FLORA

FAUNA

FLORA —— is the plant life occurring in particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous- native plant life. A treatise on or list of the plants of an area or period.

FAUNA —— are defined as the animals characteristic of a particular time period or a particular location. It refers to the animals.

FLORA FAUNA

FLORA IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines, a tropical country located in Southeast Asia, is blessed with beautifully diverse and colorful water creatures, insects and unique flowering

plants. Here are some of the most beautiful and unique plants that you’ll find only in the Philippines.

This beautiful and uniquely shaped flower is from Paphiopedilum fowliei, a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to the beautiful island of Palawan, Philippine’s last frontier. This species which is threatened by loss of habitat inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.

Paphiopedilum fowliei

This strange-looking plant is not a colorful toilet bowl. It is scientifically called Nepenthes peltata, a tropical pitcher plant that can be found only from the upper slopes of Mount Hamiguitan, Mindanao in southern Philippines. The plant is characterized by a peltate tendril attachment and conspicuous indumentum.

Peltate Nephentes (Nepenthes peltata)

Another lovely plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family is the Paphiopedilum ciliolare. Like the other two unique plants above, this species is threatened by loss of habitat. It also inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.

Paphiopedilum ciliolare

Commonly called rose grape belonging to the family of plants called Melastomataceae Juss., this shrub is a stunning flower endemic to the Philippines. It is usually found in high altitudes growing up to 6 feet. The shrub has either ribbed or winged stem and glossy green leaves with conspicuously pale veins. The flowers are breathtaking growing as a bunch of small pink clusters attached to large pink bracts sheltered by its curved leaves.

Medinilla magnifica

Endemic in the thick forests of the country, this specie along with its more famous cousin Strongylodon macrobotrys (jade vine) are arguably the most beautiful flowers in the world. Strongylodon elmeri is a perennial climbing shrub belonging to the family Fabaceae. The flowers hang in bunches up to 90 cm and each with a spectacular clawlike shape measures up 7.5 cm. Bats usually pollinate these flowers.

Strongylodon elmeri

Belonging to the family of Lorantacae, this particular specie calls the mountainous region of Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte as well as the thick jungles of Cagayan province as its home. The bunch of slender pink flowers is a beauty forming a shape of a half open parasol.

Amyema incarnatiflora

This specie is unique to the Philippines and produces only a single flower. Monantha after all is derived from the Greek words mono (one) and anthos (flower). The richly hued yellow flower is a spectacular sight thanks largely to the bottom colors that resemble a spider.

Dillenia monantha

Belonging to the family called Myrtaceae, this specie can call 3,000 other species as its close kin; many of them grow in Australia as well as in Mediterranean and America. This particular specie can be set apart, however, by its spectacular foliage that comes in red bunches of individual actinomorphous (spreading symmetrically) flowers.

Xanthostemon fructicosus

Generally found in the tropics, Plumiera acuminate (sometimes known as Plumeria rubra and Plumeria acutifolia) is specie of Frangipani otherwise locally known as kalachuchi. Frangipanis are known to have eight (8) species found in tropical Americas; South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. With white and yellow colors, Plumiera acuminata is more closely identified with the common frangipanis. The flowers are very fragrant and a source of scent for perfumes. They have no nectars but scent lure potential pollinators that would go from flower to flower searching for food in vain but transferring the pollens in the process.

Plumiera acuminata

A member of the Orchidaceae family and is endemic to the Philippines. Usually found in tropical moist lowland forest, the scientific name is derived from the fact that it belongs to the family of orchids and that the shape of its staminode (vestigial stamen) is severely adducted that is severely bent backwards.

Pahiopedilum adductum

The scientific name of this specie is derived from its genus rafflesia (named after Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, who first obtained a specimen) and from the city of Manila. Although Rafflesias can be found in various forests in southeast Asia, this particular specie is the world's largest and endemic. It has a foul-smelling flower and is pollinated by carrion flies.

