HIBISCUS
AND THE PHILIPPINES
Part
Two – Pearls in the Orient
By
Carlos C. Quirino Jr.
August
2002
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| | Vintas in the Sulu Sea |
Vanda Sanderiana |
Sarongs for Sale |
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| | Planting Pineapples |
Harvest Time |
A Muslim Mosque |
We now leave
the central island group of the Visayas Region bypassing numerous smaller islands
along the way heading south to the second largest and most beautiful island of
the Archipelago – Mindanao. Mindanao lies at the southeastern end of the Philippines and has an area of 94,630 square kilometers.
This large island contains approximately one-fifth of the population of the Philippines and includes most of the Muslim population
of the country along with a number of ethnic tribes like the T’boli, Tausug and
the Tasaday.
The
interior of Mindanao is a heavily forested area where unique
species of flora and fauna can be found. Examples
are Vanda Sanderiana alba, an orchid used as parent stock
for many important orchid hybrids now available around the world, and the Philippine
Monkey-eating Eagle, an endangered avian species with less than a hundred living
members left in captivity and in the wild.
The
tropical forests of Mindanao provide some of the most exotic species
of flora for collectors in the Archipelago as well as for botanical gardens across
the globe. It is home to some of the most splendid highland plateaus and fertile
valleys. Most of the cities and major towns in Mindanao are situated along the coastal rim of
this island like Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos City.
It
is in the residential districts of these southern cities and towns where one finds
some of the best collection of plants found anywhere around the country, including
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and introduced species such as Amapola, Roselle and Malabago among others.
Amapola
is the name given to a variety of Hibiscus mutabilis, which is grown in rural
areas of the Philippines for both its ornamental and medicinal
value. Sometime also known as Mapula (or red), Amapola grows as an erect, branched
shrub or small tree 2-4 meters in height. It is more or less densely covered with
short, grayish stellate hairs. The leaves of these plants are broadly ovate to
orbicular-ovate, 5 lobed or angled and 7-20 centimeters long, with the apex pointed,
the base heart-shaped and the margins toothed. The calyx of Amapola is 3- 4 centimeters
long with 5 oblong-ovate lobes, which are connate below. The corolla is 10-12
centimeters in diameter, single sometimes but mostly double, opening a pale ivory-pink
or nearly white at morning time, but growing darker pink in color as the day advances
towards sunset.
The leaves and
flowers of this H. mutabilis variety are considered by the inhabitants of the
Archipelago to be expectorant, cooling and an antidote to all kinds of poison
and an anodyne. Often, it is prescribed to treat persistent coughs, menorrhagia,
dysuria, and wounds, especially burns and scalds that are slow to heal. The infusion
is an established remedy for pectoral and pulmonary complaints and is also used
as a stimulant.
Roselle is the Filipino name given to red sorrel
or Hibiscus sabdariffa. It was introduced to the Philippines early in the last century for its ornamental,
medicinal and food preparation values. It is a native of tropical Africa and is now pantropic in cultivation but
in the Philippines it is most often found in the Visayas
and Mindanao regions. Roselle is an erect, branched, smooth or nearly
smooth annual herb 1-2 meters in height. The stems are purplish and its leaves
are 8 to 12 centimeters long, variable in shape, and either entire or deeply 3
or 5 lobed, the lobes being oblong to oblong lanceolate.
The
calyx is smooth; the lobes are pointed, and connate below the middle, forming
a fleshy cup. The corolla of Roselle is pink with a dark center and is about
5 centimeters long. The fruit is ovoid, pointed, hairy and about 2.5 centimeters
long, enclosed by the fleshy, acid, enlarged calyx. While this plant is often
grown for its pleasant look, it is more often cultivated for its enlarged, red,
fleshy calyces which surround the fruit proper and which make very excellent wine,
jams, jellies, tarts and a variety of other products. The young leaves are also
used as a substitute for spinach, or may be cooked with fish or meat in making
“sinigang”, a favorite Filipino dish. Jams, jellies and other preparations using
Roselle are very similar in appearance and taste to those made from cranberries.
Other properties of the leaves include being an emollient, stomachic, antiscorbutic
and febrifuge. Its seeds are used as a diuretic and tonic.
Another
hibiscus species introduced to the Philippines from Africa is Labuag (Hibiscus surattensis). Labuag
is a weak-stemmed, trailing plant covered with soft hairs and scattered prickles.
