The firewood in common use as fuel, in great demand, and known as Raja de Tan͠gal, is the Rhizophora longissima. It is also useful for fencing, roof-framing, etc. Another well-known firewood is the Rhizophora gynnorhiza (Tagálog, Bacaúan). Lan͠gary is also used as firewood of an inferior quality. They are swamp-trees.
The species Pteclobyum gives the “Locust-bean,” as sold at every little sweetmeat shop in London. This tree (when raised on or transplanted to highlands) may be called the friend of the coffee-plant, for it opens its leaves in the sunshine to shade it and closes them when rain is about to fall, so that the coffee-plant may be refreshed by the water. Also, at night, it closes its leaves to give the coffee-plant the benefit of the dew. Another peculiar feature is that the branches lopped off for household fuel can, when barked, be used at once, without needing to be dried or seasoned. Its natural habitat is the mangrove swamp, and the trunk and root give market fuel.
Colot-colotán, or Manquit, is the Tagálog name given to the Chrysopogon aciculatus, Trin. (Spanish, Amor seco)—the little particles like pointed grass-seeds which stick to oneʼs trousers or skirt when crossing an uncultivated field and can only be removed by picking them out one by one.
The Tagálog affix aso, to the name of a botanical specimen, means pseudo, i.e. not the genuine species; v.g., Síncamas is the Decandria—Pachyrhizus angulatus (vide p. [321]), whereas Sincamas-aso is the D.—Pachyrhizus montanus.
Many places take their names from trees and plants, v.g.:—
| Antipolo | (Rizal) | a tree. |
| Bauang | (Batangas) | garlic. |
| Bulacan | (Bulacan) | a tree. |
| Cápas | (Pangasinán) | the cotton-tree (Igorrote dialect). |
| Camagon Is. | a tree. | |
| Cabuyao | (Laguna) | a tree. |
| Calumpit | (Bulacan) | a tree. |
| Culasi | (Antique) | a tree. |
| Iba | (Zambales) | a plant. |
| Lucbang | (Tayabas) | a small lime. |
| Lipa | (Batangas) | nettle. |
| Quiapo | (Manila suburb) | an aquatic plant. |
| Sampáloc | (Manila suburb) | the tamarind-tree. |
| Salomague | (Ilocos) | the tamarind-tree. (Igorrote dialect). |
| Tabaco | (Albay) | the tobacco-plant. |
| Taal | (Batangas) | a tree (same as Ipil). |
| Talisay | (Batangas) | a tree. |
Medicinal Herbs, Roots, Leaves, and Barks abound everywhere. Nature provides ample remedies for dysenteric, strumatic, scorbutic, and many other diseases. An extensive work on the subject was compiled by Ignacio de Mercado, the son of a Spanish Creole father and Tagálog mother, born in 1648 at Parañaque, seven miles from Manila. He was parish priest in Lipa in 1674, and subsequently held several other incumbencies up to his death, which took place in Bauang (Batangas) on March 29, 1698. His MS. passed from the pharmacy of one religious corporation to another to be copied, and for over a century after the British occupation of Manila (1762–63) it was supposed to be lost. Finally, in 1876, it was discovered by Don Domingo Vidal y Soler, who gave it to the Augustine friars for publication, but I am not aware that it was ever printed. According to Manuel Blanco, Ignacio de Mercadoʼs MS. describes 483 medicinal specimens, and attached to the description are 171 coloured sketches of medicinal plants, leaves, woods, and barks, and also 35 coloured sketches of plants, etc., without any description of their medicinal properties. The only one of these remedies which I have had occasion to test on myself is Tagulaúay Oil, extracted from the leaves of the plant called in Tagálog Tan͠gantan͠gan. It is an excellent styptic.
Ylang-Ylang (Anona odoratissima, Blanco; Cananga odorata, Hook) and Champaca (Michelia champaca, Linn.) yield odoriferous essential oils, and these fine perfumes are, especially the former, exported to foreign countries. The export of Ylang-Ylang in the years 1902 and 1903 amounted to 3,949 and 5,942 gallons respectively.
[1] “Hist. de Filipinas,” by Gaspar de San Agustin. MS. in the Convento de San Agustin, Manila. The date of the introduction of cacao into these Islands is confirmed by Juan de la Concepcion in his “Hist. General de Philipinas,” Vol. IX. p. 150. Published in 14 vols., Manila, 1788.