Mt. Bulusan : 'A Special Place in Philippine Botany'

Palali (sometimes pronounced/spelled as Palale) is a pure white katmon relative that flourishes abundantly in the mountains of Bulusan. http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/pelserpb/r/Dilleniaceae_Dillenia_reifferscheidia_75128.html

Receiving encouraging words from no less than a distinguished scientist was one of the  most rewarding experiences in my personal foray into flora photography in my hometown.

Dr James LaFrankie, author of the book  An Illustrated Guide on Asia's Tropical Trees posted the following in the FB page of the Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines :
"...you are getting a great collection of photographs of all sorts of interesting plants... Mt. Bulusan is a special place in Philippine botany so keep building your collection..."

Dr James LaFrankie attained his PhD in Biology from Harvard University. He is now a professor at the Institute of Biology, College of Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

I did not expect that my simple contributions of flora photos from Bulusan will be noticed. My only aim is to at least make some listings with photos of the flora that are found in Bulusan. This encouragement therefore is a signal for me to continue this plant listing activity one species at a time for as long as I can still hold a camera to photograph these immense biodiversity.

Furthermore, this marvelous information that Mt. Bulusan is "a special place in Philippine Botany" also underscores the importance of the preservation of its natural conditions. For me it means that Mt. Bulusan and its adjacent areas must first and foremost be NOT converted into an industrial field such as that of a Geothermal field zone that will alter irrevocably its surrounding ecosystem.

Photo: Alma P. Gamil
BVNP - Bulusan Volcano Natural Park
Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Bulusan flora documentation starts with a modest gallery at PhytoImages

One of the many species of  Pandanaceae family in Bulusan

Bulusan biodiversity is hands down the richest in the Province of Sorsogon. Surprisingly no documentation of its existing flora can be accessed in the web or in any publication. An interview with a leading NGO in the municipality confirmed  this observation.

In this light, I have decided to speed up my gallery of plant photographs from Bulusan, my hometown, with each plant correspondingly identified and curated by PhytoImages' pool of experts.

For those interested to view the gallery, you may visit this page at Phytoimages.

The above photo of a Bulusan pandan species is included in the gallery. More photos are lined up for uploading in the next few days hopefully with the known scientific identification ready.

Photo: Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Kamandiis: Philippine endemic still growing wild in Bulusan

My recent visit to Odikin was rewarded with a chance encounter with another endemic Philippine tree, Kamandiis, growing wild along the mountain road.

The small-built tree looks more compact and charming in situ. I will love this growing in my backyard (if I have my own) for this reason alone. The flowers that seem to be always in the bud stage are the color of delicious berries arranged spatially in the twigs in random order. It is the kind of twig that will look excellent in a flower vase arrangement ikebana style.

But the most interesting trait of Kamandiis  in addition to its look is the taste. Not the fruit because at this time it is still in the flowering stage but the leaves and the flowers! I chewed one small leaf just to test if it tasted really sour or tart as related by Oya Choleng, my village guide. The taste is sour alright but not the kind of acidity that the Lubas leaf (another native) offers.

The fruit is used as souring agent for some local cooking recipes and a rich source of natural vitamin C. It gives added tartness to stewed fishes and vegetables in lieu of vinegar according to Oya Choleng, a village native.

Highlighted photo to emphasize the flower buds attached close to the twigs and branches. At this month of the year, the Kamandiis is profused with  minute red flowers.

The ASEAN Tropical Plant database classified Kamandiis as a Philippine endemic. Taxonomic record from the data base is as follows:

Scientific name	Garcinia rubra Merr.
Family name	Clusiaceae

Kamandiis minute flower buds

Reminder: "If forests were not disturbed, this would have been the safest place to permanently keep these valuable plant resources." ~ Roberto E. Coronel, foremost fruit scientist of Asia

Photos by Alma P. Gamil
Santa Barbara (Odikin), Bulusan, Sorsogon

Pili: Bicol's Heritage Flora

"If forests were not disturbed, this would

have been the safest place to permanently

keep these valuable plant resources."

                    -Roberto E. Coronel, foremost fruit scientist of Asia                
                 

A volunteer Pili tree standing tall along with coconut trees in a farm located in the fringes of Mount Bulusan.

A very strong argument on why the rainforest of Bulusan must be preserved is the definitive scientific paper on Pili authored by Roberto E. Coronel. This study (1996) was made possible by the Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute,Rome, Italy. The study aims to promote the conservation and use of Pili.

