Here is a canna lily with relatively small flowers. I think the green balls make it up for the small flowers.

Photographed with a VG-110 Olympus Camera.

Trees: Madre de cacao, gliricidia sepium

Unfortunate that the soil in DSB in my sister's farm is acidic! But madre de cacao is a legume tree which thrives in acidic soild and is useful to prevent soil erosion!


The following photos of flowering madre-de-cacaos are from Patag,Silay.



The following photos were taken at Salvador Benedicto.

I havent seen them (Salvador Benedicto specimens) flower, but I hope to photograph that when that happens.

Plant	Plantae/Angiosperms|Eudicots|Rosids/Fabales/Fabaceae/Gliricidia sepium
Common name	Kakawate, madre de cacao,St. Vincent plum
Location	Negros Occidental, Philippines
Camera	Nokia C3 camera phone
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Reference	wikipedia,

Impatiens, a lucky orange-white hybrid

Here is a nice impatience flower, white with a orange splash. It probably is a a crossbred and the result is very nice to look at!

Plant	Ericales/Balsaminaceae/Impatiens wallerana
Common name	Impatiens
Location	Negros Occidental, Philippines
Camera	Nokia C3, 2 Meg phone camera
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia

plant: calanus cajan, kadyos or pigeon pea

Plant	Fabales/Fabaceae/Cajanus cajan
Common name	Kadyos, kalios, pigeon pea
Location	Negros Occidental, Philippines
camera	Olympus VG-110
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Reference	wikipedia, stuartxchange

Canlaon City's famous Lunok Millenium tree

We visited Canlaon City pride: a very old fig or Lunok (balete) tree located in OISCA farms. The tree has no aerial roots.

The Millenium tree has been dated by Silliman University botanists to be 1328 years old!

I need to rotate the photo: the ground is not horizontal! Will fix this later.

August 12, 2013. Here is a result obtained from Shotwell straighten tool.

Hair plant, Moses beard, Spanish moss, tillandsia usnoedis

Plant	Poales/Bromeliaceae/Tillandsia(Diaphoranthema) usneoides
Common name	Moses beard, long moss, Spanish moss, hair or air plant, Old Man's beard, Moses beard, buhok ni Ester
Location	Australia
Camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker
Reference	Wikipedia, Stuartxchange

Image owned by Susan Estrope Dicker. Published with permission in this blog.

Two loving Australian Galah birds.

From our australian friend, here is an "amusing" and "touching" photo caught by Susan near her house with her Panasonic camera.

Bird	Psittaciformes/Cacatuoidea-Cacatuidae-Cacatuinae-Cacatuini/Eolophus roseicapilla
Common Name	Rose breasted Australian Cockatoo
Location	Australia
Camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker
Reference	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah
Album	Facebook

Image owned by Susan Estrope Dicker. Published with persmission.

Plant: Chinese croton, Excoecaria Cochinchinensi

This is an attractive plant for its fiolage, the undersides of the leaves being deep maroon colored with topsides of the leaves a dark green color or variegated.

Plant	Excoecaria Cochinchinensi
Common Name	Blindness tree, Chinese croton
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia

Plant : firestorm hedge, acalypha godseffiana

Above is a cropped image of S.E. Dicker's original photo.

The name above is my best guess, the second choice is a variety of Excoecaria Cochinchinensi.

Name	acalypha godseffiana
Common name	firestorm, copperleaf, beefsteak, Fire dragon, Jacobs coat,
Location	Australia
Camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan E. Dicker
Reference	toptropicals.com

Image owned and copyright by Susan Estrope Dicker, published with permission.

Plant: Equisitum Arvense, horse tail, scouring rush, snake grass

I call this false bamboo immediately, but my gardener sis calls it snake grass.

