hibiscus in the philippines - International Hibiscus Society

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Hibiscus International
The Official Publication of the International Hibiscus Society
www.internationalhibiscussociety.org
Volume 4, Number 4
( No.21 )
October-December 2004
EDITOR: Constantino García Domínguez, Montevideo, Uruguay
From The President‟s,
Secretary/Treasure‟s Desk
future destination and goals
Society over the next two
working with you over the
goals as set forth in the
Good luck to you all and
I wish to extend a warm and hardy
welcome to our newly elected Board of
Directors. I welcome you one and all to the
International Hibiscus Society Board of
Directors. You have been elected to the
Board of Directors of the International
Hibiscus Society that now boasts 310
worldwide members. You will now have
the opportunity to participate in the
decision making process that will shape the
of the International Hibiscus
years. I am looking forward to
next few years to achieve these
original IHS Charter.
welcome aboard.
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Volume 4, Number 4
Secretary-Treasurer Report
It is with much sadness that I have had to accept the resignation of our Web
Master Mr. Joseph Dimino due to an on going illness. We have all benefited
from Joseph‟s creative talents and many innovations and features that are
now permanent features of the IHS WEB SITE. We will all miss JD and he
will surely be a tough act to follow.
Wayne C. Hall-President
International Hibiscus Society
From The Editor’s Desk
Hi Hibiscus Friends,
After a long period of learning the ropes I‟m
happy to finally present Vol. 21 (Oct-Dec 2004)
of Hibiscus International, almost totally made
by Carlos Quirino, our last Editor of Hibiscus
International.
I sincerely thank Wayne Hall, Dick Johnson,
Carlos Quirino and other members of the
Board for expressing their trust in my abilities
in carrying on with the responsibilities of Editor of Hibiscus International.
I believe that as from now on you will be receiving regular issues of Hibiscus
International after the missing issues are completed in the near future.
BTW, I invite all members to write short articles and/or send photographs
with explanations so that they can be published on time each quarter for
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everyone to share. This is very important because everyone around the world
has something to say about their local hibiscus, hybridizing experiences,
germinating seeds, growing seedlings, usage of rootstock, grafting, pruning,
feeding plans, pest control, etc. etc. What is obvious and routine for some, can
be an absolute novelty for others, and it is through such shared experience
that we can create an on line consultation library for everyone worldwide.
Please send your information and queries to my e-mail address:
[email protected] . I shall be happy to include or answer them in
following issues.
May Hibiscus Enthusiasm be with you!
Constantino García Domínguez
INDEX
From The President‟s/Secretary/Treasurer‟s Desk by Wayne Hall …………………
From the Editor‟s Desk by Constantino García ………………………………………
Mystical India by Francy Kakkassery…………………………………………………
A guide to hibiscus varieties in India…………………………………………
Kerala: God‟s own country...............................................................................
Hibiscus of India………………………………………………………………
Islandman by Gloria White……………………………………………………………..
Caring for Hibiscus: On rejuvenating garden beds by Jim Purdie…………………..
Art Imitates life by Constantino Garcia..........................................................................
From the Archives by Carlos C. Quirino………………………………………………
Board of Directors (2004-2006)…………………………………………………………
What’s the name of this beauty?
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Volume 4, Number 4
A Guide To Hibiscus Varieties In India
By: Francy Kakkassery
India, one of the biggest countries in South Asia, with an
area of 3.2 million sq. kms., is second in position in the
world with more than one billion human population. The
northern side is bordered with Nepal, China and Bhutan,
North-East side with China, Burma and Bang-ladesh.
North-West side with Pakistan and West-South with
Arabian Sea, East south is the Bay of Bengal and South side
(Map of India) is the Indian Ocean. The length of country
from South to North is 3,214 kms. and width from East to west 2,933 kms.