Buttressed trunks of Pili trees are most adapted to typhoons. Pili is a resilient plant antedating climate change adaptation.

The stony shell of  the Pili  nut is not a problem in Bulusan. The 'paratilad' or manual de-shellers can retrieve the kernels within seconds by using only a simple bolo.

Part of the study reads:

"Origin and geographic distribution:

The pili is indigenous to the Philippines (Merrill 1912, 1923; Wester 1921; Brown 1954; Li 1970). The crop’s centre of genetic diversity is the Bicol region, possibly in the virgin rainforests surrounding Mt. Bulusan, in the Province of Sorsogon. In the forests of this province, very old pili nut trees measuring more than 50 m in height can still be found today." 

The pulp of the ripe pili  fruits are also source of food  and oil. But the kernels are the most prized.

The planned conversion of the surroundings of Mount Bulusan into a Geothermal Field zone will alter irrevocably the natural habitat chosen by the Pili in its course of evolution that probably took million of years to complete. The species' choice of place is a cocktail mix of many variables : volcanic heat, heavy dose of rainfall, tropical Pacific Ocean, dense rainforest and just being in the right geographical location preferred by the pili.

Pili resin is internationally known as Manila elemi, ingredient for perfumes and pharmaceuticals and  recently for beauty products.

Pili was aptly described  as growing "at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, the island of Luzon..." by an international beauty product ad. The product utilizes the manila elemi, the resin from the pili tree as an ingredient. It highlighted the place of origin of the natural plant resource--the Philippines.

This and many others international recognitions underscore the importance of the Pili as an indigenous plant. And thus, Mount Bulusan being the keeper of the Pili's original genetic pool needs utmost vigilance from the continued threat of 'industrial development' to guarantee that the Pili of the ovatum kind will continue to flourish in perpetuity.

The eminent scientist, Doctor Roberto E. Coronel articulated the following in one of his seminar lectures:

Biodiverslty Conservation Systems

 In Situ Conservation

- All fruits and nuts have evolved as plant

species in the forests.

-If  forests were not disturbed, this would
have been the safest place to permanently
keep these valuable plant resources.

Photos by Alma P. Gamil
Bulusan, Sorsogon

Pili Diversity in One frame

Few meters away from the border of Bulusan Volcano Natural Park are diverse pili trees (three kinds of pili in this photo alone) noticeably all volunteer growths i.e. planted by wild animals. The photo above looks ordinary in these areas. Canopies of  Canarium ovatum (pili) could be sighted inside and around the BVNP borders corroborating the fact of what was  recorded in the definitive Pili monograph by Roberto E. Coronel, the eminent fruit scientist that Mount Bulusan is probably the center of genetic diversity of Pili.

Prolific Pili tree at the background is the elite kind of pili found in Mount Bulusan.

Zoom in the framed photograph and you will see that the background pili tree (compared with the foreground pili tree) is filled with fruits still green and thus blends with the leaves unnoticed. This kind of prolific pili tree fruiter is the elite variety of pili prized by horticulturists.

I seized the opportunity to ask from the farm owner for a handful of ripe pili nuts (fruits are colored black when ripe) for my potted nursery.

Photo: Taken at the BVNP border by  Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Vignettes of Bulusan Rainforest

Leaves line each giant frond.

Tendril like young shoots of giant ferns in Bulusan  rainforest.

A furry bow to everyone who passes by.

 Giant fern leaves form patterns against the sky.

Feather like leaves of giant ferns in Bulusan Volcano Natural Park

Like seducing fingers the young tendrils of giant ferns swirl there and curl here on top of  feather like crown of leaves in different grades of fineness. It provide a soft contrast to the endless entangling of vines in trees and bushes that spread like an amazon wilderness in the vast greenery of Bulusan rainforest. Its edges frame the park's pathway like emerald vignettes.



Photographs by Alma P. Gamil
Bulusan Volcano Natural Park (BVNP), Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Engkantada: Bulusan's Mystery Flower

Engkantada is as luminous as the high rise of the full moon. Her ethereal beauty is visible only to a night stalker--me.

I knew beforehand that it will be a one-night performance only for this ephemeral beauty. So, I have to be patient in the waiting game. Then the final hour, the flower reveals herself which is a cross between a lotus and an orchid. What a mesmerizing sight! An apparition in her whiteness. Her scent was the most subtle kind of sweetness unlike any other fragrance.

Photos: Alma P. Gamil
Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines