PLANT CLASSIFICATION DESCRIPTION Acanthaceae

Pachystachys lutea Nees

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Pachystachys Species: lutea Scientific Name: Pachystachys luteaCommon Names: lollipop plant, candle tops, shrimp plant

Shrub to 90 cm or taller, leaves are opposite, narrow-ovate to 12 cm long, with entire margins. Flowers are in large terminal spike, to 10 cm long, with large, golden yellow cordiante bracts, to 2.5 cm long; corolla is white. Fruit is a capsule. Native to Peru. Common in gardens in Metropolitan Manila and in Bgauio City. Propagated by cutting or by seeds.

Acanthaceae

Justicia carnea

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Justicia Species:carnea Scientific Name: Justicia carnea Common Names: pink jacobina

Low branching shrub. Leaves are opposite and broad ovate, grayish green, with acute apex. Flowes are pink and in dense clusters at the end of branches; calyx is linear and 5-parted; corolla is more or less 2-lipped. Native to Brazil. Widely cultivated in towns and urban

areas throughout the Philippines. Prefers rich soil. Propagated by stem cuttings.

Acanthaceae

Sanchezia speciosa

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Scrophulariales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Odontonema Species: strictum Scientific Name: Odontonema strictum Common Names: red odontonema

Shrub growing to 3 in tall. Leaves are ovate, with acute tip, bright green, and to 12 cm long. Flowers are borne in long terminal spikes and extend above the leaves, bright red and to 4 cm long. Native to Central America. Widely cultivated in towns and cities in the Philippines. Prefers lightly shaded places and rich soil. Propagated by stem cuttings.

Acanthaceae

Ruellia tuberosa I.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Scrophulariales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Ruellia Species: tuberosa Scientific Name: Ruellia tuberosa Common Names: meadow weed

Low-growing perennial herb with tuberious roots. Leaves are opposite, short petioled,ovate to oblong , abruptly narrowed at the base, with undulate margins and to 12 cm long. Flowers are showy, with funnel-shaped, 5-lobed corolla to 5 cm across, and mauve or light. bluish purple. Fruit is a cylindrical capsule with numerous seeds. Native to the West indies and Northern South America. Found in open waste places in the Philippines.

Acanthaceae

Thunbergia mysorensis T. Anders. ex Bedd.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Scrophulariales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Thunbergia Species: mysorensis Scientific Name: Thunbergia mysorensis

Woody climber. Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, with entire --gins, to 12 cm long, with 3 prominent nerves. Flowers are showy, funnel-shaped, in hang ing racemes, golden yellow to orange- yellow, the outer lips with reddish spots. Fruit is a spherical capsule. Native to Southern India. Cultivated in Laguna and in Baguio City but rare elsewhere. A beautiful plant for porches. Grows well on trellises. Prefers loamy soil with manure and sand.

Agavaceae

Agave americans L. var. Americans

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Liliales Family: Agavaceae Genus: Agave Species: americana Scientific Name: Agave americana

Local Name: American aloe, century plant, maguey, magi

A large succulent plant with thick, broad, glaucous gray-green leaves, sharply bent downward above the middle; the mar gins have sharp, brown hooks and the tip is pointed. Inflorescence is to 3 in tall and produced after 10 years or more; the plant dies after flowering. Flowers are in spikes, small, and yellow in color.

Agavaceae

Agave angustifolia Haw.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Liliales Family: Agavaceae Genus: Agave Species: angustifolia Scientific Name: Agave angustifolia Local Name: sword agave

Herb with dense rosette of sword-shaped, grayish green leaves with sharp-pointed tips and prickled margins. Some varieties have white-margined leaves.

Native to South America. Introduced to the Philippines during the American period.

Agavaceae Slender, palmlike shrub to 3 m tall. Stem is

Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Liliales Family: Agavaceae Genus: Cordyline Species: fruticosa Scientific Name: Cordyline fruticosa Local Name: baston de San Jose, cordyline, ti plant, tungkod pari

usually single and unbranched, the lower parts having leaf scars. Leaves are crowded of the stem; the blade is variously shaped from oblong to oblanceolate and narrow lanceolate, acute to acuminate, and .green or variously tinged with maroon to reddish above and below the smoth margin.

Commonly cultivated by stem cuttings, also by seeds or root layering.

Amaranthaceae

Iresine herbstii Hook.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Iresine Species: herbstii Scientific Name: Iresine herbstii Local Name: blood leaf

A low, annual herb. Leaves are broadly ovate or orbicular, obtuse and notched at the apex, purple-red, with prominent arched veins, or, in the commoner variety, green or green-red with yellow veins. Native to tropical America. Cultivated throughout the Philippines. Iresine

Amaryllidaceae

Celosia sp.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Celosia Species: Scientific Name: Celosia sp.

