Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animal life is fauna. Flora, faunaand other forms of life such as fungi are collectively referred to as biota. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms gut flora or skin flora.
Fauna is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora. Flora, fauna and other forms of life such as fungi are collectively referred to as biota. Zoologists and paleontologistsuse fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the “Sonoran Desert fauna” or the “Burgess Shale fauna”. Paleontologists sometimes refer to a sequence of faunal stages, which is a series of rocks all containing similar fossils. The study of animals of a particular region is called faunistics.
The Philippines, a tropical country located in Southeast Asia, is lucky and blessed to have a beautiful diverse and colorful water creatures, insects, and unique flowering plants. The Philippines is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world.
FLORA IN THE PHILIPPINES
Paphiopedilum fowliei is a very rare and local species with a distribution restricted to Palawan in the Philippines
This beautiful and uniquely shaped flower is from Paphiopedilum Fowliei, a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to the beautiful island of Palawan, Phillipines’ last frontier. This species which is threayened by loss of habitat inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.
Nepenthes peltata is a tropical pitcher plant known only from the upper slopes of Mount Hamiguitan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.
This strange-looking plants is not a colorful toilet bowl. It is scientifically called Nepenthes Peltata, a tropical pitcher plant that can be found only from the upper slopes of Mount Hamiguitan, Mindanao in Southern Philippines
This plant is characterized by a peltate tendril attachment and conspicuous indumentum.
This species of Medinilla is also commonly known as the Philippine orchid, and it is an epiphyte. k
This plant is commonly called rose grape belonging to the family of plants called Melastomataceae Juss. This shrub is a stunning flower endemic to the Philippines. It is usually found in high altitudes growing upto 6 feet. The shrub has either ribed or winged stem and glossy green leaves with conspicuously pale veins. The flowers are breathtaking growing as a bunch of small pink clusters attached to large pink bracts sheltered by its curved leaves.
Paphiopedilum ciliolare is a rare and local species with a distribution restricted to four islands (Luzon, Mindanao, Camiguin and Dinagat) in the Philippines.
Another lovely plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family is the Paphiopedilum Cilolare. Like the other two unique plants above, this species is threatened by loss of habitat. It also inhabits and subtropical forests.
Strongylodon Elmeri is located in Sablan., Luzon, Benguet, Philippines, Asia-Tropical
Endemic in thich forests of the country, this specie along with its more famous cousin Strongylodon Macrobotrys (jade vine) are arguably the most beautiful flowers in the world.
The Strongylodon Elmeri is a perennial climbing shrub belonging to the family Fabaceae. The flowers hang in bunches upto 90cm and each with a spectacular clawlike shape measures up. 7.5cm bats usually pollinate these flowers.
Amyema Incarnatiflora
Belonging to the family of Lorantacae, this particular specie cells the mountanious region of Cabadbaran in Agusan Del Norte as well as the thick jungles of Cagayan province as its home. The bunch of slender pink flowers is a beauty forming a shape of a half open parasol.
Dillenia Monantha
This specie is unique to the Philippines and produces only a single flower. Monantha after all is derived from the greek words mono (one) and anthos (flower). The richly hued yellow flower is a spectacular sight thanks largely to the bottom colors that resemble a spider.
Xanthostemon Fructicosus
Belonging to the family called Myrtaceae, this specie can call 3,000 other species as its close kin; many of them grow in Australia as well as in Mediterranean and America. This particular foliage that comes in red bunches of individual actinomorphous (spreading symmetrically)
Plumiera Acuminata
Plumiera Acuminata is generally found in the tropics, Plumiera Acuminata ( sometimes known as plumeria rubra and plumeria acutifolia ) is a specie of frangipani otherwise locally known as Kalachuchi. Frangipanis are known to have eight (8) species found in tropical Americas; South and Southeast Asia and the pacific islands with white and yellow colors.
It is more closely identified with the common frangipanis. The flowers are very fragrant and a source of scent for perfumes. They have no nectars but scent pure potential pollinators that would go from flower to flower for food in cain but transferring the pollens in the process.
Paphiopedilum Adductum
A member of the Orchidaceae family and is endemic to the Philippines. It is usually found in tropical moist low land forest, the scientific name is derived from the fact that it belongs to the family of orchids and that the shape of its staminode (vestigal stamen) is severely adducted that is severely bent backwards.
Rafflesia manillana is a parasitic plant species of the genus Rafflesia. It is endemic to the Philippines. This species was named after the city of Manila.
It is a foul smelling flower and is pollinated by carrion flies.
FAUNA IN THE PHILLIPPINES
‘World’s Largest Clam Pearl” found in Philippines, worth $130 million. The world’s largest natural clam pearl may have been uncovered in the Philippines. The pearl, weighing 34 kilograms, was found by a fisherman 10 years ago in the sea off the coast of Palawan Island.
