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Matchbox bean (Entada phaseoloides)

Matchbox Bean ( Entada phaseoloides ) is a species in the Fabaceae family, a large woody liana with stems up to 18 cm in diameter, dark brown, rough bark, laterally flattened, and spirally twisted. The leaves are bipinnate, up to 25 cm long, with 1-2 pairs of minor leaflets, each divided into 1-2 pairs of pinnules. The pinnules are somewhat leathery, asymmetrical or oblique, up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The inflorescence is a spike-shaped, about 25-30 cm long, bearing numerous sessile flowers. The individual flowers are very small, about 1.2 mm in diameter. The five petals, green with reddish bases, are 3-4 mm long, and the stamens are about 7 mm long. The fruit is a very large, flattened, woody pod or capsule, about 1-1.2 m long and 12 cm wide. It is usually slightly curved and linear, with about 12 segments, each containing a single seed. The seeds are lens-shaped, shiny brown, smooth, 5-6 cm wide and 1-1.5 cm thick. Filipinos used gugo before commercial shampoos were available ...

Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia heterophylla)

Pink trumpet tree ( Tabebuia heterophylla ) is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae family, growing 6–9 meters tall with a cylindrical trunk and brown bark that is often linearly fissured. The leaves are opposite, compound, with five or fewer minor leaflets. T. heterophylla has striking bright red flowers, tubular, five-lobed, and 5–7.5 cm long. The fruit is a cylindrical pod, up to 20 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. The pod stalk is up to 3 cm long. The pod splits along two lines to release numerous thin, light brown seeds, 0.5–2.5 cm long with two white wings. This species is often used as a street tree and shade tree for residential properties. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Tabebuia Gomes ex DC. in Biblioth. Universelle Genève, n.s., 17: 130 (1838) Species: Tabebuia heterophylla (DC.) Britton in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 2: 48 (1915) HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS Tabebuia pallida subsp. he...

Asian palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer)

Asian palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer ) is a species of Arecaceae , palm, sturdy, single-stemmed, cylindrical shape, growing 15-30 meters tall and with a trunk diameter of about 60 cm. The leaves are clustered at the tip of the trunk, forming a rounded crown . The leaf blade resembles a round fan , up to 1.5 meters in diameter. The leaflets are 5-7 cm wide, and the underside is whitish with a waxy coating. The leaf stalk is up to 1 meter long, with a broad, black midrib at the top and a row of two-pointed spines . The inflorescence is borne on a cob, 20-30 cm long, and the stalk is about 50 cm long. The fruits are clustered in clusters of about 20, round, 7-20 cm in diameter, with a brownish-black outer skin and yellow flesh on the inside. The fruit has three seeds in a thick, hard shell. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Subfamily: Coryphoideae Tribe: Borasseae Subtribe: Lataniinae Genu...

Kemadih (Schultesianthus coriaceus)

Kemadih ( Schultesianthus coriaceus ) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae family. It grows as a climber and covers host trees. It is a perennial, multi-branched, hardwood plant with hard, brown bark and dark green young bark. S. coriaceus has thick leaves, 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. A central vein is linear, with a pointed tip and base. The upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is bright green. The petiole is 3 cm long. The flowers are fan-shaped with 5 inflorescences. The base is narrow, whitish-yellow or bright green, and 8 cm wide. Four inflorescences with brownish-white tips and one inflorescence with a green tip grow in the center. The fruit is green, 3.5 cm long, and the stalk is 2 cm long. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Subfamily: Solanoideae Tribe: Solandreae Genus: Schultesianthus Species: Schultesianthus coriaceus

Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans)

Sandbox tree ( Hura crepitans ) is species in Euphorbiaceae, a tropical tree, growing up to 60 meters tall and with a trunk circumference of up to 13.2 meters, the trunk is covered with long and sharp thorns and exudes a poisonous sap. H. crepitans has large, oval leaves, 15 cm wide and 20 cm long. The petioles are 22 cm long. The flowers are red and lack petals. Male flowers grow on long stalks, while female flowers grow singly in leaf axils. The fruit is a large, flask-shaped capsule, up to 10 cm in diameter, with 12-16 radially arranged carpels. The seeds are flat and about 2 cm in diameter. The capsule bursts when ripe, dividing into segments and ejecting the seeds at a speed of 70 m/s, a distance of 30-100 meters. This tree prefers moist soil and partial shade or partial to full sun, a warm, humid environment. It is often cultivated for shade. The wood is light and used to make canoes. The sap is used to poison fish. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angio...