Annual herb to 100 cm tall. Flower heads are showy, plumelike or featherlike, in panicles, and colored red, orange or yellow.

Native to South America. Widely cultivated in the Philippines. Propagated by seeds.

Apocyanaceae

Allamanda cathartica L.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Allamanda Species: cathartica Scientific Name: Allamanda cathartica Local Names: golden trumpet, campanilla, yellow bell

Climbing vine with whorled , abovate, waxy, dark-green leaves. Flower are slowly, bell-shaped, and golden yellow. Anwtive to brazil, now widely distributed throughout the Philippines Genus is named after F.J.S.N. Allamand, an 18th century Dutch naturalist.

Araceae

Anthurium andraeanum

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Arales Family: Araceae Genus: Anthurium Species: andraeanum Scientific Name: Anthurium andraeanum Local Name: anthuriu

Perennial, row-growing herb. Leaves are cordate and green; spathe is cordate. elongate, waxy, dark red. Spadix is pendant, yellow-tipped, and with white band. Native to Colombia. Successfully cultivated in Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Baguio City and other parts of the Philippines. Several cultivars and hybrids were recently introduced in the country. The varieties have white to pink spathes.

Asclepiadaceae

Asclepias curassavica

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Asclepiadaceae Genus: Asclepias Species: curassavica Scientific Name: Asclepias curassavica Local Name: bulak damo, butterfly weed

Perennial herb to 1 m tall. Stem base is woody and the upper part is soft and with milky sap. Leaves are oblanceolate, to 8 cm long and to 3 cm wide. Flowers are small and in umbels; petals are 5, reddish-orange with orange crown at the center. Fruit is a fusiform follicle. Native to tropical America. In the Philippines, the plant is a weed in waste places and abandoned fields. Planted occasionally as an ornamental.

Asteraceae

Dahlia cvs.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Dahlia Species: Scientific Name: Dahlia sp. Common Name: dahlia, dalya

Perennial herb to 60 cm tall. Leaves are opposite, 1- to 3- pinnate; penduncles are long. Flower heads are large with yellow disk; rays are in various shades of red, purple, white. Native to Mexico. Succesfully cultivated in Baguio City,Tagaytay, Batangas, and Laguna. Genus was named after Professor Andreas Dahl, a student of Linnaeus.

AsteraceaeDivision: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales

Stout annual herbs, 30-60 cm tall; stems are terete and sparingly branched. Leaves are alternate, oblong-lanceolate, narrowed at the base, and with entire

Helichrysum bracteatum (vent.) Andr.

Family: Asteraceae Genus: Helichrysum Species: bracteatum Scientific Name: Helichrysum bracteatum Common Name: everlasting, straw flower

margins. Blade is green on both.

Asteraceae

Zinnia elegans jacq.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Zinnia Species: elegans Scientific Name: Zinnia elegans Common Name: zinnia

Low. erect annual herb, to 30 cm or taller. Leaves are opposite, ovate or nearly elliptic. with base clasping the stem. Flower head is terminal: the flowerina stalk is 2-5 cm long. Ray flowers are flowering reflexed, of various colors except blue and green; disk flowers are usually yellow or orange. Genus was named after Johann Gottfried Zinn, a professor of Medicine at Gottingen, the Netherlands Native to Mexico. Widely cultivated in the Philippines. Thrives best in deep loamy soil. Propagated by seeds.

Balsaminaceae

Impatiens balsamina

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Balsaminaceae Genus: Impatiens Species: balsamina Scientific Name: Impatiens balsamina Common Name: kamantigi, touch me not

Annual herb, to 60 cm tall Leaves are alternate, lanceolate, to 15cm long; margins deeply serrate. Flowers white, red, pink, or purple with conspicuous spurs. Fruits more or less elliptic, to 2 cm long, with numerous small seeds bursting when fruit ripe. Native to America. Popularly grown in gardens around the Philippines. Propagated by seeds.

Betulaceae

Alnus viridis

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Betulaceae Genus: Alnus Species: viridis Scientific Name: Alnus viridis Common Name: green alder

It is a large shrub or small tree 3-12 m tall with smooth grey bark even in old age. The leaves are shiny green, ovoid, 3-8 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The flowers are catkins, appearing late in spring after the leaves emerge (unlike other alders which flower before leafing out); the male catkins are pendulous, 4-8 cm long, the female catkins 1 cm long and 0.7 cm broad when mature in late autumn, in clusters of 3-10 on a branched stem. The seeds are small, 1-2 mm long, light brown with a narrow encircling wing.

