Friday, August 6, 2010

Flowering Dipterocarp!

Dipterocarps are for me the most legendary trees in the forest. They are the winners in the survival game, outlasting and shadowing the other trees. We often hear the names tangile, yakal, gisok, lauan, bagtikan, all good wood sources and members of the family Dipterocarpaceae. But a majority of us Pinoys might probably die without even knowing what a dipterocarp tree looks like. Even here in my blog and in my thesis, I could only count a handful of dipterocarp accounts. It is probably because it is previously thought that these trees are hard to imagine outside of the rainforest context (but recently trees are being examined for their viability to use as urban trees, will blog about it in the future).

For a city boy like me, it is already a spectacle to see a full grown dipterocarp, much more one in full bloom. And I was lucky to spot the red lauans (as identified by our guide, Noel) in bloom in Mt. Bulusan, Sorsogon. Red lauan is supposedly Shorea negrosensis, ranging from Cagayan to Sorsogon and some islands in the Visayas. It is Philippine endemic. It sure is refreshing to see that a giant red lauan flowers profusely, with proximic specimens blooming simultaneously. I could just imagine the expected seed bounty in the next months. Here is to continuously hoping!

10 comments:

dr magsasaka said...

I am thinking of planting dipterocarps in my small farm in Amadeo, about 400 meters asl. You think they would thrive well there?
Do you know of any source for meter - high plants?

metscaper said...

hello. probably in denr you could get palosapis or apitong. others you might get from provincial nurseries.

Unknown said...

Yakal and red lauan seedlings are available in Manila Seedling Bank. Meter high yakal is 150 pesos. Red lauan is 500 pesos but about 2 meters tall. Smaller seedlings cost only 20 to 40 pesos. I already planted some but bit slow to grow compared to other natives such as molave and narra.

metscaper said...

That's good to hear. I heard they should be grown in shade till they get about a few meters tall.

Melody said...
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Melody said...
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Melody said...

Hi!!! I am a student from the University of the Philippines and have a research work and it concerns dipterocarp trees. i am interested on your article. May i request for a copy of your Thesis Manuscript you are talking about in the article? I will assure you that you will be properly cited in my work. I will send you my finished work next week (May 4, 2012, Friday). My work may even help you in your future efforts so its not just a one way benefit. :)) In case you are willing to send me your original manuscript of your thesis copy, you may send it at sadisticintrusion@yahoo.com. Although I am not forcing you to send it if you are uncomfortable with this. But will you help me find some reliable sources regarding dipterocarps? Preferably, journals or any publication. )) thanks anyway. :))

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gefced said...

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gefced said...

What a sight to behold...Huge towering Dipterocarps in all their majestic splendor... Yakal Saplungan, Red Lauan, Apitong, Tanguile, Hagakhak, Guisok and yes Balayong Aso too ...35 to 40 meters tall one and half meters trunk diameter ...8 to 12 floors tall...planted right along the sidewalks of the citystreets and public parks of totally awesome, beautiful , enchanting , romantic city of Ho Chi Minh former Saigon capital of South Vietnam....and would you believe flocks of Hornbills ( Kalaws) flying hopping from tree to tree...truly a sight to behold..

Really a beautiful glorious excellent example how DIPTEROCARPS should be part of our urbanscape...

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