Black potato (Coleus rotundifolius)

Black potato ( Coleus rotundifolius ) is a species of plant in Lamiaceae, herbaceous, fibrous roots and tubers, erect and slightly creeping stems, quadrangular, thick, and slightly odorous. Single leaves, thick, membranous, opposite and alternate. Leaves are oval, dark green and shiny on the upper side, bright green on the lower side. Up to 5 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, slightly hairy and pinnate leaf veins. Leaf stalks up to 4 cm long. Small, purple flowers. Star-shaped petals, lip-shaped crown, dark to light purple with a slightly curved tube shape. Flowering from February-August. Small tubers, brown and white flesh and tuber length 2-4 cm. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Subfamily: Nepetoideae Tribe: Ocimeae Subtribe: Plectranthinae Genus: Coleus Species: Coleus rotundifolius

Wild durian (Cullenia exarillata)

Wild durian ( Cullenia exarillata ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae, a tall tree with smooth, greyish-white bark, peeling on older trees, a straight trunk, horizontal branches and often with a series of knob-like tubercles for flower and fruit attachment. C. exarillata has young branches and the underside of the leaves is covered with golden brown peltate or shield-like scales. The leaves are single, alternate, glabrous, glossy green on the upper side and covered with silvery or orange peltate scales on the underside. Hermaphroditic flowers are tubular and also covered with golden brown scales, 4-5 cm long and cream or reddish brown in color. Flowers have no petals, formed of tubular bracteoles and tubular calyxes, 5-lobed. Fruit is round, 10-13 cm in diameter, covered with thorns and clustered along the branches. Many seeds, reddish brown, 4-5 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. The seeds are enclosed by a fleshy, whitish aril. The fruit splits open when ripe and dries to release the s...

Brown-woolly fig (Ficus drupacea)

Brown-woolly fig ( Ficus drupacea ) is a species of plant in the Moraceae, a tropical tree, cylindrical and 10-30 meters tall. The leaves are oval, up to 16 cm long, up to 6 cm wide, with petioles up to 2 cm long. The fruit is round-oval, up to 3 cm long, up to 2 cm wide, young yellow and old red. The fruit is eaten by pigeons, and pollinated by Eupristina belgaumensis . Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Moraceae Tribe: Ficeae Genus: Ficus Species: Ficus drupacea

Beach spider lily (Hymenocallis littoralis)

Beach spider lily ( Hymenocallis littoralis ) is plant species in Amaryllidaceae, herbaceous perennial, up to 80 cm tall, with bulbs 7-10 cm in diameter and over time developing a neck 4-5 cm in diameter. The leaves are elongated, flat, thick, up to 80 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. The flowers are large, white, vanilla-scented, and in sticky clusters. The flower awns are attached to staminal cups. Each flower tube is up to 17 cm long or longer. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Amaryllidaceae Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae Tribe: Hymenocallideae Genus: Hymenocallis Species: Hymenocallis littoralis

Asian water hyacinth (Pontederia hastata)

Asian water hyacinth ( Pontederia hastata ) is a species of plant in the Pontederiaceae, herbaceous, aquatic, erect, growing in colonies in wet environments with freshwater bodies, lakes, swamps, rivers and agricultural land and abandoned lands. P. hastata is up to 120 cm tall, cylindrical leaf stalks and green in color. Leaves are heart-shaped or arrow-shaped, up to 25 cm long, up to 21 cm wide, green and thick. Inflorescences in panicles and grow on leaf stalks. Fan-shaped flowers, up to 3 cm wide, six-winged, blue in color, white stamens and yellow pollen. Flower stalks up to 3 cm long and white. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Commelinales Family: Pontederiaceae Genus: Pontederia Subgenus: Monochoria Species: Pontederia hastata

Java ruellia (Ruellia treubiana)

Java ruellia ( Ruellia treubiana ) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, herbaceous, erect, up to 35 cm tall, cylindrical and green stems, fibrous and white roots. R. treubiana has leaves sitting opposite each other with long stalks up to 1 cm. The leaves are oval, up to 6.5 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, pointed at the tip, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins and flat margins. Fan-shaped flowers with five fins, bluish white, up to 3.5 cm long and up to 2.5 cm wide. This species grows on the forest floor in narrow colonies, under teak forests that tend to be shady, on the edge of puddles, on the edge of roads etc. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Subfamily: Acanthoideae Tribe: Ruellieae Subtribe: Ruelliinae Genus: Ruellia Species: Ruellia treubiana