The leaves are rounded and palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the lobes being toothed. Flowers
of this introduced species are yellow, with a dark center. It produces seeds that
are downy, and capsules of the plant are hairy and ovoid. Like Roselle and Amapola, Labuag also has some medicinal
and culinary values. The acidic leaves are used in salads or as a pot-herb in
some soup preparations. Medicinally, it is prepared for coughs. Sometimes, a lotion
made from its leaves and stems are used for treatment of penile irritations, including
venereal sores, urethritis, gonorrhea and as an ointment
for the same purposes.
Malabago
(Hibiscus tiliaceus) is found mostly in Mindanao particularly along the seashore and beside
tidal streams. It is occasionally but not usually planted farther inland for ornamental
purposes. Malabago is a much-branched tree 4-12 meters in height. The leaves are
sub-orbicular, 10-15 centimeters long, green, smooth and shining on the upper
surface – the lower one being grayish and hairy, with pointed tip, prominently
heart-shaped base, and minutely toothed margins. The sepals are hairy, 5 in number,
oblong and about 2 centimeters long. The petals are sometimes whitish-pink but
mostly yellow, dark purple at the base inside, orbicular-obovate or rounded and
about 5 centimeters in both length and width. The capsules are hairy, ovoid, 1.5
centimeters long, surrounded by the persistent sepals.
When the fresh
bark of Malabago is macerated and mixed in water, the solution becomes mucilaginous
and is prescribed in dysentery for which it is considered effective. The bark
fibers of this hibiscus species make a fairly strong rope and are used for making
string for tying cattle and for making hog traps.
As
in other islands in the Pacific Ocean and when food is lacking, the bark of
Hibiscus tiliaceus is sometimes eaten. Its roots are also ingested as food and
otherwise as an emetic. As an infusion, it is considered as a diuretic and febrifuge
and has aperitive, emollient, sudorific and laxative properties.
When the flowers
of Malabago are boiled in milk, it is employed for the cure of ear and headaches
and its leaves are rubbed over swellings. It is also used for treatment of ulcers.
Another introduced
hibiscus species is H. schizopetalus, which grows wild on almost all major islands
of the Archipelago. Because of its tall and erect growth pattern, it is used as
hedges lining the boundaries of farms and along driveways of some rural residences.
The flowers that H. schizopetalus produce don’t (at first) look spectacular compared
with more modern hybrids of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. But, as a novice in the area
of hibiscus hybridization, the author appreciates its potential for other reasons.
Without
doubt, H. schizopetalus provides what one may call "hot" pollen. Some
90% of all pod parent plants the author has employed using its pollen have produced
seed pods and nearly
half of these have resulted in viable seed.
Attempts to produce seed pods on H. schizopetalus using its own pollen
and other rosa-sinensis varieties (mostly tried-and-tested Philippine garden varieties
and other locally-developed hybrids crossed with cultivars originating from the
United
States and Australia) have not produced results to date.
At the moment,
the author has managed to produce a few H. schizopetalus-fathered seedlings from
crosses made with hybrids developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding (or, the
IPB in Los Banos, Laguna Province in the island of Luzon), such as "Millennia",
"Emerita de Guzman", "Marcela", "Clare Baltazar",
"Gelia Castillo", "Obdulia Sison", “Oryang”, “Nazaria,” and
the like, which produce medium to large single-type blooms.
H.
schizopetulus pollen was also used on Rosang Ibon ("Versicolor Rose Scott"
(x) unknown) with positive results although most seeds arising from this particular
cross need to be planted immediately after harvest if any high germination rates
are to be expected. The author believes, however, that this is a particular characteristic
passed on by Rosang Ibon rather than the other way around.
Some
Philippine Pod Parents Crossed
With H. schizopetalus
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Millennia
(IPB Hybrid)
(Carlos C. Quirino, Jr.
© 2001)
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Emerita de Guzman
(IPB Hybrid)
(Carlos C. Quirino, Jr.
© 2001)
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Marcela
(IPB Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson © 2002) |
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Gelia Castillo
(IPB
Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson © 2002) |
Clare Baltazar
(IPB Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson © 2002) |
Obdulia Sison
(IPB
Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson © 2002) |
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Oryang
(IPB Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson
© 2002) |
Nazaria
(IPB
Hybrid)
(Richard Johnson © 2002) |
Rosang Ibon
(IPB
Hybrid)
(Carlos C. Quirino, Jr.