Rafflessia manillana

FAUNA IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines may be a small country compared to other countries in the world. But despite its size, the Philippines has a

rich biodiversity. In fact, there are many plant and animals species that are only found here.  The Philippines has among the highest

rates of discovery in the world with sixteen new species of mammals discovered in the last ten years. Because of this, the rate of endemism for the Philippines has risen and likely will continue

to rise.

It is considered to be the largest clam in the world, and inside it is the largest pearl named “The Pearl of Lao Tzu”. What is interesting is not the shell, but the pearl. It weighs 14 pounds and measures 9.5 inches long and 5.5 inches in diameter. It was valued $42million, and it is believed to be 600 years of age.

World’s Largest Clam

It is a dwarf buffalo which is only found in the Island Of Palawan. It looks like a normal water buffalo but it is quite smaller. People used to call Mindoro as the “Land of the Tamaraws”. About 10,000 heads of these unique pygmy water buffalos were roaming around the island-province of Mindoro in the 1900s. But that was a century ago. Today, the Tamaraws in the province are in danger of extinction, and Mindoro might lose the symbol that it once proudly introduced to the world.

Endangered Dwarf Buffalo

The dwarf goby (the smallest freshwater fish) measures 1.2 centimeters or less than half of an inch, the tiniest known vertebrate. American Ichthyologist Albert Herre first discovered it in Malabon River in 1925. The Philippines is also the home of sinarapan, the world’s smallest commercial fish. Sinarapan, scientifically known as Mistichthys luzonensis, is a goby found only in Lakes Bato and Buhi in Camarines Sur province.

Pandaka pygmaea

South of Palawan, lies the Balabac Island, home of the world’s smallest hoofed mammal – the Philippine mouse deer. Locally known as Pilandok (Tragalus nigricans), this ruminant stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level. Contrary to its name, pilandok is not a member of the deer family. It belongs to the family Tragulidae in the mammalian order Artiodactyla. The male species has no antlers like those of a real deer. Instead, it uses its large tusk-like canine teeth on its upper jaw for self-defense; in the same way a deer uses its antlers.

Pilandok

One of the world’s largest eagle. Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the endangered Philippine eagle is one of the largest in the world. With scientific name Pithecophaga jefferyi, the Philippine eagle lives in the rainforests of Isabela, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Measuring about one meter in height, the average Philippine eagle has a 76-centimeter highly arched, powerful bill.

Philippine Eagle

It is a large and striking Birdwing found in the Philippines. T. magellanus shows a blue-green sheen if viewed from an oblique angle. Troides magellanus are rarer compared to other species, noted for their use of limited-view iridescence: the yellow of the dorsal hind wings modified by bright blue-green iridescence which is only seen when the butterfly is viewed at a narrow, oblique angle.

The Magellan Birdwing 

Calamian Islands, north off Palawan province, keep a species of deer that cannot be found elsewhere. Scientists referred to the hog deer in the islands as Calamian deer in order to distinguish them from other hog deer in the world.

Hog deer

The three-layered virgin forest of Subic Bay and Bataan is home to the world’s largest bats: the giant flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the golden crown flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus). Over the years, these two species of giant fruit bats have roamed around the 10,000-hectare Subic Forest National Protected Area, which is considered the biggest roosting site of bats in the world.

Giant golden-crowned flying fox

In many respects, the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) is different from other animals. Considered as the world’s smallest primate, it measures only about twelve centimeters in length. Its two big eyes cannot move and do not have a tapetum – the upper protective tissue. Because of this, the Philippine tarsier has learned to turn its head 180 degrees. It has also two grooming claws on each foot and an almost bald tail extending about nine inches.

Tarsier

The saltwater crocodile, which can be found in the Philippines, is considered as the world’s largest reptile. Scientifically known as Crocodylus porosus, it is different from Mindoro’s freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), which is a relatively smaller species. An adult saltwater crocodile measures between six to seven meters (20-23 feet) and weighs about two to three tons. There were tales that a 27-foot saltwater crocodile was killed near Lake Taal in Batangas in 1823. It reportedly took 40 men to bring the body ashore.

Philippine Crocodile