; Shade tolerant

Recommendations : Home gardens; Ornamental shrub or tree; Potted; Public spaces; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves are used for healing wounds and for tonic baths

Native range : The Philippines

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

Further readings :

Bureau of Plant Industry Medicinal Plants of the Philippines Publication - Clerodendrum quadriloculare

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

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick) (701)

Blumea balsamifera

 What we grow  No Responses »
Sep 042012
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitats: Grasslands and roadsides

Local name : Sambong

Trade name : Ngai camphor

Botanical name : Blumea balsamifera

Family : Compositae

Traits : Aromatic; Evergreen; Fast growing; Short-lived; Shrub to small tree; Thicket-forming

Recommendations : Backyards; Farms; Home gardens; Potted; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves are medicinal and are either infused and taken as tea, smoked as cigarette, used in aromatic baths, pounded as poultice or prepared and sold commercially as medicinal pills; Camphor oil from the new leaves are used in traditional Chinese medicine, the same is also used as an ingredient in modern pharmaceutical preparations like liniments for pain and rheumatism

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

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Further reading :

World Agroforestry (Blumea balsamifera) http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18102 (1188)

Native wild edible : Capparis micrantha

 Native wild edibles, Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Aug 202012
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : Forested creekbanks and riverbanks

Local names : Halubagat-kahoy, Halubagat

Trade name: Naper tree

Botanical name : Capparis micrantha

Family : Capparidaceae / Capparaceae

Height : 4-6 meters

Fruit : Berry; Translucent arils cover the numerous, round, brownish to blackish seeds inside the easily blemished, leathery, green to scarlet rind

Fruiting season : April to July

Traits : Evergreen; Much-branched; Prickly; Shade tolerant; Large shrub to small tree; Water-logging tolerant

Recommendations : Backyards; Erosion control; Hedging; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Riparian management; Wildcrafting

Used for : Fruits are edible; Fuelwood

Native range : Southern China and Southeast Asia (including the Philippines)

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Threat : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use

Further reading :

JSTOR Plant Science - Capparis micrantha http://plants.jstor.org/flora/flota000342

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Native wild edible : Vitex negundo

 Native wild edibles, What we grow  No Responses »
Aug 182012
 

Specimen : Wild

Habitat : Dry thickets, open grasslands, roadsides, wastelands

Local name : Lagundi

Trade name : Five-leaved chaste tree

Botanical name : Vitex negundo

Family : Lamiaceae

Specimen height : 3-4 meters

Fruiting season : Possibly year round

Traits : Aromatic; Deciduous to semi-deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Large shrub to small tree; Much-branched; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Erosion control; Home gardens; Honey plant; Living fence; Ornamental; Plantations; Potted; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Nurse tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves and roots as medicinal tea; Fruits, leaves, bark and roots have various applications in traditional medicine; Essential oil obtained from the leaves; Leaves used in baths and as insectifuge; Seeds may be substituted for pepper, may be ground into an edible flour or may be eaten boiled; Branches and twigs used for basketry and handicraft weaving; Fuelwood

Native range : East & Southern Africa, India, East Asia, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) to Western Polynesia

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Threat : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use

Further reading :

Bureau of Plant Industry (Medicinal Plants) http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/l/lagundi.pdf

Plants For A Future - Vitex negundo http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Vitex+negundo

World Agroforestry Centre http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18042 (4017)

Native wild edible : Uvaria rufa

 Native wild edibles, Salvaged, What we grow  No Responses »
Aug 182012
 

Back when I was still doing the Indi-journal online, I received a lot of emails and site comments regarding the post I made on Susung-kalabaw (Uvaria rufa). It was probably the most viewed post there and the one which received the most legit comments. A lot of the readers testified that this was a wild fruit that they have last seen and eaten decades ago when they were “younger” and it made them recall childhood; some say they can still remember that strangely-tart-a-little-sweet taste of this seedy, curious-looking fruit that they just pick from shrubs growing by the roadsides while walking to school.

Just last year, we’ve been visited by high school science students from Manila to gather Uvaria rufa leaf and fruit samples for a project. They were very courteous, hard-working kids that have gone all the way here, to what is possibly the remotest place they’ve been, to get those good marks at school; kudos to them! I have never heard about the result of their effort but I hope that the conservation work we do here in Balinghasai farms helped them in a way.

 


Specimen : Wild

Habitats : Dry grasslands, creek bank thickets, roadsides

Local names : Susung-kalabaw, Alagat, Hilagak

Botanical name : Uvaria rufa

Family : Annonaceae

Traits : Drought-tolerant; Evergreen; Shade tolerant; Scandent shrub or woody climber

Height : 4-6 meters

Fruiting season : May to August

Used for : Fruits are edible; Rattan substitute in making furnitures and handicrafts; Firewood

Recommendations : Backyards; Fruit collector’s; Hedging; Home gardens; Ornamental; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

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

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Threat : Conversion of woodlands to agricultural, commercial or residential plots

Further readings :

Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Uvaria rufa http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Uvaria_rufa.htm

Flora of China - Uvaria rufa http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008602

 

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