Common name: Akasya, Rain tree. Large tree, to 25m tall. Trunk is 15m in diameter, with dark bark and spreading branches. Leaves are even-pinnate. Leaflets are oblong-rhomboid and mid nerved, diagonal, dark green, and smooth above, pale green and hairy below. Flowers are pink and in globose heads. Fruit is straight and fleshy, to 20cm long; the mesocarp is sweet and pulpy. Native to central America and the West Indies. Now Pantropic. Found throughout the Philippines at low and medium elevations. An attractive shade tree, propagated by seeds. Genus is a corruption of its native spanish name ‘zaman’.
Common name: Octopus tree. Small tree that grows to height of 8 m. Stem branches form rosettes alternately arranged leave. Leaves palmately compound, petioles up to 50 cm long, around 8 leaflets with long petiolules attached to a contracted rachis. Leaflets are oblong, glossy, and dark green with entire margins. Inflorescence terminal, flowering branches radiating from stiff, erect peduncle. Perfect flowers small and red. Fruits red to purplish in color. Indigenous to Australia but introduced as ornamental plant in the Philippines. Seeds or stem cuttings may be used for propagation.
Spathodea campanulata
Common name: African tulip tree. Robust tree, to 20m tall. Leaves are pinnately compound, with 9-17pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are to 12cm long, and to 8cm wide, oblong to oval, the apex sometimes notched. The flowers are large, bell shaped, to 12 cm long, five lobed, scarlet or crimson red, with yellow, frilled edges. Native to Africa. Widely cultivated in the Philippines. Grown in parks, gardens or along road sides. Propagated by seeds.
Streblus asper
Small to medium sized tree with many branches, to 15m tall. Leaves are alternate, oblong-ovate to sub-rhomboid, with obtuse to acuminate apex, and narrow base. Leaf surface is rough or scabrid, dark, shiny green; marhins are toothed. Male flowers are in small, short peduncled heads, to 7cm in diameter, greenish yellow to white. Female flowers are in pairs and green. Fruit is ovoid, pale yellow, to 10mm long. Indigenous to India, China, Malaya and the Philippines. Popular as bonsai plant.
Swietenia macrophylla
Common name: Long leaved mahogany. Tree similar to S. mahogani but with large leaflets, to 12cm long and to 6cm wide. Fruit is to 20cm long. Native to Central America. Planted in gardens, along roads, parks throughout the Philippines.