Tropical Flora: Part 1 -- Flowers

Camp Lookout, Valencia, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Last weekend we went up the mountains to Silliman University's Writers Village in Camp Lookout in Bongbong, Valencia. It is a beautiful and cool retreat from hot, hectic seaside Dumaguete City. Though tropical plants and flowers are around us all the time, the garden there got me to stop and really notice the flowers and plants. I saw so many crazy flowers and captured some in photographs. (Beware: one photo contains some very suggestive plant sex and an imminent bug death.) I understand the botanists' urge to name and classify plants and flowers, because just after admiring a flower's beauty up close, I wanted to know more about it. Below are a small sample of some of the spectacular flora of the Philippines. Enjoy!

Heliconia rostrata 
hanging lobster claw
Camp Lookout
There are hundreds of Heliconia species, most of which are native to Central and South America. The Helconia rostrata, one of the most common Heliconia, is native to Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, and Ecuador. I wonder if the Spanish brought it over in the 17th or 18th century? Maybe an  eccentric botanist in Lima hopped a ship to Acapulco, Mexico with some rostrata rhizomes and then stowed away in the galleon of one of the many ships carrying goods between Acapulco and Manila. I'm just imagining, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true.
More info: Hawaiian Plants & Flowers 

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Heliconia wagneriana, Heliconia caribaea, 3rd: unidentified...
Camp Lookout

More info: The Heliconia Society of Puerto Rico

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Clerodendrum paniculatum
pagoda flower
Camp Lookout
This burst of color in the shape of a big cone is native to Asian tropics. In Western scientific study, it "was first described in 1767 by the 'father' of modern biological nomenclature--the Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus. The species epithet refers to the large 'paniculate' clusters of flowers (inflorescences), the feature which makes this such a visually-striking plant."

More info: Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

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Etlingera elatior -  ginger flower or red torch ginger  -  Camp Lookout

The first time I saw one of these flowers, I think my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Yowza, what a creation! It's four to five inches across, and befitting its appearance, sometimes goes by the name of wax flower or porcelain flower. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which includes the ginger root plant that we eat. The ginger flower is also used in some cuisines in Southeast Asia, while the leaves and flower have medicinal benefits. 
More info: National Tropical Botanical Garden

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Zingiber zerumbet  -  shampoo ginger
Dumaguete garden

This plant's flower head (both photos are of the same species, the red one is more mature than the green) is also part of the ginger or Zingiberaceae family. It's a big family! There are 53 genera and over 1,200 species. The coolest thing about this species is that you can wash your hair with it. The sap from the mature red head is called awapuhi and can be used as a shampoo or conditioner. I've also seen many of the red ones with hungry ants crawling all over them--the sap must be delicious. Humans can drink it too, if you're short on water.
More info: Ray Baker and Lyon Arboretum, Univ. of Hawaii

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Hymenocallis littoralis
spider lily
Camp Lookout
This lovely was found just hanging out la-dee-da along a walking path that the local residents take up and down the mountain. (The paved road goes zig-zag up and thus is longer.)
There appears to be about twelve different things going on with this flower's design, but it all comes down to one purpose: come and spread my pollen.

More info: Encyclopedia of Life

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Calliandra haematocephala  -  powder puff tree
Camp Lookout

Yes, it's called a powder puff! The raspberry-looking pods are the flower buds, not the fruit. Ever wonder what an argument between botanists looks like? Well, the powder puff "was formerly included in the legume or pea family, but has recently been shifted into the mimosa family," according to the Missouri Botanical Garden, a surprisingly good source of information on tropical plants. (Missouri's climate is not tropical! At least not yet...) The species name Calliandra comes from the Greek word for kallos meaning beauty, and andros, which means stamen. This was by far the coolest flower I saw near Camp Lookout.

More info: Missouri Botanical Garden

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Euphorbia milii
crown of thorns
Camp Lookout
This thorny plant is not a cactus; it's a succulent. Although the mottled flowers and menacing stems don't have the delicate design of the spider lily or the flashy color of the Heliconias, it's a popular garden plant. After noticing it at Camp Lookout, I came home to realize I've been walking right by a bunch of these blooming in planters in front of our neighbors' homes.  My new motto: Stop and smell the Euphorbia! Ouch.
More info: Missouri Botanical Garden

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Passiflora manicata  -  red passion flower
Camp Lookout

While Wikipedia has some uncited comments that the "passion" of this flower's name refers to the "'passion' of Jesus in Christian theology"--i. e. the petals, radial filaments, and other flower parts have symbolic meanings related to his crucifixion--I think the passion of this red flower speaks for itself. The scarlet color, the so-extra stigma? Please. In attracting a pollinating insect, this flower is about as sexy as it gets. The hungry praying mantis sure knows that the pistil of a passion flower is an excellent spot to hang out. Yikes!

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Bougainvillea
Camp Lookout (photos 1-5)  Dumaguete garden (photos 6 & 7)

I end with the flower that is everywhere in the tropics. It's not just in gardens, but along roads, in fences and hedgerows, even trying to cover ugly cement walls. It's taken for granted like a Midwestern wildflower, but often the only beauty around. It's a wall of streaming color, a burst of delight. It comes in fuchsia, red, pink, purple, lavender, and white. (I've included the picture of an orange one that I think belongs in this family--if I'm wrong, let me know in the comments, please.) It grows as a tree, a bush, or a vine. 

Like many tropical flowers in the Philippines, it is said to be a native of Latin America. It was "discovered" in Brazil by a French botanist in 1768, but, as is often the case, got named for the boss of the expedition. In a surprising historical twist,  a female botanist disguised as a man on the trek may have been the true "discoverer." Like many things that become popularized, it's gotten away from the experts, the botanists and exacting classifiers. They can't agree on the number of species anymore because there are so many hybrids--in the wild and in gardens--that science can't keep track. 

After our trip to Camp Lookout, we visited a spectacular private garden here in Dumaguete. This home is surrounded by plants of all sizes and shapes, landscaped with the artistry of a master gardener. The only showy flower the gardener grows is a small bush that contains three plants of this genus grafted together: branches of pink flowers, orange flowers, and variegated leaves. In the architecture of her garden, this plant is a flame of beauty. 

The grafted bougainvillea bush in the middle of otherwise green is a perfect place to pause: my next post will be about the garden plants of the tropics.