Ethnobotany of Conifers in the Philippines

Abstract

Gymnosperms are a few of the groups of plants that are often neglected. Primary and secondary literature have been consulted to establish listings of the recognized gymnosperms in the Philippines. About seven known gymnosperm families and thirteen genera of conifers are found in the Philippines. To wit, two genera from Araucariaceae, one genus from Cycadaceae, one from Gnetaceae, one from Pinaceae, six from Podocarpaceae, one from Phyllocladaceae, and one from Taxaceae. Agathis dammara (Lamb.) Poir. And Agathis philippinensis Warb. (Araucariaceae), Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon and Pinus merkusii Jungh. & de Vriese (Pinaceae), Gnetum gnemon L. and Gnetum latifolium Blume. (Gnetaceae), Dacrycarpus imbricatus (Blume) de Laub., Podocarpus macrocarpus de Laub. and Sundacarpus amarus (Blume) C. N. Page (Podocarpaceae) and Phyllocladus hypophyllus Hook.f. (Phyllocladaceae) are gymnosperms documented with ethnobotanical knowledge. Other species warrant further research on their economic value and must be explored. The conservation status of these conifers should be known to all.