Tambayan ng Kaalaman Tungkol sa Pilipinas
ADELFA
NERIUM INDICUM Mill.
Nerium oleander Blanco
Nerium odorum Soland
Local names: Adelfa (Sp., Tag.); baladre (Tag.); rose bay, dog bane, south sea rose, oleander, ceylon tree (Engl.).
Adelfa is found throughout the Philippines in cultivation, but nowhere established. It was apparently introduced by the Spaniards and is a native of subtropical or tropical Asia and is now pantropic in distribution. Both simple and double forms are cultivated for their showy flowers. Continue reading “ADELFA”
ACHUETE
BIXA ORELLANA Linn.
Local names: Achiti (Ilk.); achote (Tag.); achoete (Tagb.); achuete (Tag., Sbl., Bik., P. Bis., Ilk.); asoti (Ibn.); atsiute (Sbl.); apatut (Gad.); asuite (Ilk.); asuti (Tag.); atseuete (Tag.); atsuite (Ilk.); chanang (Sul.); chotes (S. L. Bis.); janang (Sul.); sotis (C. Bis.); annatto (Engl.).
Achuete is usually planted in and about towns throughout the Philippines. It is a native of tropical America, and is now pantropic in cultivation.
This tree grows from 4 to 6 meters in height. The leaves are entire, ovate, 8 to 20 centimeters long, and 5 to 12 centimeters wide, with broad, more or less heart-shaped base, and pointed wide, with board, m, and pointed tip. The flowers are white or pinkish, 4 to 6 centimeters in diameter, and borne on terminal panicles. The capsules are ovoid or somewhat rounded, reddish brown, about 4 centimeters long, and covered with long, slender, rather soft spines; and contain many small seeds, which are covered with a red pulp, which yields a well-known dye. Continue reading “Atseuete”
ACACIA
ACACIA CONCINNA (Willd) DC.
Mimosa concinna Willd.
Mimosa rugata Lam.
Acacia rugata Ham.
Acacia philippinarum Benth.
Acacia concinna is found in La Union, Benguet, and Ilocos Sur Provinces in Luzon, in thickets at low and medium altitudes. It also occurs in India to southern China and Malaya.
This is a scandent prickly shrub reaching a height of 4 to 5 meters. The branches are gray and armed with short, sharp prickles. The leaves are pinnately compound, 15 to 15 centimeters long, and with 8 to 10 pairs of pinnae. The rachis has one gland near the base, and one or two near the apex. The leaflets number 20 to 32 pairs on each pinnae, are linear-oblong, being 8 to 10 millimeters in length, and have a pointed tip and subtruncate base. The midrib is oblique. The panicles are terminal, in the upper axils, and ample. The heads are yellow about 1 centimeter in diameter. The pods are straight, somewhat fleshy, flat, 7 to 10 centimeters long, and about 2 centimeters wide.
According to Kirtikar and Basu the soft parts of the dried berries contain 5 percent of saponin. They state that the pod is acid, bitter, and singularly pungent; and that medicinally, it is deobstruent in cases of jaundice and other biliary derangements and is besides, used by the Indians for washing the head.
Source: BPI
PITTOSPORUM RESINIFERUM Hemsl.
Local names: Abkel (Ig.); abkol (Ig.); apisang (Ig.); botiak (Ig.); dael (Ig.); dingo (Ig.); kabilan (Ig.); kalapakab (Bon.); kiligto (Ig.); langis (Ig.); obkol (Ig.); pilai (Bon.); sagaga (Ting.); petroleum nut (Eng.).
Abkel is an endemic species, which commonly grows as an epiphyte or pseudoepiphyte on trees in mossy forests at an altitude of from 900 to 2,400 meters in Bontoc to Sorsogon Provinces in Luzon and in Mindoro and Catanduanes. Continue reading “Petroleum nut”