Philippine native tree » Balinghasai Farms

The season of the shiny berries

Mar 162013

The past few weeks have been very busy for me and Pim with all the doctor’s visits required of her 7th month of carrying, updating public records, acquiring necessary documents and filing her immigrant visa application that we never had much time to visit the farm except to make short stops to check the work done. With a baby coming along I miss the times when I spent most of my free time making the rounds at the farm and sometimes, when I’m feeling more adventurous, even going out far into the open grassland and woodlands beyond our fence; not even deterred by the sun’s heat or occasional rains.

Yesterday gave me free time so Val, my farm overseer, and I walked to check the partially shaded trees we’ve planted the past years along the shallow creek that borders the farm. We don’t usually collect fruits during the first quarter of the year because most trees we observe are not in fruit this season. It slipped my mind though that one particular cauliflorous and water-loving tree displays its magenta to deep-purple berries from January to March. And so there they were, ready for the picking! We have about a dozen of this wild trees scattered along the same natural waterway.

Val helped himself in sampling this season’s harvest; the shiny berries are sweet but they leave a little astringency on the tongue; truly a forest fruit! (289)

Premna nauseosa

Salvaged No Responses »

Feb 222013

Specimen : Wild

Habitats : Creek banks, open slopes, grasslands

Local name : Mulawin-aso, Alagaw-gubat

Botanical name : Premna nauseosa

Family : Lamiaceae

Height : 6-8 meters

Fruiting season : June to July

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen to semi-deciduous; Small tree

Recommendations : Erosion control; Farms; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living trellis; Nurse tree; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves reportedly used in folk medicine and as substitute to Piper betel for chewing “Nga-nga”; Fuel wood and charcoal

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

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) (259)

Casearia grewiaefolia

Salvaged Comments Off

Feb 102013

Specimen : Wild tree

Habitat : Forested creekbank

Local name : Kaluag, Kaluag-linis, Kaluag-abohin

Botanical name : Casearia grewiaefolia

Family : Salicaceae

Specimen height : 3-5 meters

Fruiting season : July to September

Traits : Evergreen; Low altitude tree; Shade tolerant; Small tree; Tolerant of occasional water-logging

Recommendations : Home gardens; Ornamental tree; Potted; Public spaces; Riparian management; Urban greening; Wildcrafting

Used for : Leaves have medicinal applications; Timber for posts and beams

Native range : Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) and New Guinea

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

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

(Note : Rojo listed 3 varieties naturally occuring in the Philippines : var. grewiaefolia, var. deglabrata and var. cinerea)

Further readings :

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal and other useful plants of Muruts in Sabah, Malaysia (J. Kulip)

Ethnobotanical studies of Shompens – A critically endangered and degenerating ethnic community in
Great Nicobar Island (M. U. Sharief and R. R. Rao)

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (290)

Wrightia pubescens ssp. laniti

What we grow No Responses »

Feb 082013

My short 4 years of membership in the e-group “Rare Fruit Society of the Philippines” (RFSP) brought good friends and acquaintances despite occasional meetings and even rarer farm visits. More fascinating to think though that online and mobile communications with members I haven’t even met yet and exchange of planting materials with them have lived through the years. My correspondence with one such member, Mr. Alfredo Navarro or “Al”, is precisely just that. When we were developing the farm in 2008, RFSP founding member Verman “Berns” Reyes gave me a few leads where to source Philippine native trees seedlings; Al was one of those he referred. It wasn’t very hard to connect with this guy; a prompt reply came very soon after my introductory email and later that year I was already on my way to pick-up a batch including a lone Katmon-bayani (Dillenia megalantha), a Baling-agta (Diospyros sp.) and a Bantulinaw (Diospyros sp.). A lot more followed soon after which gave me the chance to reciprocate the generosity by giving back native seedlings from my own nursery and yet meetings remain elusive.

A row of 10 nearly matured Lanete trees (Wrightia pubescens ssp. laniti) now stands in the farm; thanks to Al. This beautiful tree is naturally found in numbers scattered along the woodlands and scrublands of our native Bulacan but the seeds have quite eluded us for many seasons already. It bears fruit that splits open in maturity, allowing the elements to disperse the airborne miniature seeds which proves seed collection quite testy and challenging.

Just recently, Al sent a text message to ask for Putat (Barringtonia racemosa) seedlings; a tree which he ‘d read about on a piece I contributed for the book “Philippine Native Trees 101″. Al, if you’re reading this, I still owe you the Putat seeds/seedlings.