Politically, India is divided into 28 states, on the northern tip is Jammu and
Kashmir and southern tip with Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The major four cities
are New Delhi (capital of India, located in the north Central position),
Mumbai (the biggest city, in the west side, it was called Bombay before),
Kolkata (situated in the east side, it was formerly
named Calcutta ) and Chennai (in the south side, it
was known as Madras). India gained freedom on
15th August 1947 after four centuries of British
regime, by the sustained non-violence strategy of
our late National father, Mahatma Gandhi. Now,
one of the largest democratic countries in the
world showing fast growth and develop-ment in
the
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field of economy and other areas. India, unlike other countries, has wide diversity in culture, language and religion. The majority of population is Hindu82%, Muslim-11%, Christians-2%, and others such as Sikhs, Buddhists,
Parsees and Jains, altogether 5%. India has two official lang-uages, Hindi (the
National language) and English. In addition, there are 17 scheduled
languages, 1652 un-official and verbal languages. (Upper and left photos: The Taj
Mahal , one of the seven wonders of the world, in Agra, near New Delhi)
Kerala is one of the smallest
states in India and is
located (Map
of Kerala) in
the southwest
corner of this country.
On its west is Arabian
Sea and east is western
Ghats (an array of
mountains with tropical rain forest). The
average height of Western Ghats
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is 900mts and peaks are over 1800mts. Kerala has a typical tropical climate ,
warm and humid with plenty of sunshine and rain. Kerala is blessed with 44
rivers , lakes and backwaters . The landscape is very beautiful and attracts a
large number of tourists from many countries. The population is so high, 32
million people are living this small state( 38,863 kms), with an average density
of 819 people per sq/km. The rice is the staple food of Keralites, and in most of
the states of south India whereas wheat is favored in North India. The language is Malayalam, but Hindi and English are also spoken languages. The
major crops are Rice, Tea, Coconut, Coffee, Rubber, Banana Cashew, Pepper, Cardamom and other spices (Upper right photo: House Boats in Lake)
The first westerner, a Portuguese navigator -- Vasco de Gamma, came to
India, to the Malabar coast (Kerala), in 1498. He arrived here after an
adventurous sea voyage, encircling the Cape of Good Hope of Africa and thus
opened a new sea route to India from Europe. They called Hibiscus flowers
“shoe flowers”, because the natives here used the sap of these flowers for
polishing shoes.
Even though the written history of Hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis, a double red
hibiscus) was made known to the world by the renowned Swedish scientist
and modern taxonomist -- Carl Linnaeus, who described the same in his book
Species Plantarum (1753), it was earlier described and noted in a book, Hortus
lndicus Malabaricus, with illustrations of its characteristic features by its
author -- Henri Van Reed (Left lower photo), the
Dutch Governor, who lived in Cochin, Kerala, India,
during the period from 1663-1677 A.D. In fact, it was
originally published in Latin from Amsterdam (1968)
and recently it came to light in English translated by
University of Kerala after 325 years. Van Reed
described 742 plant species which were collected
from this area where the amazing biodiversity of
plants added interest to his enthusiastic life. The
single red form was also reported growing wild on
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the Malabar Coast of India (previously the northern-part of Kerala state was
known as Malabar) but this area was not established as its native habitat. It
was regarded H. rosa-malabarica and not considered allied to H. rosa-sinensis.
The origin and native country of Hibiscus is clearly not known. But the
literature says that, "rosa-sinesis" means "Rose of China” and it might
possibly have been disseminated and propagated in other Asian countries by
traders of that time.
In Kerala, the Hibiscus is called “Chemparathi” in our local language –
Malayalam. Here, as in most states in India, the hibiscus is a common plant
and is employed as boundaries to the houses and plots of land. It is a
wonderful sight in the spring season ( in August and September immediately
after the Monsoon season) with all the plants in bloom.
In India, flowers and parts of the hibiscus plant are used for a variety of
purposes. Hibiscus flowers are included in the offerings to the Hindu Gods in
Temples with some fruits. Besides this, these flowers are of use in Indian
systems of Medicine, as it is otherwise called “Ayurveda”. The five petals of
red coloured hibiscus flowers are brewed in coconut oil which is used as hair
oil to have healthy, black and thick hair which is considered as a good sign of
beauty amongst Indian woman. Nowadays, the Hibiscus hair oil is commercially available in the Indian market.
