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Understudied Plants

List of understudied plants

This list was created in response to many inquiries from young researchers asking for a listing of understudied Philippine medicinal plants. Many are indigenous plants; some are plants in limited distribution in Southeast Asian countries—little studied, their record of folkloric medicinal uses slowly disappearing with the dying culture of albularyos and alternative healers, the sway of prescription phamaceuticals, and the continued denigration of herbal medicinal plants by physicians.


Abuab / Lophopetalum toxicum
Adlabong / Wild tobacco
Agi / Red-stem fig
Agubangbang / Chandelier medinilla
Agusais / Palm grass
Alambrillong-gubat
/ Tailed maidenhair
Alasan / Arytera litoralis
Alibungog
/ Ehretia philippinensis
Aligbangon / Climbing flower cup / Floscopa scandens
Alimomog / Ehretia naves
Alinang / Rice flatsedge
Alolokdo / Rough sword fern
Ambal / Pycnarrhena malinensis
American brunfelsia / Lady of the night
American Maidenhair fern
Amudil / Galigiuan / Paratrophis glabra
Amugis
Anahaw / Fan palm
Anayop
Anilau babae / Brown kurrajong
Antipolo

Apunan / Diospyros cauliflora
Apulid-gapang
Apurau / Bulrush
Arangen / Lulibas / Scaly ash
Asian rosewood / Dalbergia cochinchinensis
Asi-asiman / Aganope heptaphylla
Asparagus fern / Ornamental asparagus
Atibulnak / Rubus pectinellus
Ayo / Terastigma harmandii
Azuki / Wild pea / Leptospron adenanthum
Badok / Cudweed
Bagauak-na-puti / Tube flower
Bagauak / Fireworks
Bagawak / Toothed philodendron
Baging-baging / Little bell morning glory
Baging-galapok
Bahai / Horse-eye beans
Bangkunai / Agosip / Symplocos fasciculata
Bagnang-pula
Baki-baki / Small-flowered umbrella sedge
Bakit / Smut grass
Bakwit / Tropical cupgrass
Balatbat-bilog / Round-leaved licuala palm
Baleteng-kapalan / Collared fig
Baleting-bato / Dye fig
Balikbikan / Drypeters longifolia
Balinghasay / Satinwood tree
Balu / Cordia fragrantissima
Bamban / Common donax
Bamboo ginger / Luyang itim?
Banag / Sarsaparilla vine
Bangisi /Aristolochia sericea
Banot / Flame vine bauhinia
Barau-barau / Tall chloranthus
Barsik / Kanada
Batukanag / Aglaia smithii
Bayangbang / Rough sword fern
Bayas / Thorny palm
Bayating / Tinomiscium philippinense
Betis / Madhuca betis
Bialata / Silver grey wood
Bignay-hapon
Bikal-boboi
Biniuang / Clerodendrum bethuneanum
Binoloan / Lahi-lahi / Syzygium acuminatissimum
Bird of paradise / Crane flower
Botgo / Viscum ovalifoliuk
Bogto / Poring bamboo
Bolongeta / Ebony tree
Botgo / White fig
Boto / Beach napauka
Brown salwood / Golded flower salwood
Brunfelsia / Lady of the night
Buradgis / Pear mangosteen
Burma kamonoi / Diospyros ehretioides
Bulakan / Merremia
Butong-manok / Botong / Villaria odorata
Caqui / Kauki
Chang-bato / Kilwar
Chestnut tree / Money tree
Climbing bird’s nest fern / Microsorum punctatum
Clock vine / Brick & butter tree
Crabgrass / Digitania sanguinalis
Cosmos / Cosmos sulphurous
Curaua / Wild pineapple
Dalaw / Danglin / Grewia multiflora
Danun / Tetrastigma papillosum
Dao / Pacific walnut
Dapo-sa-boho / Ant plant
Dikai / Embelia philippinensis
Dikit-dikit (Ticktree)
Dilang-usa / Camel bush
Drooping knotweed / Polygonum pubescens
Dudoa / Hydnocarpus alcalae
Dugyan / Red durian