False bird of paradise (Heliconia rostrata)

False bird of paradise or hanging lobster claw heliconia ( Heliconia rostrata ) is a species of plant in the Heliconiaceae, shrubs, pseudo stems and layers, upright, growing in colonies with fibrous roots and creeping in shallow soil and often appearing above the soil surface. H. rostrata has elongated, thick, waterproof leaves, up to 85 cm long, up to 20 cm wide, leaf sheaths up to 105 cm long. Flowers in elongated, hanging panicles, up to 50 cm long. Flowers sit opposite, up to 15 cm long, up to 3 cm wide, red and yellow. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Zingiberales Family: Heliconiaceae Genus: Heliconia Subgenus: Heliconia Section: Episcopales Species: Heliconia rostrata

Bengal trumpet (Thunbergia grandiflora)

Bengal trumpet ( Thunbergia grandiflora ) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, herbaceous, climbing, up to 20 meters long, long root system with deep taproot. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, rough surface and variable size. The leaves are triangular or oval or 7-cornered and the margins are serrated or wavy or plain. The length and width of the leaves are up to 20 cm. The flowers are blue and mauve in color, up to 9 cm wide and the tube is 4 cm long. The pods contain seeds that scatter up to several meters when ripe. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Subfamily: Thunbergioideae Tribe: Thunbergieae Genus: Thunbergia Species: Thunbergia grandiflora

Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium)

Dogfennel ( Eupatorium capillifolium ) is a species of plant in the Asteraceae, an annual herb, up to 2 meters tall, with several stems branching from the base and stout, the base covered with green thread-like leaves branching out from the stem in a fractal pattern. E. capillifolium has leaves with a sour odor similar to dill pickles. The flowers have a mild odor. This species thrives on roadsides, fields and disturbed areas. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Subfamily: Asteroideae Tribe: Eupatorieae Subtribe: Eupatoriinae Genus: Eupatorium L. in Sp. Pl.: 836 (1753) Species: Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small ex Porter & Britton in Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 311 (1894) HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS Artemisia capillifolia Lam. in Encycl. 1: 267 (1783) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Artemisia tenuifolia Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 3: 1819 (1803) Chrysocoma capillacea Michx. in Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 101 (1803) Eupat...

Formosa lily (Lilium formosanum)

Taiwanese lily or formosa lily ( Lilium formosanum ) is a species of plant in the Liliaceae, herbaceous, erect, up to 150 cm tall, with small, round, and 2-4 cm diameter bulbs, consisting of white to yellowish lanceolate scales. L. formosanum has smooth to papillose stems and sometimes purple shades. Leaves are distributed radially around the stem. Leaves are linear or narrow and lanceolate, up to 20 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide. Each unit has 1-5 flowers, funnel-shaped, fragrant in umbels. Hermaphroditic flowers consist of 3 flowers. Six flower bracts are identical, broadly spatulate and up to 16 cm long. The flower base color is pure white and the outer part is purple. Each flower contains 3 carpels and 6 stamens. Anthers are about 12 mm long and pollen is yellow. Filaments are very long, about 12 cm long. Nectar fruits are green and have papillose stalks on both sides. Seeds mature in capsules, slender and up to 9 cm long. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: ...

Mossman mahogany (Goniocheton arborescens)

Mossman mahogany ( Goniocheton arborescens ) is a species of plant in the Meliaceae, a small to large tree, up to 20-30 meters tall, flowering and fruiting when only 1 meter high, the trunk has a diameter of up to 45 cm, the bark is gray-brown, smooth or with light cracks. The leaves are opposite, 5 pairs or 10 pieces and petioles 0.5-1 cm long. The leaves are up to 18 cm long, up to 9 cm wide, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins, a pointed tip, dark green upper side, lighter and glabrous underside. The inflorescence is an axillary thyrse measuring up to 8 cm covered with small yellow-brown hairs. Flowers about 10 mm long, creamy green to white, usually 5 petals 10 mm long and 2.2 mm wide. Stamen tubes arise from the base of the petals, 10 anthers 1 mm long at the distal end. The capsule fruit is round and slightly flat, up to 3 cm in diameter, bald, bright red and contains 5 seeds. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida...