The crushed leaves of Hibiscus are still used as shampoo lotion by many
Indians because the slimy secretion cleans hair quite well. As medicine, having
a cup of milk with ground buds of hibiscus flowers is supposed to be good for
controlling excessive bleeding by women. The extract of the Hibiscus flowers
is used to rub on the burns on the skin, which has very effective healing
power. The extract of the natural red colour of Hibiscus flowers and green
colour of leaves were also used in the olden days in mural paintings, which
decorate the walls of Hindu Temples as well as Christian Churches. Hibiscus
flowers are also used to make different Kerala dishes, such „Thoran‟,
„Theeyal‟ and „Mezukkuperatti‟. The flowers are also used to make soft
drinks. The major cities in India actively involved in the cultivation and trade
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of Hibiscus plants are Bangalore (in South India) and Kolkotha (North-East
Region). The Indian Horticulture Institute in Hassargatta, near Bangalore,
has developed a good number of hybrids of these flowers. In Kolkotha, a lot
of varieties are imported from Hawaii and other parts of the world and doing
very good business there. Hereunder are but a few varieties which grow in
India.
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Even though many Indians are involved in Hibiscus cultivation not only for
its aesthetic beauty but also for the medicinal purposes, they are not
coordinated as a group or society (to my knowledge). There are some reasons
for this including the vast geographical area of our country and lack of proper
communication among the hibiscus lovers here. For now, I am trying to
organize an Indian Hibiscus Society and hope it materializes in near future.
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By: Gloria White
The American Hibiscus Society Convention in 2002, brought me together
again with friends such as Audrey McCarthy and Bradley Christian. The first
show I attended in 2002, they were the two visiting judges from St. Croix and
I was assigned to clerk for Ms. McCarthy and two Florida judges. I was
warned that in the Islands, there was no talking or loud noises while judging
was going on. My friend Georgia Pape and I, who helped me clerk, had
trouble keeping in our exclamations of amazement when large and beautiful
flowers were placed before our eyes. We were soon yelling “Gold,” when a
flower was awarded the coveted ribbon.
Audrey McCarthy introduced me to her friend Austin Monsanto. In the
Islands, Monsanto known as Babe started in hibiscus in 1984-85. His office
was moved to a new location on the Windward Passage in St. Thomas.
Outside the window were these beautiful flowers growing in the courtyard. “I
could not believe my eyes,” exclaimed Monsanto. It did not take long before
the lure of the Queen of the Tropics had another admirer in Babe. In 1985,
Monsanto joined the American Hibiscus Society and bought his first hibiscus,
Ma Folie.
In 1998, Monsanto was elected President of the St. Thomas Chapter, which
has been the only position he has held. When I asked him who was his favorite
hybridizer, right away Monsanto proudly stated, “Me!” Many of his cultivars
never were named or registered. His own favorite is Shirrell, named after his
granddaughter.
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When I asked him to tell me his favorite cultivar, Fourth of
July and Danmark (Left photo inset: C. Noble © 2003) came to
mind. The first for color, size and texture and the second for
texture. Monsanto grows over 200 cvs in his island paradise.
Monsanto is a retired U.S. Park Ranger and from the Virgin
Islands Port Authority and a veteran from the U.S. Army
after serving in two wars – World War II and the Korean War. He proudly
wore the hat proclaiming this achievement to the convention. He is a Rotarian
and an American Legion-naire. There is another side to Babe. I could sense
this after just meeting him. So I asked if he loved to dance and this gentleman, who is nearing his 78th birthday replied in the affirmative and informed
me that he works out in the gym everyday. Babe, maybe one day, that beauty
Danmark will find its way north to the Enchanted Garden. It is not far to go
on a magic carpet or as the crow flies. And who knows? You may find the
need to visit the Genie and come and see her gems of many colors.
F.Levavasseur © 2003
Today, the gems of many colors were bright and shining in the enchanted
garden located in the Peninsula of Flowers. The Mysterious Flower Genie
walked in her kingdom and smiled at the bevy of beauties row upon row. She
surveyed her treasure as she walked through the enchanted garden. These
gems displayed their worth in priceless abandon. One particular gem,
marked bluish lavender, white and reddish pink, was large and splendid in
the sun. The summer sun shone on this gem with a piercing brightness that
showed the rare qualities of this gem.
From the chronicles of the
the peninsula of flowers –
Mysterious Flower Genie from
Fourth of July
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ON REJUVENATING GARDEN BEDS
Based On: Tip of the Week
By: Jim Purdie
In the past I have dug up a lot of my older hibiscus plants, which have been in
the ground for about 10 years, as they were not performing as I would like them to.