Name	Equisitum Arvense
Common Name	horse tail, scouring rush, snake grass
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Location	Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Gardener	Rebecca Adorio
Acknowledgement	Rebecca Adorio(snake grass common name)
Reference	Stuart Xchange, Wikipedia
Album	Facebook

I am surprised the photos in Wikipedia and Stuart Xchange do not match! I wonder if there is a misidentification, but we choose Stuartxhange since it is Philippine based reference.

white-peach camia, Hedychium philippinense var.

This camia variety differs from the common white Hedychium coronarium in its peach color. The flower scent is subtle, not as strong as the white variety. I photographed this fine camia specimen in my sister's decorative garden.

Name	Zingiberales/Zingiberaceae/Hedychium coronarium|philipense
Common Name	Camia, philippine garland
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Location	Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Acknowledgment	Rebecca Adorio(garden), Dr. Romana de los Reyes(common name)
Reference	http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kamia.html
Album	Facebook

Flower: Clerondendrum incisum, "musical note" flower

I saw this plant at my sister's decorative garden. The flowers are shaped like musical notes and that is the common name. It was heartwarming for me to hear that my sis told me that our late mother has this planted long time ago.

Name	Verbenaceae/Clerondendrum Incisum, Rotheca incisa | Family: Lamiaceae |Clerodendrum macrosiphon/td>
Common name	Do-Re-Mi Flower, Musical Note Plant, Morning Kiss, Witches Tongue, Macrosiphon
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Location	Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Album	Facebook
Acknowledgement	Rebecca Adorio(common name)

Zinnia

Here is one photo from my album taken before I went home to Bacolod for needed rest and recreation.

Plant	Asterales/Asteraceae-Asteroideae/(tribe)Heliantheae/Zinnia
Location	U.P. College of Mass Communication, Diliman, Quezon City.
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	wikipedia
Album	Facebook

climbing dayflower vine, Commelina difusa

These "weedlike" plants have beautiful blue colored flowers!

I read this plant is fed to pigs in the Philippines. In China it is used as a dye for painting, but in New Guinea, the young leaf tips are eaten!(See wikipedia).

Plant	Commelinales/Commelinaceae-Commelinoideae/Commelina difusa
Common Name	pig weed, climbing or creeping dayflower
Location	Australia
Camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker
Reference	Stuart Xchange, Wikipedia

Photo owned and copyright by Susan E. Dicker, published in this blog with permission.

Rangoon creeper , quisqualis indica

Plant	Myrtales/Combretaceae/Quisqualis Indica
Common Names	niyog-niyogan, Rangoon creeper,(yesterday, today and tomorrow), Chinese honeysuckle.
Location	Australia
camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker
Reference	sturtxchange wikipedia

Photograph owned and copyright by Susan Estrope Dicker, published with permission in this blog.

Annato, achuete: a source of natural food colors!

I remember my late mother and my sisters used to pry open the fruits and pry the seeds of this plant back home in Sum-ag, Bacolod in the olden times, and she used the seeds in cooking. So I was puzzed by the familiarity of the fruits, but seeing the flowers felt the first time again.

Here is a specimen from Diliman, Quezon City. When I came back to Bacolod, I saw more than one annato shrub along the highway to DSB town, in Negros Occidental high up in the mountains.

Plant	Biloxi Orellana
Common name	Annato, achuete
Location	Besides CHED, CP Garcia St, Diliman, Quezon City
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia, Stuart Exchange
Album	Facebook album by Dr. Ernesto Adorio

Tree, Acacia Auriculiformis

I dont exactly know what species of acacia is this, but I love the flowers and wanted to post this photo to remind me of the scientific name someday. Someone gave the initial guess as Acacia melanoxylon, but I am guessing now it is a Acacia holocericea by comparing the leaves in the second reference. Will revise this post later.

This tree has found plenty of uses: tanning, source tree for wood and charcoal, and as a medicinal analgesic.

Plant, Tree	Angiosperms|Eudicots|Rosids/Fabales/Fabaceae/Acacia Auriculiformis
Common Name	Acacia
Location	Philcoa
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia:Acacia fairhill.com.au: Acacias
Acknowledgment	gcy of PNPCI(identification as an acacia.)