Cannaceae

Canna hybrid

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Zingiberales Family: Cannaceae Genus: Canna Species: generalis Scientific Name: Canna generalis Local Name: bandera espanola

Perrenial succulent herb with unbranched stem. Leaves are oblong, acute or acuminate, bright green or tinged with maroon or red, with entire margins. Inflorescence is terminal. Flowers are irregular, showy, yellow, red or pink, plain or with tiny blotches on petals. Fruit is a 3-valved capsule. Most Cannas cultivated in gardens in the Philippines are the result of hybridization between several species, notably C. indica, C. flaccida, C. glauca and C. coccinea.

Crassulaceae

Echeveria peacockii (Bak.) Britt. & Rose

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order:Saxifragales Family: Crassulaceae Genus: Echeveria Species: peacockii Scientific Name: Echeveria peacockii Local Names: peacock echeveria

Small, succulent herb with short stem. Leaves are fleshy and form a dense rosette, to 6 cm long, oblong obovate or oblanceolate, and covered with silvery, blue or whitish glaucescens; tip is short and sharp. Flowers are red. Native to Mexico. Recently introduced to the Philippines. Genus was named after Atanassio Echeveria, a Mexican botanist.

Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Fabaceae

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Euphorbiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia Species: pulcherrima Scientific Name: Euphorbia pulcherrima Local Name: Christmas flower, pascuas, poinsettia

An erect, branching shrub, to 4 in tall. Stern is woody exuding milky sap. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to oblong-elliptic the upper ones lanceolate, acute or acuminate, to 18 cm long and 6 cm wide. Lower leaves are green, slightly lobed and long - petioled, the upper leaves at time of flowering uniformly red. Inflorescence is terminal. Flowers are small, crowded - and with two large, yellow glands. Native to tropical America. Widely cultivated Philippines. Propagated by stem cuttings.

Cassia occidentalis L.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae/ Leguminosae Genus: Cassia Species: occidentalis Scientific Name: Cassia occidentalis Local Name: balatong aso; andadasi

Semi-woody, glabrous and branched shrub to 1.5

in tall. Leaves are stipulate and pinnately compound. Leaflets are 3-6 paired, ovate or ovate-oblong, pale to bright green, with glands at the base of the petiole. Flowers are yellow, showy, and on terminal or axillary racemes; petals are 5 and stamens are 10. Pods are linear, laterally compressed and pointing upward.

Gesneriaceae

Aeschynanthus javanica

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Gesneriaceae Genus: Aeschynanthus Species: javanica Scientific Name: Aeschynanthus javanica Local Name: lipstick plant

Trailing epiphyte. Leaves are opposite, ovate, somewhat fleshy and dark green; the margins are entire. Calyx is tubular and green; corolla is bilobed, 6, bright red. Fruit is a capsule with 2 valves. Native to Java. Recently introduced to the Philippines. Propagated by seeds, cutting and by division.

Heliconiaceae

Heliconia humilis

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Zingiberales Family:Heliconiaceae Genus: Heliconia Species: humilis Scientific Name: Heliconia humilis Local Name: common lobster claw

Large, perennial plant to 4m tall. Leaves are long-stalked oblong,pointed, and shiny green. Bracts are bot-shaped salmon-red. Changing to green toward the tip. Inflorescence is erect, with yellowish white flowers. Native to Brazil and Trinidad. Cultivated in towns and cities in the Philippines but not widespread. Prefers rich, loamy soil and abundant water. Propagated by seeds or by division of rhizomes.

Lamiaceae

Coleus blumei

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnolipsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Coleus Species: blumei Scientific Name: Coleus blumei Local Name: coleus, mayana

Soft perennial herb to 90 cm tall, with 4-angled stems. Leaves are opposite and ovate, with broad base and sharp tip. Leaf blade is variously colored, unform or variegated and the margins are toothed. Flowers are bilabiate and mostly purple or lilac. Indigenous in India, extending to Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. A popular and widely cultivated plant in the Philippines. Various cultivars were recently introduced to the country.

Liliaceae

Asparagus densiflorus

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Liliales Family: Liliaceae Genus: Asparagus Species: densiflorus Scientific Name: Asparagus densiflorus Local Name: garden asparagus

Many branched, perennial herb with tuberous roots. Branches have numerous, soft, fresh green needles or cladophylls; thorns are small and green. Flowers are numerous, small, whitish, fragrant in open racemes. Fruit is berry and green, turning red to black. Native to Natal. Widely cultivated in the Philippines. A popular hanging plant. Propagated by seeds and by division of the tuberous roots.