I find that after that length of time the plants become straggly from all the pruning
every year. When you prune, a new eye shoots away from the trunk providing the
growth and flowers for the next year. As there are only a certain number eyes on a
bush the plant starts to suffer when these eyes become depleted.
The trunks on a few of them are very thick and it takes a bit of muscle
to dig them up. When you dig the ground it is amazing just how the soil is
depleted of organic matter. Even though we have been adding mulch to the
top of the ground, the soil down below is very compacted and lacking any sign
of much of the organic matter.
So what I have been doing is removing as much of the old roots, which are
pretty thick after being there for 10 years, as I can, and turning the soil
over and breaking it up. Then I add compost and some Dolomite to bring the
Ph up to the correct level. After that has stood for a few weeks, I add a
mixture called Searles 5-in-1, which contains manure, blood and bone, sulphate of potash, ziolite, and some other ingredients. When this has settled in, I
plant my new plants that I have waiting to grow. I make sure to attach them
with some old panty hose to a
solid 1 inch square hardwood
stake alongside each plant.
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Then, I cover the newly planted beds with a mulch of chopped sugarcane
tops which we buy here in bales, and the new plants star to come away great.
Even though I know the soil has to create its new set of microbes, at least the
soil has some new food for them to start to multiply and the plants will benefit
from their new enhanced garden bed.
Do you find that you get better results if you do this in your garden ? I
always notice a new grower will do very well when they first start to grow
hibiscus, as their plants are young and the soil in their gardens is not
depleted of the necessary nutriments. They will get some marvelous blooms
but as the years go on unless they do what I am doing, their plants drop off
and the blooms are not as good or plentiful.
oooOOOooo
Herm Geller Computer Art by Constantino Garcia
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Hibiscus and the Philippines – Pearls in the Orient
By: Carlos C. Quirino, Jr.
The Philippines is a country consisting of 7,100 islands situated in the
southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. It‟s official name is the Republic of
the Philippines. These islands bask in the northern tropical zone and are
about 100 kilometers from the coast of mainland Asia. It has a total area of
300,000 kilometers and is an archipelago. The two
largest islands, Luzon in the northern part and
Mindanao in the south make up some two-thirds
of this total area. Most of the land on these two
islands and in some of the other smaller ones like
Mindoro and Palawan are mountainous and
covered with primary jungle forests. Volcanoes
dot the countryside as the Philippines sits atop the
western edge of what is generally known as the
Pacific “Ring of Fire”. The islands were named in
honor of Philip II of Spain after Ferdinand
Magellan, the Portugese explorer, led a Spanish
expedition to circumnavigate the world in search
of new trade routes for the King and Queen of Spain. In 1521, Magellan
sighted a group of islands in the central part of the Archipelago known as the
Visayas and landed on an island there called Cebu. This began a long period
of Spanish rule after Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded the first Spanish
settlement in 1566.
The Spaniards introduced Christianity to the Philippines. Today, more
Christians live in the Archipelago than in any other Asian country. But, the
400-hundred year Spanish colonial yoke was overthrown in the 1890‟s after
several revolts against the rule of Castille. On June 12, 1898, national
liberation leadership declared the Philippines independent.
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Earlier that year, however, hostilities between the United States and Spain
broke into a declared war between these two countries in April 1898 and
culminated with the U.S. Fleet defeating the Spanish
Armada in the Pacific in the Battle of Manila Bay on
May 1. After both countries signed a peace treaty
towards the end of that year, the United States occupied
and took control of the islands but eventually developed
the country into a self-governing commonwealth in
1935. War broke out soon thereafter with the Japanese
occupying the islands from 1942 to 1945. With the Liberation of Manila by
advancing allied forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur of the United States
of America Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), the Philippines eventually
reestablished its full independence on July 4, 1946. Because it lies in the cusp
of South East Asia, the Philippines is known as the “Pearl of the Orient”. It is
a founding member of the United Nations, the ASEAN and several other
international organizations.
Hibiscus in the Islands: Pearls in the Orient
The Philippines is a largely mountainous country, with narrow strips of
lowland along the coastal fringes but also contains broad inland plains,
especially on the islands of Luzon and Panay. These islands were formed
about 50-million years ago as a result of the buckling of the Earth‟s crust and
volcanic eruptions.