Note: November 28, 2012. We have revised the ID of this acacia. The photo at Wikipedia Acacia Auriculiformis is the best match so far.

Scadoxus(Haemanthus) multiflorus, blood lily

It seems like an alien plant to first timers who see it and they look like corals transferred to land. This plant is native to Africa and belongs to the Amaryllis family.









Our specimen plant has late stage bloom flowers. I can see the green seeds forming already.

Plant	Asparagales/Amaryllidaceae-Amaryllidoideae/Scadoxus Multiflorus
Common Name	Blood lily, powder-puff lily, African blood lily, fire-ball lily, and football lily
Location	Bacolod City, Negros Occdental
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	csmonitor.com

Amethyst Brown-Dove, Phapitreron amethystina

I caught this bird on my Olympus cam last October 16 near noon. I think it is a wild dove, but I am not sure. It has a distinctive white ear line.

I googled for Negros brown dove and I found this link. This is my best guess so far. The second best guess is Phapitreron leucotis but I cannot see the white breast and bluish tinge at the back of the head. I am willing to be corrected.

Bird	Phapitreron amethystina
Common Name	Amethyt Brown dove
Location	Sum-ag, Bacolod City
Camera	Olympus VG-110
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	birdingphilippines.com

Trees: a native! Katmon, philipinenses

This beautiful flower belongs to a Katmon tree scientfic name Dillenia philippinensis.
I found a single flower on top, and gcy of PNPCI(Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Inc.) recognized it soon after. It is high atop the tree, and the 18x superzoom of the Samsung helps in capturing the beauty of the very large flower.

The fruits are actually edible, and also used as souring agent in Philippines cuisine.

Visited the tree this July 20, 2013. It is still there...




Here is a much clearer photo with vibrant colors of the Katmon from Reuel Aguila, taken at Polilio Island and posted in Facebook group, Pinoy Garden Photography Worldwide. (Linked with permission).

Plant	Dillenia Indica Blanco, aka Dillenia philippinensis
Common name	Katmon, Catmon, elephant flower plant
Location	University Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Camera	Samsung WB150F(first photo), Fujifilm HS25EXR(second set)
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Reference	Stuart Xchange Wikipedia
Acknowledgement	gcy of PNPCI.

Birds: Not a Common brown Shrike, Lanius cristatus, but the common Yellow Vented Bulbul!

I first thought this was a shrike but this bird is a yellow vented bulbul.

Here ia an enhanced version, with slight magnification, using the built-in editing tools in the camera itself!

Bird	Lanius Cristatus (superciliosus?) Yellow vented bulbul
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Location	University Avenue, University of the Philippines,
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Acknowledgement	B (Identification as bulbul); Daniel Adorio (post image processing in photo #2)
Reference	Wikipedia

Passer montanus, eurasian tree sparrow #2

This is the second post about the common Eurasian tree sparrow or maya-bahay. I did not want to add a new photo to the first post. This photo here is so much clearer, since it was shot very nearby at Philcoa.

Photo taken using a Samsung WB150F digital camera at Philcoa Bliss. More photos in
our Facebook album.

Codiaeum variegatum pictum, joseph's coat

They look like colorful dumb canes but they are variegated "garden crotons". They have broad leaves in general. This specimen has a colorful red central vein and I could not find an exact match in google images, but that is my best guess. An interesting discovery is that the "garden crotons" is differentiated from the other crotons, they do belong to the same family.

Our specimen is in our neighboring building near Philcoa, it looks like a dumb cane but almost all dumb cane photos I saw in the net are all green with splotches of white or silver. Nothing with red colors.

Plant	Malpighiales/Euphorbiaceae/Codiaeum variegatum pictum
Common Name	Joseph's coat, garden croton
Location	Philcoa Bliss, Diliman
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia
Acknowldgment	Hermie Siroy(identification as codiaeum)

Trees: Ficus benjamina, weeping fig

It is not too difficult to recognize the ficus benjamina. The shape of the leaves makes an easy identification.