Specimen : Wild trees

Observed habitats: Open slopes and dry grasslands

Local names : Lanete, Laniti

Trade name : Lanete

Botanical name: Wrightia pubescens ssp. laniti

Family : Apocynaceae

Height : 8-10 meters

Fruiting season : Fruits observed from August to December

Traits : Drought tolerant; Deciduous; Fast growing; Medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil

Recommendations : Erosion control; Farms; Landscaping; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Timber used for general constructions; Wood for carving, furnitures, musical instruments, small wooden articles and interior works; Fuel wood and charcoal

Native range : Southern China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Australia to Solomon Islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

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

(Note : Difference between other subspecies is that the calyx is 1/4 as long as corolla tube)

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)

World Agroforestry Centre http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18173 (444)

Diospyros maritima

What we grow No Responses »

Jan 152013

Specimen : Semi-cultivated

Habitat : Sandy beach

Local name : Malatinta

Trade name : Sea persimmon

Botanical name : Diospyros maritima

Family : Ebenaceae

Specimen height : 6-8 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits observed in October

Traits : Dioecious; Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Salt-resistant; Small to medium-sized tree; Tolerant of infertile soil; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Landscaping; Living fence; Large avenues; Mangrove management; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Fruit pulp reportedly edible; Wood for furniture, interior siding, paneling, veneer, canes, musical instruments, golf club heads, tool handles, riffle butts, novelties; Carving; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : Japan, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

Possible threat : Coastal reclamations and developments

(Note : The local name of this species may have been derived from the ink-like, bluish or reddish grey fluid that oozes out of the fruit when squeezed)

Further readings :

Flora of China - Diospyros maritima http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200017594

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

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (370)

Calophyllum inophyllum

What we grow No Responses »

Jan 132013

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitats : Sandy beaches and coastal thickets

Local names : Bitaog, Dingkalan

Trade names : Ballnut, Alexandrian laurel

Botanical name : Calophyllum inophyllum

Family : Clusiaceae

Specimen height : 14-18 meters

Fruiting season : Observed from August to February (possibly year round)

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Low-branching; Medium- sized tree; Salt spray tolerant; Spreading canopy; Tolerant of infertile soil; Tolerant of occasional water-logging; Wind hardy

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Green manure; Landscaping tree; Large gardens; Living fence; Mangrove management; Ornamental tree; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Seed oil have various applications in traditional medicine and modern cosmetics; Seed oil used as an illuminant and wood finish; General pupose timber used in light constructions and boatbuilding; Wood for furnitures, musical instruments and panels; Carving; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Australia and the Pacific islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

Further readings :

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

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry (Calophyllum inophyllum) http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Calophyllum-kamani.pdf

Tropical & Subtropical Trees (M. Barwick) (415)

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 (351)

Litsea glutinosa

What we grow No Responses »

Jan 072013

Specimen : Wild

Habitats : Along creeks and sparingly on drier and more open places

Local names : Puso-puso, Sablot, Lauat

Botanical name : Litsea glutinosa

Family : Lauraceae

Height : 6-14 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits observed in June

Traits : Drought tolerant; Evergreen; Fast growing; Tolerant of infertile soil; Wind hardy

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

Used for : Various parts of the tree have medicinal uses; Seed oil used for making soap; Leaves are soaked in water for a number of days to produce a slimy or glutinous liquid employed as a traditional shampoo, the same liquid mixed with other building materials has been used to build some Philippine ancestral buildings which still stand today; Wood for light constructions, furnitures, veneers, plywoods and carving; Pulpwood; Firewood and charcoal

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

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Further readings :

AgroForestryTree Database (World Agroforestry Centre) Litsea glutinosa http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18186

Bureau of Plant Industry Medicinal Plants Publication - Litsea glutinosahttp://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/p/puso-puso.pdf

Philippine Woods : Principal Uses, Distribution & Equivalent Woods in Asia Pacific (A. Ella, A. Tongacan, R. Escobin & F. Pitargue) (440)

Native wild edible : Diospyros lanceifolia

What we grow No Responses »

Jan 052013

Materials identified by : Ulysses Ferreras (Field Botanist)

Specimen : Wild trees

Habitats : Riparian forests, wooded creekbanks

Botanical name : Diospyros lanceifolia

Family : Ebenaceae

Specimen height : 4 - 8 meters

Fruiting season : May to July

Traits: Dioecious; Evergreen; Low to medium altitude tree; Shade tolerant; Small to medium-sized tree

Recommendations: Farms; Fruit collector’s; Home gardens; Landscaping tree; Living fence; Ornamental tree; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Edible seeds; Wood used in making furnitures

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Note : Rojo noted 3 forms of this species that naturally occur in the Philippines and all are endemic : forma cagayanensis, forma sabtanensis and forma wenzelii

Veitchia merrillii

What we grow No Responses »

Dec 202012

Happy holidays everyone!