The Philippine Trench, one of the deepest in the World, is located off the
northeast coast of Mindanao and reaches a depth
of 10,439 meters below the surface of the Pacific.
Scientists believe that this trench forms the
boundary between two tectonic plates which are
constantly pushing against each other. One plate is
bending downwards beneath the other. Deep
beneath the earth‟s crust, the descending plate
melts, creating magma and tremendous pressure that fuels sporadic eruptions
in some of the Archipelago‟s numerous volcanoes, notably Mt. Pinatubo,
Mayon (inset, upper left photo) and Taal. The Philippines also has many fine
bays and harbors. Those situated on the western coasts of the country
providing some of the most spectacular sunsets in the world.
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The Philippine Islands extend about 1,850 kilometers from north to south,
and about 1,100 kilometers from east to west. Luzon Island, which has an area
of 104,688 square kilometers, is the most important island in the Archipelago
and including Mindoro Island, form the northern group.
Several mountain ranges run generally north-to-south through northern
Luzon which include the Cordillera Central and the Sierra Madre chain in
the north east between which lies the fertile Cagayan Valley. Banaue
(pronounced: “ba-na-weh”), northeast of the highland mountain resort city of
Baguio (pronounced: “bag-yo”), the City of Pines and the Summer Capital of
the Philippines) in the Mountain Province of Benguet (pronounced “bengget”), is famous for its cascading rice terraces and is considered one of the
wonders of the world.
A Sunset In Manila Bay
A Beach Sunset
Rice Terrace
Kalinga Warrior
The central part of Luzon and adjacent Mindoro Island are the country‟s
main rice-producing regions. The capital, Manila, stands on the eastern shore
of a superb natural harbor called the Manila Bay which is bounded in it
narrow entrance to the west by Corregidor Island, site of one of the most
fiercest battles between the invading Japanese Imperial Forces and the
defending Filipino and American soldiers at the outbreak of World War II in
the Pacific.
In the southeastern part of Luzon lies the Bicol region, a long, narrow
peninsula with a ragged coastline which is famous for, among other things, its
hot Sili peppers, the Pili nut tree and a string of active volcanoes that include
a perfectly shaped cone volcano, Mount Mayon and other less known
volcanoes such as Bulusan, Iriga and Isarog. The land in this area contains
undulating hills, flat plains and numerous hot springs were spas and waterfalls abound.
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The volcanic soils of Luzon Island are extremely
fertile making it ideal for farming and the growing of
ornamentals like hibiscus particularly the Gumamelang
Pula or red hibiscus – a variety of Pink Versicolor or
Rose Scott (left upper photo) which grows rampantly in
many gardens and along roads and highways leading
into towns and cities. It also has large deposits of
copper, gold and other valuable minerals and ores.
The central part of the Philippines contain a number
of other islands with medium-sized populations. Samar
(13,080 square kilometers) situated in eastern Visayas,
is a triangular-shaped hilly and verdant island. It is the
third largest in the Archipelago and is adjacent to the
peninsula of Bicol. It is basically a rural and farming
area where thousands of hectares of abaca (i.e.,
Philippine hemp), a variety of coconut species, maize
and rice are cultivated. Samar Island has many undiscovered and therefore
undeveloped fine white-, ash- and orchre-colored sand beaches. The mountainous interior is blanketed with thick tropical forests teeming with wild flora
and fauna (left lower photo: Rosang Ibon).
Numerous local but older varieties of hibiscus grow wild in many of the hills
leading up to the interior of this island as in others some of which remain
unidentified. In a conversation
with Richard “Dick” Johnson, an
eminent hybridist of hibiscus residing in Tahiti whom this author
has dubbed the “Titan of Tahiti”,
he related that the identification
and naming of these older hibiscus rosa-sinensis varieties in the
Philippines may not be possible. It has become apparent that a number of
plants arrived in the Philippines from Hawaii, especially in the earlier years
and were never registered. Although they may have had an unregistered
name, it has been lost. Moreover, Dick further suggests that many were never
even given names and may have just had a number of color group designations (Upper left photo: Sangre de Christo. Upper right photo: Sugat ni Christo).
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Dick further adds that, in these cases, there are no records (i.e., photos or
registered names and descriptions) for many of these much older varieties.