Plant	Rosales/Moraceae-Ficeae/Ficus-Conosycea benjamina /ficus benjamina
Common name	Weeping fig, weeping laurel, benhamin's fig
Location	Philcoa,Diliman, QC.
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Album	Facebook
Reference	Wikipedia

Ruella Simplex (brittoniana), wild petunia

The ID is wrong. Please visit the new link Tabebuia Rosea.

I found this growing in Quezon Memorial Circle, and the other even nearer, in Philcoa! Googling for best matching image result in Mexican Petunia dwarf ruella brittonia katie, but this one is a small tree, higher than 6 feet, not a ground cover!

This plant have become an invasive species in Florida.

Plant/flower	Lamiales/Acanthaceae/Ruellia Simplex (brittoniana "pink")
Common Names	Mexican petunia, Common ruellia, Wild petunia
Location	Quezon Memorial Circle and Philcoa, Diliman
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Albums	Facebook 1, Facebook 2
Reference	Wikipedia

A night scene, waiting for a ride

I shot this yesterday and I am fine with the Samsung WB150F capabilities. It offers higher resolution and sensitivity than my Olympus VG-110.

Shot with a Samwung WB150F at Philcoa, Diliman, Quezon City by Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio.
All rights reserved.

This stunning flower photo oozes with fertile imagination. It literally drips with water drop goodness and the blushing areolas gives it more seductive powers.

I still have to identify this. I would be happy to acknowledge the first one to identify this.


Photo owned and copyright by Susan Estrope Dicker of Australia. Published with permission.

A beautiful pink Australian rose

I am not a woman but I like to see beautiful flowers! Her is a stunning photo from my amazing Australian friend.

Plant/Flower	Rose
Camera	Panasonic Lumix S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker

Image owned and copyright by Susan Estrope Dicker. Published with permission.

Ficus religiosa

I have seen more than once, very wide plant leaves with a tapering long point, but it is only now that I know the name: ficus religiosa. This specimen actually grows around a low cut trunk of a about a foot in diameter in Philcoa, Diliman, Quezon City. No one will ever forget the name after knowing it!

I will try to find a full tree with flowers or fruits, right now I am focusing on its entrancing leaves.

Plant	Rosales/Moraceae/Ficus religiosa
Location	Philcoa, Diliman, Quezon City
Camera	Samsung WB150F
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto Adorio
Reference	Wikipedia

A daylily, hemerocallis sp.

So many daylily cultivars! The plant genus is hemerocallis and I could not find a photo matching the following photo by Susan Estrope Dicker from Australia.

Plant	Hemerocallis sp.
Common Name	Red Day lily
Location	NSW, Australia
Camera	Panasonic Lumix, S3
Photographer	Susan Estrope Dicker
Reference	Wikipedia

Photograph owned and copyright by Susan Estrope Dicker, published with permission in this blog.

Heliconia Psittacorum

Their look like colorful small bananas. Though they were formerly classified under the family Musaceae which include bananas, they are now listed under the separate family of Heliconiaceae..

Here is another I found in Teacher's village.

Here are new photos of heliconias taken at QC Memorial cicle with my Hs25EXR camera.



Here is a bright orange specimen I took with my HS25EXR camera in Paradise Ranch in Pampanga.

Plant	Zingiberales/Heliconiaceae/Heliconia H. psittacorum
Common Name	Parrot's Beak, Parakeet Flower, Parrot's Flower, Parrot's Plantain, False Bird-Of-Paradise)
Location	Sta. Maria, Bulacan(fist photo), Diliman(second photo)
Camera	Olympus VG-110(first photo), Samsung WB150F(2nd photo)
Photographer	Dr. Ernesto P. Adorio
Reference	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconia_psittacorum
Related	heliconia latisplatha