Musaceae

Musa sp.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Zingiberales Family: Musaceae Genus: Musa Species: Scientific Name: Musa sp. Local Name: banana

Dwarf banana plant to 3m tall. Leaves are narrow-oblong, green, to 1 m long. Flowering head is erect, to 20 cm long, with light pinkish bracts. Native to Indo-China. Recently introduced to the Philippines.

Nyctaginaceae

Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Nyctaginaceae Genus: Bougainvillea Species: spectabilis Scientific Name: Bougainvillea spectabilis Local Name: bogombilya, bougainvillea

Thorny, semi-woody climbers with long, drooping branches. Leaves are alternate, petioled, ovate, acuminate, dark green, with entire margins. Flowers are many, forming clusters at the terminal portion of branches. Flower clusters are in groups of 3, each group subtended by 3, large, thin, persistent, colored, oblong-ovate and acuminate bracts, to 4 cm long. Flowers are small, salver-shaped and white.

OleaceaeDivision: Magnoliophyta A multi-stemmed, perennial shrub that is

Ligustrum vicaryi

Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Oleaceae Genus: Ligustrum Species: vicaryi Scientific Name: Ligustrum vicaryi Common Name: golden privet, golden bush

commonly used in hedge and privacy screen plantings and as an accent plant in home landscapes. The glossy, ovate leaves of the golden privet are the plant's most prominent feature. Rather than green, the leaves have a yellow or golden cast to them. The flowers produce a dark, colorful, berry-like fruit. This perennial, deciduous shrub is an evergreen in warmer climates. The shrub grows moderately fast, putting on around a foot of growth per year.

Palmae

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Arecales Family: Palmae/ Arecaceae Genus: Chrysalidocarpus Species: lutescens Scientific Name: Chrysalidocarpus lutescens Common Name: butterfly palm, palmera, yellow butterfly palm

Slender, graceful, clustering palm, to 4 m tall; trunk is to 8 cm in diameter, green and ringed. Leaves are to 2 m long, ascending and curved at the apex, petiole and rachis are yellow or yellow orange. Leaflets are linear, featherlike, to 40 cm long bright green to yellow green and in one plane. Flowers are small, numerous and white. Fruit is numerous, globose, and red to violet-black.

Palmae

Neodypsis decaryi

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Arecales Family: Palmae/ Arecaceae Genus: Neodypsis Species: decaryi Scientific Name: Neodypsis decaryi Common Name: false blue palm, triangular palm

Solitary palm, to 10 m tall. Trunk is covered by the leaf bases which are arranged in 3 vertical rows. Leaves are to 3 m long, with smooth petiole; leaflets are stiff, sharp-pointed, grayish green, to 60 cm long and to 5 cm wide, and arranged in V shape along the rachis. Male and female flowers are small, yellow, and in separate clusters on the same branch.

Rosaceae

Rosa grandiflora

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Genus: Rosa Species:grandiflora Scientific Name: Rosa grandiflora Common Name: rose

Upright, climbing or creeping shrubs with usually prickly stems. Leaves are alternate, compound, odd-pinnate, or simple and with stipules. Flowers are solitary or clustered at the end of short branches, with 5, rarely 4 petals and sepals; the pistils and stamens are numerous. Fruits are usually fleshy and berrylike at maturity.

Saxifragaceae

Hydrangea macrophylla

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Cornales Family: Hydrangeaceae/ Saxifragaceae Genus: Hydrangea Species: macrophylla Scientific Name: Hydrangea macrophylla Common Name: mil-flores, hydrangea

Low shrub, to 1.5 m tall Leaves are opposite, petionled oblong-ovate, acuminate, light green, with serrate margins Flowers are in large, terminal cymes; cluster is to 12 cm scross blue, pink, or white with broadly oval sepals. Native to eastern Asia. Cultivated in some gardens in the Philippines. Thrives well in Baguio City and other high-altitude areas.

Zingiberaceae

Hedychium gardenerianum

Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Zingiberales Family: Zingiberaceae Genus: Hedychium Species: gardenerianum Scientific Name: Hedychium gardenerianum Common Name: kahili ginger

Robust, perennial herb to 1 m tall. Leaves are broad-lanceolate, to 45 cm long, smooth, green. Inflorescence is a terminal spike and to 45 cm long. Flowers are light yellow, with slender corolla tube and to 5 cm long; the corolla lobes are reflexed and the stamens are long and red. Native to India. Cultivated in gardens in Baguio City and other highly-elevated areas, does not thrive well in the lowlands. Prefers rich soil and constant watering. Propagated by division of -hizomes.