This observation may indeed have some bearing with the fact that in the
early 1920‟s and 1930‟s, when the Philippines was a Commonwealth nation
allied with the United States of America, numerous Filipinos from the
northern Ilocos region in Luzon emigrated to Hawaii finding work in the
large pineapple plantations that dot that island chain in the center of the
Pacific Ocean. Often, these émigrés would come back home for visits to family
and friends. It is not beyond one‟s imagination that a number of them brought
back some rooted cuttings of the old Hawaiian hibiscus rosa-sinensis stock
that Dick Johnson speaks of.
Elizabeth Commans
Baguio Mellow Yellow
Baguio Orange
El Capitolio Sport
Jewel of India
Duke of Burgundy
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Because Filipinos love to garden, no matter how small their plots may be in
certain cases, it wasn‟t too long before these old varieties of hibiscus may have
eventually found their places in private gardens and other parts of the Archipelago. Filipinos are a hospitable people and do not flinch when offering their
homes, however modest, for a few nights stay to new acquaintances. If such a
guest fancies a particular plant growing in a backyard garden of his host you
can expect the owner to root cuttings and send them to that person in a few
weeks time. This may explain why a number of old hibiscus rosa-sinensis
varieties growing in one island may be found thriving also in many other parts
of the Philippine Archipelago.
South of Samar are the other Visayan group of islands.
Leyte Island with an area of 7,214 square kilometers is
connected to Samar by the San Juanico Bridge (Right
photo inset) overlooking Leyte Gulf. This rugged, mountainous and relatively undeveloped island became famous during World War II and was the scene of the first
landing of USAFFE troops when they recaptured the
Philippines from the occupying Japanese forces in 1944.
A beautiful modern-looking memorial statue marks the exact spot where
these forces landed and is located just south of the provincial capital of Tacloban. Leyte also hosts the Mahagnao Volcano and several national parks and
a lake. Imelda Marcos, wife of deposed Philippine President Ferdinand E.
Marcos and famous for her huge collection of named-brand shoes, was born
in Tacloban.
To the east and southeast of Leyte are the Panay, Negros, Cebu and Bohol
islands. Panay (1,515 square kilometers) is the westernmost island in the
Visayas Region. It has a roughly trapezoidal shape and
contains a rugged mountain range along its western side
and rolling uplands on the opposite east side of this
ridge. Farther east sprawls the Iloilo Plain, the most
fertile and more densely populated side of this island.
Farmers in Panay produce copra, sugar, rice and other
basic agricultural staples and vegetables like tomatoes,
eggplants, cabbage and okra. Okra (H. Esculentus: Left
photo) particularly, is grown in almost all the islands in the Archipelago, it
being pantropic.
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It is cultivated for its edible fruit (right photo, inset)
which, when immature, is succulent and edible. The
fruit has an elongated capsule which tapers gradually to
a point, is 10 to 25 centimeters in length and 1.5 to 3
centimeters in breadth, and contains rows of rounded,
kidney-shaped seeds. It is eaten in various ways and is
prized as an ingredient in many soup and stew
preparations. An analysis of the unripe capsules show
that these have the general characteristics of a succulent vegetable, and are
fair a source of iron and a good source of calcium.
The fruit of okra also contains abundant pectin. Some have observed that
the plant is aromatic, with an odor slightly resembling that of cloves. When
distilled with water the leaves yield an essential oil which, in time solidifies as
a crystalline camphor called “Basil Camphor”. The seeds of okra are mucilaginous and from this substance a syrup is made to relieve sore throats. Some
consider it to have an aphrodisiac effect. It also has many other medicinal
values. A decoction of the young fruit is used in treating fevers and problems
normally afflicting the genito-urinary organs. In dysentery, especially in
chronic forms, the bland mucilage is often beneficial. Toasted seeds of okra
are used as a substitute for coffee and an infusion has sudorific properties.
The city of Iloilo – the Queen City of the South, which rests on the
southeastern coast of Panay is the trading and commercial center of western
Visayas. There are many grand
houses still standing along the old
residential section of this city most
built along pre-war architectural
lines. Iloilo Island and its main city
were spared much damage during
the last conflict in the Pacific.