It is considered to be the largest clam in the world and inside it is the largest peral named “The Pearl of Lao Tzu”. The shell is not what is interesting but the pearl. It weighs 14 pounds and measures 9.5 inches long and 5.5 inches in diameter. It was valued $42 million and it is believed to be 600 years old.
The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains (2000 meters above sea level), but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now endangered species
It is a dwarf buffalo which is only found in the island of Palawan. It looks likes a normal water buffalo but it is quite smaller. People used to call Mindoro as the “land of tamaraws”. About 10,000 heads of these unique pygmy water buffalos were roaming around the island-province of Mindoro in the 1900s but that was a century ago. Today, the tamaraws in the province are in danger of extinction, and Mindoro might lose the symbol that it once proudly introduced to the world.
Pandaka Pygmaea is a dwarf goby (the smallest freshwater fish) measures 1.2 centimeters or less than half of an inch, also the tiniest known vertebrate. American ichthyologist is in Malabon River in 1925. The Philippines is also the home of Sinarapan, the World’s Smallest Commercial Fish, Sinarapan, scientifically known as Mistichthys Luzonensis is a goby found only in Lakes Bato and Buhi in Camarines Sur province.
The Philippine mouse-deer, also known as the Balabac chevrotain or pilandok, is a small, nocturnal ruminant, which is endemic to Balabac and nearby smaller islands southwest of Palawan in the Philippines.
South of Palawan, lies the balabac Island, home of the world’s smallest hoofed mammal – the Philippine mouse deer. Locally known as Pilandok (tragalu nigricans) this ruminant stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level. The male specie had no antlers like those of a real deer. Instead, it uses its large tust-like canine teeth on its upper jaw for self-defense; in the same way a deer uses its antlers.
Accipitridae endemic to forests in the Philippines.
Philippine Eagle is one of the world’s largest Eagle. Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the endagered Philippine Eagle is one of the largest in the world. With scientific name Pithecophaga Jefferyi, the philippine eagle lives in the rainforests of Isabela, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. Measuring about one meter in height, the average Philippine Eagle has a 76 centimeter highly arched, powerful bill.
Troides magellanus, the Magellan birdwing, is a large and striking birdwing butterfly found in the Philippines and on Taiwan’s Orchid Island. This butterfly is named for the explorer Ferdinand Magellan who was killed in the Philippines in 1521.
Troides Magellanus shows a blue-green sheen if viewed from an oblique angle. Troides Magellanus are rare compared to other species, noted for their use of limited-view iridescence; the yellow of dorsal hind wings modified by bright blue-green iridescence which is only seen when the butterfly is viewed at a narrow oblique angle.
Calamian Islands, north off Palawan Province, keeps a species of deer that cannot be found elsewhere. Scientists referred to the hog deer in the Island of Calamian deer in order to distinguish them from other hog deer in the world.
The Hog Deer’s coat is quite thick and generally a uniform dark-brown in winter except for the underparts of the body and legs which are lighter in colour.
The giant golden-crowned flying fox, also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a rare megabat and one of the largest bats in the world
The three layered virgin forest of Subic Bay and Bataan is home of the world’s largest bats; the giant flying fox (Acerodon Jubatus) and the golden crown flying fox (Pteropus Vampyrus).
Tarsiers are any haplorrhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes.
In many aspects, the Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius Syrichta) is different from other animals. Considered as the world’s smallest primate, it measures only about twelve centimeters in the length. Its teo big eyes cannot move and do not have a tapetum – the upper protective tissue. Because of this, the Philippine Tarsier has learned to turn its head 180 degrees. It has also two grooming claws on each foot and almost bald tail extending about nine inches.
The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), also known as the Mindoro crocodile, the Philippine freshwater crocodile or locally, bukarot, is one of two species of crocodiles found in the Philippines; the other is the larger Indo-Pacific crocodileor saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porous).
The saltwater crocodile, which can be found in the Philippines is considered as the World’s Largest Reptile. An adult saltwater crocodile measures between six to sevem meters (20-23 feet) and weighs about two to three tons. There were tales that a 27-foot saltwater crocodile was killed near Lake Taal in Batangas in 1823. It reportedly took 40 mean to bring the body shore.
Flora and fauna are the plants and animal life of a region in a period of time. That may sound simple, but the ecosystem created by the interdependence of these two life forms is not simple at all.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/Wiki/Fauna
http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/axis_porcinus.html
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/61556.aspx
http://www.iuncredlist.org.detaild/46348/0
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_Peltata
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_crocodile
http://www.batworlds.com/giant-golden-crowned-flying-fox/
ALAINE V. UY. 