© 2001)
|
The author has
also used H. schizopetalus pollen on some old double varieties like "Jewel
of India" [unknown (x) unknown], "Lambertii" [unknown (x) unknown],
"Andersonii" ["Brilliant" (x) H. schizopetalus], "Baptistii"
[unknown (x) unknown) and other still unidentified white, yellow, peach and orange
doubles, but the effort has turned up negative results to-date.
Geoff Harvey, however, suggests
in his "Hibiscus Hybridizing Guide" (page 8) that: "Most doubles
cannot be used as female parents, though some of them alter during the cooler
months with a rearrangement of the floral parts, such as development of stigma
pads." That being the case, there may still be an opportunity for the author
to try a similar effort when the climate in the Philippines makes it conducive for another attempt.
The best time to undertake a program of hibiscus hybridization in the Philippines is between the months of November up to
March of the following year. These are the cool months when most hibiscus plants
are more receptive to producing seedpods.
What can one expect to get from
H. schizopetalus’ genes? An initial point
of reference would be H. Archerii, which is a cross using Albo Lacinatus ("Tantalus"
(x) H. schizopetalus) as pod parent. The result of this cross was the inheritance
of H. schizopetalus’ serrated outer petal edges and also its reddish color by
H. Archerii. The author, however, is of
the opinion that the coloration of H. schizopetalus will always turn out to be
the dominant one on all its progeny. This is observed, however, with a caveat.
Any result will also depend, in a manner of speaking, on H. schizopetalus’ spouse whether used either as pollen or pod
parent.
Pepito Cesario is a Filipino hibiscus hybridist.
In seven years of hybridizing, he has developed hundreds of hybrids and has this
to say about what to expect from H. schizopetalus. As with any hibiscus he uses
in his hybridization program, Pepito always “looks at the back-side of the petals
of both candidate parents to give an indication what range of colors to expect”
in new seedlings produced by his crosses.
In the case of H. schizopetalus,
he stresses that besides red, other colors like orange, peach and yellow are also
evident, that is, if you look closely enough. A case in point is an H. schizopetalus
hybrid seedling called Medusa (Unknown (x) H. schizopetalus).
Most of the flowering hybrids Mr. Cesario
developed using H. schizopetalus produced blooms across this color range in various
combinations and hues. Sizes also differ from minis (3+" to 4+"), mediums
(5+" to 7+") to a few large ones (8-10"). Nearly all of his H.
schizopetalus hybrids, however, have inherited the hardy upright bush characteristics
of this East African species suggesting that this particular trait is dominant
and also, a welcome one.
As a fairly recent hibiscus hybridist,
one of the author’s basic criteria in attempts to develop hybrids is the strength
of the plant itself. This is said with some very practical reasons in mind including
subsequent rearing and caring of the resulting progeny. Even if one were to produce
a hybrid plant with beautiful flowers, what value will it have if it cannot survive
on its own for any length of time without constant care? Multiply this with hundreds
of seedlings bred for nothing else but floral beauty alone and you come up with
a recipe where the master chef ends up cleaning all his pots and pans.
This is perhaps why H. schizopetalus could be used more often by hibiscus
hybridists as an avenue to reintroduce some of its more robust characteristics
onto its descendants and strike an acceptable balance between floral size and
beauty, longevity and reduced plant care.
Possible
Origins of Hibiscus in the Philippines
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
and other related species may have been present in the Philippines for hundreds of years but only because
it was introduced as a result of different waves of migration from mainland Southeast Asia, Southern China and also as a result of a long history
of trade between peoples in the region.
While human settlement of the
islands in the Archipelago stretches back more than 500,000 years, it is in more
recent historic times that a wave of migrants, the ancestors of the Polynesians,
traveled eastward from mainland Asia following a path north of the equator through
the Archipelago. They sallied forth further south and east by means of long dugouts
and canoes to settle and populate the numerous island groups scattered in the
Pacific Ocean – to Hawaii in the north, New Zealand in the West, Fiji, Tahiti
and then towards the Pacific Ocean’s eastern fringe – the Easter Islands. In these
migrations over several generations, the ancient Malayo-Polynesians may have brought
along with them livestock and plants that may well have included archaic forms
of the Malvaceae family.