Surrounding most of these manors
of old are a number of large
manicured gardens that showcase numerous tropical and other flowering
plants. Once on a visit to that city, the author saw large bushes of Jewel of
India all carefully trained to grow as tall hedges pregnant with big beautiful
baby-pink double blooms that looked like delicious cotton candy from afar.
Certainly a soothing sight for sore eyes.
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Think sugar. That‟s what Negros Island (12,705 square kilometers) is mostly
about. Thousands upon thousands of hectares are planted to cane in this bootshaped island. It is a verdant paradise with volcanic
mountains forming the backbone of a ridge stretching from
its northern tip all the way down to its
southern coasts. The highest point in
Negros is Kanlaon Volcano rising to a
height of 2,540 meters above sea level.
Because of its volcanic soils, bananas and
other tropical fruit trees are also cultivated. These include
bananas of all varieties, mangoes, pineapples, guyabano,
jackfruit, star apples (Kaimito), sugar apples (Atis), passion
fruit, water and honeydew melons, guavas, grapefruits and a
host of other citrus fruit varieties not seen elsewhere outside
of the Archipelago. In Negros is also grown a hibiscus plant
known as Kastuli (in Tagalog) or the “musk mallow”.
Musk mallow or Hibiscus Abelmoschus is found throughout the island in
open places, usually grasslands and old clearings at low and medium altitudes.
Like okra, it is pantropic. This plant is exceedingly variable in vegetative
character. It is an annual, erect, branched herb about one
meter high or less and is covered with very long hairs.
The leaves are orbicular-ovate to ovate, 6 to 15
centimeters long, variously angled or lobed, usually
broad, heart-shaped at the base, pointed at the tip, and
toothed in the margins. The flowers of H. Abelmoschus
are about 10 centimeters in diameter, with yellow petals
which are, however, purple at the base, inside. The
capsules of the musk mallow are oblong-ovoid and 5- to 7-centimeters long,
are covered with long hairs, and contain numerous musky seed. Records show
that the seed yields an essential oil that contains farnesol, an abundance of
palmitic acid, furfurol, acetic and ambrettol acid.
The seeds, after being pounded and prepared in decoction, are administered
as a diurectic, tonic, carminative and anti-hysteric. A mucilaginous decoction
of the root and leaves is used in the treatment of gonorrhea as for headaches,
rheumatism, varicose veins and fever. And like the effect that the fresh juice
21
Volume 4, Number 4
of young coconuts have on certain organs of the human body, the fruit of H.
Abelmoschus, in powder or infusion, may be given for flushing and
stimulating the intestines and kidneys.
We now come to Cebu Island (4,442 square kilometers) which is east of
Negros, with both islands separated by a narrow strait bounded by the
Visayan Sea on the north and the Sulu Sea in the south. Cebu is a long, speartipped shaped and narrow island with a mountainous backbone running along
almost its entire length. But for its size in the Archipelago, it is the most
densely populated island in the Philippines.
Festivals
Sun n Sand
Water Fun
Little Surprises
Collectibles
Cebu was the first island to be settled by the Spaniards in the mid-1500‟s.
It‟s chief city, also called Cebu, was founded by Spanish missionaries in 1565
and was the capital of the Philippines until 1571. Today, it is a
busy port and the central distribution point for trade for the
Visayan islands, Palawan to the west and Mindanao to the
south. Many people here and abroad still believe that
Tagalog, which is spoken in Luzon and other parts of the
country and is the root for the national language, Pilipino, is
the most widely used dialect in the Philippines but it is
Cebuano instead which holds that distinction. The Cebuano
dialect is a soft, romantic, melting and endearing one spoken
as a loving mother would to a child. Admonishments sound as
if one were asking for favors. Cebu and its main city is accompanied by a smaller island facing east called Mactan. Both are connected by a
bridge spanning a narrow strait. Mactan is where a number of world-class
hotels, beach resorts and the Mactan International Airport are located.
22
Volume 4, Number 4
It was here, in 1521, where the explorer Magellan met his end at the hands of
Datu Lapu-lapu, the island‟s chieftain, in an abbreviated but fierce battle for
control. A simple but elegant bronze monument (inset, upper-left) has been
erected in honor of Lapu-lapu, the first Filipino who resisted attempts by
others to occupy an already settled archipelago.