Specimen : Cultivated

Local name : Bungang-Jolo

Trade names : Manila palm, Christmas palm

Botanical name : Veitchia merrillii

Family : Arecaceae

Specimen height : Up to 5 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits observed from December through January

Traits : Fast growing; Small tree

Recommendations : Coastal stabilization in areas where this species is native; Farms; Home gardens; Landscaping; Living fence; Ornamental palm; Potted; Public spaces; Urban greening

Native range : The Philippines

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

Note : Synonymous to Adonidia merrillii

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)

Veitchia merrillii Christmas Palm (E. F. Gilman & D. G. Watson) http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/veimera.pdf

(275)

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 (596)

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) (448)

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 (404)

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) (553)

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 (526)

Toona calantas

What we grow No Responses »

Sep 232012

Specimen : Cultivated, juvenile

Local name : Kalantas

Botanical name : Toona calantas

Family : Meliaceae

Traits : Fast-growing; Deciduous; Low to medium altitude tree; Medium-sized to large tree

Recommendations : Erosion control; Farms; Large avenues; Living fence; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Timber plantations; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for : Wood used for furniture, wooden containers; musical instruments, interior works and carving

Native range : Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines and New Guinea

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

Further readings :

ASEAN Tropical Plant Database - Toona calantas http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/html/print.jsp?rno=193

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

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) (535)

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) (499)

Melia azedarach

What we grow No Responses »

Sep 122012

Melia azedarach‘s notoriety as an invasive species overshadows its potential as an alternative source of prime quality timber. The wood is said to be comparable to Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) and Teak (Tectona grandis). Not a common farmer like us will suspect that this impressively fast-growing small to occasionally large tree will prove to be more valuable than being ornamental. Yes it can easily disperse anywhere in the world that is temperate to tropical and feral stands can be an ecological mayhem but the possibility of harvesting them as substitute to other much-preferred but seriously endangered local hardwood species must be looked through. Fellow Filipino farmers who are having second thoughts on planting exotic Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and Gmelina (Gmelina arborea) can set their eyes somewhere else and must give our native Bagalunga (Melia azedarach) a closer look.

Specimen : Cultivated trees

Local name : Bagalunga

Trade name : Philippine neem, Chinaberry, White cedar

Botanical name : Melia azedarach

Family : Meliaceae

Height : 8-10 meters

Fruiting season : Fruits seen in March

Traits: Deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Small to medium-sized tree; Tropical to subtropical tree

Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Erosion control; Farms; Home gardens; Light shade for crops; Living fence; Living trellis; Nurse tree; Ornamental tree; Public spaces; Roadside tree; Timber plantations; Urban greening

Used for : Various parts have medicinal applications; Timber for furnitures, tool handles, wooden crates and boxes, poles and plywood, makes also a good substitute for Narra and Mahogany; Oil from fruits may be used as an illuminant; Leaves used to repel insects; Seeds or beads may be used as natural oraments; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : South Asia, Thailand, China, Malesia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia to the Solomon islands

National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines

(Note : Synonymous with Melia dubia)

Further readings :

E-Prosea Melia azedarach http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=3028

Melia azedarach http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/AFTPDFS/Melia_azedarach.pdf

Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (747)

Pterospermum obliquum

What we grow No Responses »

Sep 102012

Specimen : Wild tree

Habitats : Secondary forests, creek bank thickets, roadsides

Local names : Kulatingan

Botanical name : Pterospermum obliquum

Family : Malvaceae

Specimen height : 6-14 meters

Fruiting season : Matured fruits seen on May

Traits : Evergreen; Fast-growing; Low to medium altitude tree; Shade tolerant; Small to medium-sized tree; Understorey tree

Recommendations : Farms; Living fence; Oramental tree; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Urban greening; Windbreak

Used for: Wood for interior works, furnitures and agricultural implements; Brown dye and tannin can be extracted from the bark; Fuelwood and charcoal

Native range : The Philippines

National conservation status : Not threatened

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

Further readings :

ASEAN Tropical Plant Database - Pterospermum obliquum http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/html/search01_view.jsp?rno=166&fno=&page=1&scientific=pterospermum%20obliquum&all=

E-Prosea - Pterospermum obliquum http://www.proseanet.org/prosea/e-prosea_detail.php?frt=&id=1448 (326)

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