The panorama on the sunrise side: an awesome view of Malarayat

The quiet panorama on the sunrise side of the farm: an awesome view of Mount Malaráyat and the river below the gap.

21 September 2011

Has Anyone Heard of Caitana?


I was invited to contribute brief articles for a book about native Philippine trees and I wanted to write about one of my most favorite, which I fortunately have in the farm; right by the edge where the land suddenly drops into the gap. The locals call it caitána (sp? possibly kahitána), but much as I try,  could not find any more information about it except my file photos and the name by which the locals call it.


Just like most trees, it sheds leaves during the dry months then sometime during the vernal equinox, the flowers appear for around two weeks (top photo) before it starts to bring forth leaves. For months, it will have a lush crown (it is the same tree on the blog's header above) before it repeats the entire cycle again around January.

It has a slender, erect trunk with a smooth and whitish bark and random white spots. I'm pretty sure it is a native tree, it grows alongside other local flora like lipâ, muláwin, baléte, and alagáo.

I've tried googling but it didn't yield any result. I've forwarded photos to pretty knowledgeable people but to no avail. Does anyone recognize it? Would appreciate any help!

3 comments:

  1. will forward to Phil Native Plants Society Inc --cheers Beth

    ReplyDelete
  2. The genus Zanthoxylum (family Rutaceae)
    Kaitana
    (Zanthoxylum limonella
    (Dennst.) Alston)

    ReplyDelete