If you ever get an opportunity to travel around the unbeaten paths around
Mactan and along most roadsides you will observe growing tall bushes of
what the author believes to be
Archerii (Albo Lacinatus [x] H.
Schizopetalus – Left photo inset) and
Sprinkle Rain (Unknown [x]
Unkown – Right photo inset). By tall,
we mean heights reaching seven
feet and higher as these bushes are
left to grow wild without benefit of
regular prunings. As to who or whom may have planted these, certainly
flower-loving Filipinos – as greenery and color play an important role in their
everyday lives.
If you are thinking of chocolates than Bohol Island (3,865 square kilometers)
has something to offer in terms of a delight but not of the culinary kind,
though. Situated southeast of Cebu, Bohol is roughly circular shaped and a
high plateau runs from the northeast to the southwest of this land. On its
western portion is yet another small wonder of the world called, the Chocolate
Hills – approximately 1,000 conical-shaped mounds that jut out from nowhere
each covered abundantly with tropical vegetation.
23
Volume 4, Number 4
They are called these because during the dry summer months beginning in
June, these hills gradually turn a brownish-tan color and are a sight to see –
like Hershey‟s Kisses. All these hills were formed perhaps a million years ago
by the erosion of the overlying coral and limestone bedrock found in that part
of this island.
Sights and Sites In Bohol Island
A Bohol Beach
Tarsius
Bohol Village Store
Hillside Cabanas
There is also one hibiscus specie – H. Cannabinus, with a delightfullylooking bloom. It has a strong reddish-purple tone and grows in some parts of
Bohol Island. It is surprising because this particular plant has been known to
grow only in one of several Mountain Provinces in northern Luzon called
Bontoc and in Pangasinan Province south of Baguio
City. For those who are more familiar with this
plant in the Philippines, H. Cannabinus is also
known as Alas Doce (or, the Twelve o‟clock plant),
because of the subterranean midnight-like hue of a
flower the plant produces.
It is kept in some few private gardens for purely
ornamental purposes but is scarcely naturalized.
Hibiscus Cannabinus (inset, lower left) is a native of
the Old World but is also pantropic. This is an herb
with smooth and prickly stems. The lower leaves are entire and heart-shaped,
and the upper ones are deeply palmate-lobed. The sepals are bristly,
lanceolate, and connate below the middle, with a gland at the back of each.
24
Volume 4, Number 4
The corolla is large, spreading, and yellow with crimson center and its
capsules are rounded and bristly as well. Seeds of Alas Doce are nearly
smooth and yields a 23.5 per cent edible oil – the Habel-zalim of old Persia,
which is used as an external application for pains and bruises. The plant is
often cultivated for its fiber and its leaves are used as a pot-herb. The whole
plant contains abundant polysaccharides, starch dextrin; much pectin;
tannin; phosphatides and some protein. The leaves are used as a purgative
and an infusion is used as a remedy for coughs. Others believe Alas Doce to be
an aphrodisiac.
Continued in Hibiscus International No.22
Board of Directors
President: Wayne C. Hall – Arizona, USA
Immediate Past President: Carlos C. Quirino, Jr. – Metro Manila, Philippines
Vice-President: Professor Mark Zarco – Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Secretary/Treasurer: : Sonny Stollings – Abingdon, Maryland, USA
American Representative: David Franzman – Sta. Rosa, Calif., USA
Asian Representative: Wilhelm Hing – Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines
Australian Representative: Jim Purdie – Brisbane QLD, Australia
European Representative: Jean-Francois Giraud – Isere Valley, France
India Representative: Francy Kakkassery – Kerala, India
Pacific Representative: Richard Johnson – Tamanu, Tahiti, French Polynesia
South American Representative: Constantino Garcia Dominguez – Uruguay
oooOOOooo
[Ex-Officio Members]
Webmaster: Joseph Dimino – Sicily, Italy
Past Editor of Hibiscus International: Carlos C. Quirino, Jr. – Metro Manila, Philippines
New Editor as from Jan. 2005: Constantino García Domínguez – Montevideo, Uruguay
All Rights Reserved © 2004
Articles for use in this publication should be submitted by e-mail to the Editor at:
[email protected]
25

hibiscus in the philippines - International Hibiscus Society

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