PLANT

CLASSIFICATION

DESCRIPTION

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

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
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.

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

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.

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, 5lobed 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.

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 orangeyellow, 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.

Ruellia tuberosa I.

Acanthaceae

Thunbergia mysorensis T. Anders. ex

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

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
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
Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev.

Slender, palmlike shrub to 3 m tall. Stem is

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, purplered, 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

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.

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, darkgreen 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.

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.

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.

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.

Amaryllidaceae

Native to South America. Widely cultivated in the

Philippines. Propagated by seeds.

Celosia sp.
Apocyanaceae

Allamanda cathartica L.
Araceae

Anthurium andraeanum
Asclepiadaceae

Asclepias curassavica
Asteraceae

Dahlia cvs.

Asteraceae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Helichrysum
Species: bracteatum
Scientific Name: Helichrysum bracteatum
Common Name: everlasting, straw flower

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 margins. Blade
is green on both.

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.

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.

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.
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.

Helichrysum bracteatum (vent.) Andr.

Asteraceae

Zinnia elegans jacq.

Balsaminaceae

Impatiens balsamina
Betulaceae

Alnus viridis
Cannaceae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Cannaceae
Genus: Canna
Species: generalis
Scientific Name: Canna generalis
Local Name: bandera espanola
Canna hybrid
Crassulaceae
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.

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.

Echeveria peacockii (Bak.) Britt. &

Rose
Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Fabaceae
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.

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.

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 longstalked 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.

Cassia occidentalis L.
Gesneriaceae

Aeschynanthus javanica
Heliconiaceae

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

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
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.

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.

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.

Asparagus densiflorus
Musaceae

Musa sp.
Nyctaginaceae

Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.

Oleaceae

Ligustrum vicaryi

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

A multi-stemmed, perennial shrub that is

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.

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 violetblack.

Palmae

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Palmae
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.

Neodypsis decaryi
Rosaceae
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.

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.

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.

Rosa grandiflora
Saxifragaceae

Hydrangea macrophylla
Zingiberaceae

Hedychium gardenerianum