The Endangered Species Of Flowers In The Philippines

There are different kinds of native philippine flowers today that many Filipinos could consider as their own. One in particular is the Sampaguita. Not only is it native in the Philippines, the sampaguita flower is also the national flower of the Philippines. Another is the ylang-ylang flower which is only found in two Asian countries, in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Other than these flowers, Philippines is also site to several of the world's most endangered species of flowers. These philippine flowers, although not as popular as the sampaguita or possessing unique features such as that of the ylang-ylang, these flowers have been known for their uses and rarity, which caused its over-collection for ornamental purposes. Some of these flowers are the Waling-Waling flowers, the Jade Vine, and the Philippine Camia.

Waling-Waling
The waling-waling is a rare epiphytic orchid endemic to the island of Mindanao, particularly in the foothills of Mount Apo in Davao, Cotabato, and Surigao. Hailed as the "Queen of Philippine Orchids," the waling-waling is considered by many as the country's best orchid variety due to its many stunning colorful hybrids.

The captivating traits of the waling-waling led to hunters and orchid collectors from all over the world harvesting the species almost to extinction. The decline was stemmed, however, when tissue culture was performed in order to repropagate the orchid.

Jade Vine
The jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) is a native of the tropical forests of the Philippines. Its flowers are the color of jade, and hang in bunches up to 90 cm long; each clawlike flower is about 7½ cm long. In its native Philippines, the jade vine's flowers are pollinated by bats.

The Jade Vine is prized in tropical and subtropical gardens for its showy flowers which are a highly unusual blue-green. It is usually grown over a pergola so that the flowers may hang down below where they can be seen easily.

Philippine Camia
Philippine Garland, Philippine Camia or (Hedychium philippinense K. Schum) is an epiphytic herb with 1 to 3 stems. The terminal philippine flowers are white with a shade of yellow and with crinkled margins. The fruit is a three-sided capsule which turns orange-yellow and bears dark red seeds. Its family name is Zingiberaceae while its local name is Camia, White Ginger. Philippine Garland, Philippine Camia is epiphytic grew on trunks and branches of trees in primary forests at altitudes 900 to 1,800m. And its conservation status is very rare.