Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Trichosanthes quinquangulata
(large vine)

All I can say is that the fruit of this vine looks as tempting as an apple, yet taste like "hell"!






Quis
qualis indica
(woody vine)


This plant needs a sturdy support as it climbs its way up. Once it has established itself, only then will it be able to showcase it's beautiful flowers.




Pseuderanthemum bicolor
(shrub/herb)

The flower reminds me of some endangered and endemic "bleeding-heart" birds we have here in the Philippines.





Solanum torvum
(perennial plant)

A very hardy plant that is horticulturally used as a rootstock for the eggplant as it is resilient to soil borne diseases.


13 comments:

Teacher C. said...

I adore the third photo. :)

Rico said...

Thanks, Cindy!:)

Andrea said...

I always love that Pseuderanthum bicolor flowers, but i just learned it Sci name now. We have lots of it in our area. Is it endangered?

Andrea said...

P.S. Do you know the Sci name of 'kabit-kabag', i know the plant but i cant find the common name or sci name, may i get it from you. thank you.

Rico said...

Hi, Andrea! I have only encountered Pseuderanthum bicolor once or twice and I know nothing about it really except that I got intrigued with its white flowers that seem to pop out of the dullness of the ground or vegetation around it. It made me wonder whether it is a native weed/shrub or an introduced species. Without the flowers, I wouldn't even notice or differentiate it from other weeds. Lol......And yes, it is native to the Philippines. I am not sure though if it is an endangered species, but what I can say is that all plants and organisms will be endangered if habitat loss and destruction will continue in our country.

Regarding "Kabit-kabag", I couldn't find anything from Google except for the nearest plant name, which would be Kamit-kabag, otherwise known as Aroma or Makahiya. If this is the weed/plant that you are referring to, the scientific name would be Mimosa diplotricha (english name = Giant sensitive plant), which I also found out to be synonymous to the name Mimosa invisa. Although it is reported from the source below that this plant can also be found in the Philippines, I think that cross checking it with other sources to prove of it's origin is essential.

A good reference that I discovered upon searching this plant is entitled, A Practical Field Guide to Weeds of Rice in Asia by B.P. Caton, M. Mortimer and J.E. Hill under the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. The link to this e-book is http://dspace.irri.org:8080/dspace/bitstream/123456789/1018/1/9712201910.pdf .....which I think is very useful.

Hope that I have answered your question.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and inquiries. I do enjoy and learn so much from all this exchanges. Hope to hear from you again.:)

Bom said...

That is a wonderful number of plants you have in your garden. I'm intrigued by the T. quinquangulata. Is it easy to care for? I am looking for a vine for a trellis and the flower is unusual enough to fit in with the rest of my garden.

Rico said...

Hi, Bom! Thanks for the compliment!

Three years ago, I found the Trichosanthes quinquangulata vine growing on a tree in a ravine near a stream. The seeds immediately germinated as soon as I had collected and sowed it in individual pots. It grows very fast as I have observed.

A lone seed though somehow made its way in a planter box (7"x17" with 3.5" depth ordinary soil) here in our garden and germinated where I had also grown a few Banaba seedlings.....The Banaba seedlings are doing fine in case you want to know.

To date, the T. quinquangulata vine that had grown from the said planter box is approximately 2 inches in diameter from the base. The roots eventually made its way beneath its container and coursed its way through other seedling bags adjacent to it. A cemented floor limit its development. The main vine is like a snake that slithered up some drift wood up to the concrete fence and eventually enveloped our mature Indian mango tree, which I had to trim down because the nuisance neighbor was complaining that the vine was already making its way through their netted roofed bungalow. Lol......

And yes, it has been flowering for months now. The sad thing though is that no fruit development has set. I'm assuming that there might not be any pollinators around for this particular vine here in Manila or maybe this plant has not been getting enough water and nutrients since I barely tend to it.

I will try to propagate it from air layering. Probably at the onset of the rainy season so as not to stress the plant. Will inform you once I am successful.

Andrea said...

Hi Rico, thanks for your reply as well as the reference. I know aroma and makahiya, they both have some species which i know. However, this 'kabit-kabag' unfortunately is not the M.diplotricha you suggested. We have lots of them which is very invasive and difficult to control. Kabit-kabag is a big vine growing in 2nd growth forests, with lots of spines/thorns. The flushes can be attractively seen from a distance because they are colorful and many leaves sprout before turning green. It also produce pods maybe it is a legume. I think it maybe endangered too!

Lastly, your 'bayag-usa' is 'bayag-kambing' in Batangas, haha!

Rico said...

Andrea, right now I cannot think of any vine that matches the plant you are describing. It would be nice if you can email me a picture of it's leaves, flowers and cordon (stem) with thorns and fruit so I can have an idea of what it is and maybe help you in identifying its name. Please forward the picture at tristanasuncion@yahoo.com ....Thanks!

Regarding the name "Bayag-kambing", I have heard of it before though I am not familiar with it. I am not sure if this is another name given to the picture of the fruit that I have posted, but I am certain that Bayag-usa (Tagalog) is the official local name given to the tree Voacanga globosa.

According to the book, "Some Flowering Plants on the Southern Slope of Mount Isarog, Camarines Sur, Philippines", other names synonymous to the shrub / small tree Voacanga globosa is lita (Cebu Bisaya); makabunga, parip-usa (Bikol) and talanisog (Panay Bisaya).

Confusing as it is, a lot of our flora are given various names, depending on the dialect used. This is the reason why it is very important that we have one local official name coinciding with the scientific name of a plant or tree to eliminate such confusion and misidentification.

Anyway, thank you for sharing this information here. At least we know what it is being called in Batangas.:)

Anonymous said...

where can i buy woody climbing vines like the Quisqualis indica or any vines. im from pasig

Rico said...

To Anonymous:

With regards to your question, my best bet to find Quisqualis indica otherwise known as Niyog-niyogan would be in weekend markets or the Manila Seedling Bank within Quezon City. Although I am not sure if this variety is from the Philippines or imported or a hybrid.

Other vines such as the endangered Jade vine is occasionally sold in shops within the Manila Seedling Bank compound.

Sad to say, not many people take notice in buying or propagating our endemic vines and other native flora. This is the reason why it is seldom seen in markets. :(

Anonymous said...

alam niyo po ba kung saan pwedeng makakuha ng solanum torvum sa Manila? thanks po.

Rico said...

Anonymous, wala akong alam na nagtatanim o mabibilhan ng Solanum torvum dahil ito ay itinuturing kahalintulad sa isang damo lamang na tumutubo sa kung saan. May pangilan-ngilan na tumutubo sa lupain namin sa laguna. Bakit n'yo po itinatanong?

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