These migrations were subsequently
followed by Malays from Indonesia and Malaysia who also moved northwards to these islands
and established settlements that were near the sea and along rivers. The coastal
communities they established served as meeting points not only with other earlier
indigenous tribes but also with traders from India, China and Japan. Much later (circa 500 B.C.), people from
Southern
China began
to arrive and settle in several parts of the Archipelago. Chinese traders are
believed to have introduced old forms of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis to the Philippines, long before the coming of the Spaniards
in the early 1500’s.
The term “gumamela” generally
refers to all forms of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plants and flowers in the Philippines. In many travels made within the Archipelago,
the author has, on occasion, inquired with locals in those areas about how long
they have known gumamela to exist in their parts of the Archipelago. More often
than not, the reply would be that the fathers of their grandfathers had used it
for medicinal purposes and in some instances, as part of their diet. If this is
the case, it is not difficult to assume that a mundane plant such as hibiscus
has been around the Philippines for quite some time – not really for its
floral but for medicinal and dietary purposes.
The first mention of hibiscus
in historical records of the Philippines is from Father Manuel Blanco, a Spanish
priest in his book “Flora de Manila” which was published in 1883. The Americans,
who ended 400 years of Imperial Spain’s hold over the Archipelago in 1898, later
on introduced new forms and cultivars to these islands over the next 40 years,
mostly from old hybrids developed in Hawaii in the 1920’s and 30’s. Since then,
hibiscus has become a common ornamental plant gracing most Filipino home gardens,
resorts and public parks.
Recent
Hybridizing Efforts in the
Philippines
Apart from a
few open-pollinated natural hybrids, which still exist as hardy garden varieties,
the hybridizing of hibiscus or art of creating new cultivars or hybrids has only
become fashionable in the Philippines very recently. Leading the forefront of
this effort is the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB-College of Agriculture) located at
the campus of the University of the Philippines (Los Banos Extension) in the Garden Province of Laguna, Luzon Island. The IPB breeding program of hibiscus
was initiated in December 1994. The generation of new hybrids using locally
available garden varieties and modern cultivars from Hawaii, mainland USA, and Australia was spearheaded by Dr. Reynaldo B. Pimentel.
The first hybrids
produced were evaluated on the basis of their growth characteristics, flowers
and resistance to pests and insects. The sturdiest plants bearing the most beautiful
flowers of various colors and shades were chosen. From these, the IPB introduced
the first of a series of hybrids to the public. Work on the Centennial Series
began in 1995 and was released in 1998.
The Centennial Series of hybrids consist
of 11 cultivars, which were named after courageous heroines who struggled and
worked for the freedom and liberation of the Philippines from the yoke of foreign colonial masters.
The IPB Centennial Series hibiscus cultivars include:
Gabriela is
named after Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang a courageous firebrand of a woman who
waged and won numerous battles against Spanish colonial troops during the Philippine
Revolution of 1898. Gabriela is a medium (6”), velvety, cart-wheeled and overlapped
bright scarlet single. It is a good bloomer of medium height and exhibits an upright
growth habit. It sets seed but only during the coolest months of the year in the
Philippines, which is between November
to March of the following year.
Goria is named after Gregoria Montoya of the Province of Cavite on Luzon Island. Like Gabriela Silang, Madame Montoya
led several battles against the Spaniards. She died in the battle of Calero Bridge when hit by a cannonball from a Spanish
gunboat.
Goria is a hybrid arising from
an open-pollinated hibiscus of unknown parentage acquired by the IPB from Jose
Velasco of Kawit Cavite. It is a medium (6”) regular single; deep rose with a
striking star-like white eye zone and prominent white vein markings. Under proper
conditions, Goria is a good bloomer of medium height and bushy habit. It sets
seed but with some difficulty and mostly during cooler months of the year.
Henerala
Agueda is named after Agueda Kahabagan of the town of Sta.
Cruz of
the Garden Province of Luzon. Madame Kahabagan fought many battles
against Spanish colonial soldiers and always rode into battle dressed in white
flowing garments, armed with a rifle and a bolo, a medium-sized jungle sword.
Henerala Agueda is a medium to large (6-8”) cart-wheeled, overlapped apricot-orange
single with a deep reddish-purple eye zone. It is of medium height, a good bloomer,
and has a bushy habit. It sets seed during the cooler months of the year.