Duklitan / Planchonella duclitan
Dumalio / Bat's wing fern / Histiopteris incisa
Dungon-late / Looking glass tree
Edkoyan / Gutta percha tree
Estrella / Isotoma longiflora
Falcata / Moluccan albizia
Galamai-amo / Schefflera insularum
Galo / Anacolosa frutescens
Garlic vine / False garlic
Gatbo / Hardy sugarcane
Golden candle / Lollypops
Gubas / Sesendok / Endospermum peltatum
Guyong-guyong / Cratoxylum sumatranum sbsp. blancoi
Hagimit / Cluster fig tree
Hairy okra / Abelmoschus crinitus
Halimukon / Mexican rubber tree / Uletree
Hamindang / Macaranga aleuritoides
Hedyotis costata
Hetero / Spanish clover
Ipil / ironwood
Is-is / Sandpaper leaf
Kabkab / Drynaria sparsisora
Kabung / Prunus arborea
Kalagimay / Karagumoy / Pandanus simplex
Kalantas / Philippine cedar
Kalay
/ Platymitra arborea
Kalimutain / Mossman mahogany
Kaliñgag / Kalingag tree
Kaliskis-ahas / Snake skin fern
Kalukoi / Hard fig
Kalumpit / Damson plum
Kamandis / Garcinia rubra
Kamingi / Philippine santan / Ixora philippinensis
Kanarem / Malayan ebody
Kansulud / Iloilo / Silver boodyara
Kanumai
Kapa-kapa / Philippine orchid tree
Karamiras / Bayanti
Kariskis / Indian albizia
Kasopangil / Bleeding heart
Kasopangil-na-puti / Velvet glorybower
Kato / Pacific maple
Katong-matsing / Chisocheton pentandrus
Kayali / Sweet bamboo
Kitkitli / Golden star grass
Kobi / Artocarpus xanthocarpus
Kolasi / Dove weed
Korokorosan / Swollen fingergrass
Kubi / Artocarpus nitidus
Kuela / Malayan spindle tee / Bhesa paniculata
Kulangan / Tylophora perrottetiana
Lagdangang-bibit
Lago / Tanga-tanga / Pruneus grisea
Lanete / Wrightia pubescens
Langarai / Small flower bruguiera
Lauan-pula / Red lauan
Lauan-puti / White lauan
Ligam / Asiatic bellflower
Lingaro / Milla-milla vine / Elaeagnus triflora
Lilyturf / Monkey grass
Lipso / Limpaong / Mulu apple tree
Lopong / Vidal's rhododendron
Lubeg / Philippine cherry  
Lusong / Vaccinium barandanum
Madre de agua / Nacedero
Magdadakan / Genie's tongue
Makahiang-lalaki / Giant sensitive plant
Mala / Fairy petticoat
Malabatino
Malabato / False buckwheat
Malabayabas / Sulipa pseudopsidium
Malagaitmon / Diospyros curranii
Malais-is / Burney vine
Malakabuan / False olive
Malakaturai / Golden shower
Malalubigan / Mapania cuspidata
Malanangka / Parartocarpus venenosa
Malapangit / Philippine teak
Malapapaya / Polyscias nodosa
Malasapsap / Acalypha caturus
Malatapai / Alangi
Malatibig / Cluster fig
Malay-palay / Chinese sprangletop
Malibayo / Trincomalee tree
Mali-mali / Leea aculeata
Mamalis / cheesewood
Mamana / Lalapau / Hypserpa nitida
Manggasinoro / Damar / White meranti
Mangilang / Flat sedge
Mangkono / Philippine ironwood
Mani-manian / Golden glory
Mararing / Xanthophyllum amoenum
Maslakot-ambulong / Bogus
Melon-daga / Mouse cucumber
Miagos / Green aralia
Monstera / Swiss chees plant
Ngamey / Orange wild rhea
Nito / Red finger fern
Paho / Pahutan mango
Pait / Ilex cymosa
Pakong payong / Broad-leaf fern
Pakpak-lawin na babae (Large-leaeved spleenwort)
Palaspas / Kelumbau
Palaypay / Pointed-tip mangrove fern
Palosapis
Panagulingon / Cratoxylum celebicum
Pandan-luzon / Pandanus luzonensis
Pasaw na hapay / Water primrose
Patalsik / Silky myrtle
Payapa / Hairy fig
Posuka / OaTylophora brevipes
Pakpak-lauin na babae / Large-leaved spleenwort
Panglomboien / Syzygium simile