Large-leaved uvaria (Uvaria littoralis)

Kalak or large-leaved uvaria ( Uvaria littoralis ) is a species of plant in Annonaceae, shrub or small tree, erect, woody, young branches are blackish brown with white spots, growing in clumps on the shaded forest floor, in teak forests, clay soil, limestone and rocky rocks. U. littoralis has leaves in rows along the branches, zigzag, very short stalks and sitting alternately. The leaf blade is up to 25 cm long, up to 10 cm wide, pointed tip, heart base, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins. Fan-shaped flowers, blood red, yellow center. Fruits grow at the end of the bunch and radial with a 1-2 cm long stalk. Young fruit is round and yellow, ripe fruit is oval or elongated and red to blackish blue. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Magnoliales Family: Annonaceae Tribe: Uvarieae Genus: Uvaria Species: Uvaria littoralis

Wangon (Olax imbricata)

Wangon or lenteng ( Olax imbricata ) is a species of plant in the Olacaceae, grows climbing on other trees, in clumps, up to 10 meters high, woody stems, cylindrical and slender, brown and rough bark, many branches. O. imbricata has leaves in rows along young twigs, stalks 0.5-1 cm and sit alternately. The leaves are oval, blunt tip, about 3 cm wide, about 8 cm long, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins. The fruit is round, 1-2 cm wide and the stalk is about 1 cm. Young fruit is green or white, ripe fruit is red or orange. This species grows at an elevation of 200 meters. Grows on the shaded forest floor by climbing other trees such as teak trees. Often found in limestone or clay soils or rocky soils. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Santalales Family: Olacaceae Genus: Olax Species: Olax imbricata

Kakizoe darkling beetle (Microblattellus kakizoei) is the second species after Microblattellus lecongmani Ferrer 2006

NEWS - Kakizoe darkling beetle ( Microblattellus kakizoei sp. nov) collected from a mushroom-growing termite nest of Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen, 1858) in Cambodia was established as the second species in the enigmatic tenebrionid genus Microblattellus Ferrer 2006. Microblattellus was established by Ferrer in 2006 as consisting of a single morphologically peculiar species represented by Microblattellus lecongmani Ferrer 2006 from Vietnam. The genus is characterized by a very distinctive pronotum shape, in which the head is completely hidden beneath the anterior margin, and the absence of eyes. M. kakizoei is easily distinguished from M. lecongmani by its more elongate and less robust body, looser antennal segments, distinct and transverse scutellum, rather than the reduced and absent one in the latter, distinctly formed humeral angles of the elytra, finely arranged and irregular strial punctures on the elytra, and less prominent body surface. The holotype is taken from the fungus Ma...

Mexican ruellia (Ruellia simplex)

Mexican ruellia ( Ruellia simplex ) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, an evergreen perennial, 1 meter tall, forming a colony of stalks with lance-shaped leaves. The leaves are narrowly elongated, 6-30 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins. The flowers are metallic blue to purple, trumpet-shaped with a corolla 5.1 cm wide, 6 cm long, five-lobed. There is a dwarf variety that is only 30 cm tall. This plant is used to treat itching, coughs and diabetes. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Subfamily: Acanthoideae Tribe: Ruellieae Subtribe: Ruelliinae Genus: Ruellia Species: Ruellia simplex

Crested blue ear (Cyanotis cristata)

Crested blue ear ( Cyanotis cristata ) is a species of plant in the Commelinaceae, a fleshy and strong herb, growing as a vine. Leaves 8 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, oblong, rounded or heart-shaped base, blunt or pointed tip, sparsely ciliated at the edge; sheath loose, up to 8 mm long, scaly. C. cristata has flowers 6-7 mm in diameter. Calyx tube 2 mm long, lobes 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Corolla pale blue to purple, 6 mm long. Stamen filaments bearded, purple. Ovary rounded, hairy at the apex. Capsules 2-3 mm long, ovate. Seeds about 1 mm long, trigonous, 2 large holes on either side. This species grows in grasslands, degraded forest areas, wastelands, waterways and roadsides. C. cristata is found in wet rocky areas, moist soils, grasslands, ravines and riverbanks. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Commelinales Family: Commelinaceae Subfamily: Commelinoideae Tribe: Tradescantieae Genus: Cyanotis Species: Cyanotis cristata