Lolay is named after Teodora Alonso fondly called
Dona Lolay, the mother of martyred Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Dona
Lolay unselfishly supported the cause of the Philippine Revolution despite misfortunes
and injustices suffered by her family from Spanish colonial authorities.
Lolay is a medium to large (5-7”)
regular single, apricot-orange with a dark, sometimes pastel-pink eye and zone.
Its of medium height, has an upright habit, a good bloomer,
and sets seed easily.
Nay Isa
is named after Teresa Magbanua who was the first woman in the island of Panay in the Visayas Region to actively fight
in the battlefield for her country’s freedom. She was fondly called Nay Isa by
her male revolutionary compatriots because of her courage and daring during battle.
Nay Isa is brilliant yellow with splashes of orange on the eye zone. It is a medium
to large (6-7”) fully overlapped single and is a prolific bloomer and seed setter
of average to tall height with an upright bushy habit.
Nazaria is
named after Nazaria Lagos who unselfishly served sick and wounded revolutionary
soldiers during the Spanish Uprising and American Insurrection periods in Philippine
history.
Nazaria is a medium (5-6”) cart-wheeled,
overlapped cerise-pink with deep red eye zone and a single. It is a good bloomer,
medium height, and exhibits a bushy growing habit. It readily sets seeds using
pollen of local garden varieties such as Rosang Ibon and H. schizopetalus.
Ningning is
named after Trinidad Tecson, also known as Henerala Ninining. She was known for
her humanitarian nursing services at the revolutionary hospital in Biak-na-bato.
Ningning is a medium to large (6-8”) orange single with overlaid yellow vein markings
and a pale pink eye zone.
Ningning is a prolific
bloomer, tall bush, and upright habit. It also sets seed easily with pollen from
local garden varieties and likes partial shade.
Marcela
is an IPB hybrid named in honor of Marcela Mariano Agoncillo. Madame Agoncillo
was responsible for making the first Philippine Flag during the revolutionary
period upon request of the President of the first Philippine Republic, Emilio
Aguinaldo, while exiled in Hong Kong.
She was assisted in this by
her eldest daughter, Lorenza, and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad. Marcela is a medium
to large (5.5-7”) bright yellow regular single with a prominent white eye, zone
and halo. It is overlapped and very prolific with good texture and a bushy habit.
It readily sets seed even during off-season.
Oryang is
named after Gregoria de Jesus, the wife of Andres Bonifacio, founder of the Katipunan.
Madame de Jesus or “Oryang” as she was fondly called,
risked her life safeguarding documents and arms caches of the Katipunan armed
forces against the Spanish Guardia Civil during the Philippine Revolution of 1898.
Oryang is a large to extra large
(8-9”) peach-orange single with a deep maroon red eye zone and yellow edges to
the petal.
Sentenarya is the last hybrid in the IPB Centennial
Series of hibiscus cultivars. It was named to honor and celebrate all those valiant
Filipinas who unselfishly devoted their lives to the cause of freedom and independence
over a hundred year (1898-1998) period.
Sentenarya is a large to extra
large (8-10”) scarlet-red single with a deep glossy red eye. It is ruffled, tufted,
overlapped, and a good bloomer of medium height with a bushy habit.
Tandang
Sora is named after Melchora Aquino, popularly known as “Tandang Sora”,
who actively supported a national revolutionary liberation movement organized
in the 1890’s called the “Katipunan”. Tandang Sora was also regarded as the “Grand
Old Woman of Balintawak” where another Philippine hero, Andres Bonifacio, openly
declared his defiance against the Spanish Colonial government in the Archipelago.
This hybrid is a medium, creamy white (4-5”) single with prominent red eye, is
a prolific bloomer, is of average height and exhibits an upright habit.
Work on the Millennium Series began in
1998 and was released in 2001. It consists of 7 cultivars named in honor of six
outstanding Filipina scientists. The seventh commemorates the passing of the old
and birth of the new millennium. These seven cultivars are showcased below.
Clare Baltazar (6”)
There are also
a handful of private individuals in the Philippines who dabble in hybridizing
hibiscus, the more notable being Pepito Cesario whose efforts match those of the
Institute of Plant Breeding in that his breeding programs invariably include use
of traditional garden varieties as pod or pollen parents. Some of his numerous
but unnamed hybrids are showcased hereunder.
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JPC-019
Seedling
(5.5-6") |