Patolang-gubat / Trichosanthes quinquangulata
Payau / Homalomena philippinensis
Payung-payungan / Tacca palmata
Peruvian apple (Queen of the night)
Pinog yupar / Basket fern
Pitogong-dagat / Sea cycad
Porcelain berry / Wild grape
Pride of Burma / Flame amherstia
Purple milletia / Chittagong-balok (?)
Purple scalystem / Elytraria umbricata
Ragsik / Bastard rukam / Aporosa frutescens
Rain lily / Zephyranthes rosea
Ribbon fern / Ophioglossum pendulum
Sabi / indian cress
Salab
Salagong-gubat / Phaleria jack
Salasik-lupa / False buttonweed / Hedyotis verticillata
Salimai / Robust helicia
Salong / Manila copal
Salumget
Sambong-gala / Pterocaulon redolens
Sampinit / Ziziphus horsfieldii
Samsamon / Kangaroo grass
Sanggumay / Purple rain
Sapnit / Caesalpinia latisiliqua
Sapote / Ebony persimmon
Sara-sara / Strophanthus caudatus
Sarsaparillang-puti
Sasahit / Toothed-leaf gomphia
Sibakong
Sidit / Helmet flower
Siit / Cat's claw
Sipritsi / Seifriz's palm
Sitaw / Yardlong cowpea
Soldier's orchid
Stephania / Stephania merrillii
Subiang / Bridelia insulana / Grey birch
Sugsuggat / Chinese photinia
Suliak-daga /
Supa / Kerosene tree
Suso-susoyan / rattle box / Crotalaria quinquefolia
Susulin / Dolo / Aidia racemosa
Tairas / Sweet spurge
Talig-harap / Mussaenda anisophylla
Talimughat / Grewia laevigata
Talimughat taas / Friesodielsia lanceolata
Taluto / Bellflower sterculia / Pterocymbium tinctorium
Tambal / Cardwell lily
Tangalo / Calappa palm
Tanghas / Myristica simiarum
Tangisang-bayauak / Red stem fig
Taboan / Bakong / Knob-fruited screwpine
Talipot / Talipot palm
Tarambulo / Solanum ferox / Hairy-fruited eggplant
Taraw / Taraw palm
Tawa-tawa / Grammatophyllum scriptum / Bell orchid)
Tayabak / Jade vine / Emerald vine
Tikus / Globular fimbristylis
Tokbray / Blumeodendron tokbrai
Toog / Philippine rosewood
Tribulus / Puncture vine
Tubang-dalag / Beauty berry
Tula-tula / Blue blade / Mallotus floribundus
Usiu / Zigzag bamboo / Dinochloa scandens
Utong / Nipple plant
Uyok / Saurauia elegans
Yellow ginger / Wild ginger / Hedychium flavescens
Wax flower / Hoya melifluaginger
Zamioculcas / ZZ Plant
Zinnia / Zinnia elegans

 

HBG: The Herbanext Botanical Garden maintains a collection of over 250 medicinal plants and species accessions available for student researchers. The collection includes native, endemic, and introduced species with known traditional medicinal use. HBG only sells powdered herbs and not live plants. Check out the HBG site. Email: info@herbanext.com

                                          New plant names needed
The compilation now numbers over 1,400 medicinal plants. While I believe there are hundreds more that can be added to the collection, they are becoming more difficult to find. If you know of a medicinal plant, native or introduced, to suggest for addition to the compilation, please email the info: local plant name (if known), any known folkloric medicinal use, scientific name (most helpful), and, if possible, a photo. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
© Godofredo U. Stuart Jr., M.D. / StuartXchange

Last updated March 2024
October 2018


                                                            List of Understudied Philippine Medicinal Plants

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