Biodiversity Capiz: Pueblo Wild Flowers

My daughter loves flowers specially wild uncultured ones and she has a keen eye on spotting it and capturing its inherent beauty then shows it to us in a whole new perspective.

" keep parts of your garden untilled so that grass and wild flowers may come up on their own and talk to us of God."
- St. Francis of Assisi , Patron Saint of Ecology

Flower of a White Hog vine.

^{Pink Plumed Cockscomb}

^{Wild Creeping Daisy}

Mimosa is a genus of about 400 species of herbs and shrubs, in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word μιμος (mimos), meaning "mimic."
There are two species in the genus that are notable. One is Mimosa pudica, because of the way it folds its leaves when touched or exposed to heat. It is native to southern Central and South America but is widely cultivated elsewhere for its curiosity value, both as a houseplant in temperate areas, and outdoors in the tropics. Outdoor cultivation has led to weedy invasion in some areas, notably Hawaii. The other is Mimosa tenuiflora, which is best known for its use in shamanic ayahuasca brews due to the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine found in its root bark

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the genus Mimosa has had a tortuous history, having gone through periods of splitting and lumping, ultimately accumulating over 3,000 names, many of which have either been synonymized under other species or transferred to other genera. In part due to these changing circumscriptions, the name "Mimosa" has also been applied to several other related species with similar pinnate or bipinnate leaves, but are now classified in other genera, most commonly to Albizia julibrissin (silk tree) and Acacia dealbata (wattle).

Coat Button Flower

Wild bush with Cotton Stainer bugs.

Pinto Peanut
Actually Pinto peanut is not a wild flower it is an introduced species of ornamental plant, planted at the center island of the 6 lanes main road of Pueblo de Panay.

Lantana Camara

Lantana camara, also known as Spanish Flag or West Indian Lantana or LAVA, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics. It has been introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is considered an invasive species in many tropical and sub-tropical areas.
L. camara is sometimes known as "Red (Yellow, Wild) Sage", despite its classification in a separate family from sage (Lamiaceae), and a different order from sagebrush (Asterales).

Toxicity

West Indian Lantana has been reported to make animals ill after ingestion.The pentacyclic triterpenoids its foliage contains cause hepatotoxicity and photosensitivity in grazing animals such as sheep, goats, bovines, and horses. Livestock foraging on the plant has led to widespread losses in the United States, South Africa, India, Mexico, and Australia. The berries are edible when ripe Ingestion of L. camara (including unripe berries) is not associated with significant human toxicity. Nevertheless, Teuscher, Lindequist states that the symptoms of its poisoning are similar to Atropa belladonna's one.

L. camara is an invasive species and has covered large areas in India, Australia and much of Africa. It colonizes new areas when its seeds are dispersed by birds. Once it reaches an area, L. camara spreads quickly. It coppices so well, that efforts to eradicate it have completely failed. It is resistant to fire, and quickly grows in and colonizes burnt areas. It has become a serious obstacle to the natural regeneration of important native species including the Saal Tree (Shorea robusta) in Southeast Asia, as well as plants in 22 other countries. In greenhouses, L. camara is notorious for attracting whitefly. In India they bear fruit all year round and this appears to have an impact on bird communities.
While considered a pest in Australia, it shelters several native marsupial species from predators, and offers a habitat for the vulnerable Exoneura native bee, which nests in the hollow stems of the plant.
L. camara has been listed as a Category One "Invasive Toxic Species" in Florida by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, and has become a problem in Texas and Hawaii.

Uses

Some communities have found alternate uses for West Indian Lantana, as it is difficult to eradicate. Some household furniture, such as tables and chairs are made from the stalks, or the small branches are bundled together to make brooms.

Medicinal

The methanolic extract of Lantana camara leaves shown healing of gastric ulcers and also prevents development of duodenal ulcers in rats. Extracts of the fresh leaves are antibacterial and are traditionally used in Brazil as an antipyretic, carminative and in the treatment of respiratory system infections

Ornamental

West Indian Lantana has become popular in gardens for its hardy nature. It is not affected by pests or disease, has low water requirements, and is tolerant of extreme heat. It is a favorite species of butterflies, and used in butterfly gardens in the United States^. Wild species may have short, hooked prickles. Lantana cultivars favored as ornamentals tend to have small herbaceous stems.
Examples of cultivated varieties include 'Bandana'.

Golden Candle Bush

This plant attracts or a hostplant of several butterflies like African Migrant, Grass Yellow, Emerald Emigrant, Cloudy Sulphor, Mottled Sulphur and Cloudless Sulphur.

Senna alata, the Golden Candle Bush, is an important medicinal tree as well as an ornamental flowering plants in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It also known as a Candelabra Bush, Empress Candle Plant, Ringworm Tree or "candletree". A remarkable species of Senna, it was sometimes separated in its own genus, Herpetica
Senna alata is native to Mexico, and can be found in diverse habitats. In the tropics it grows up to an altitude of 1,200 meters. It is an invasive species in Austronesia. In Sri Lanka this is use an ingredient of Sinhala traditional medicine.
The shrub stands 3–4 m tall, with leaves 50–80 cm long. The inflorescence looks like a yellow candle. The fruit shaped like a straight pod is up to 25 cm long. Its seed are distributed by water or animals. The leaves close in the dark.

The flower with a Clouldy Sulphur Butterfly Caterpillar.

An unknown wild bush.

Mexican Creeper / Cadena de Amor

Antigonon leptopus, commonly known as Mexican Creeper, coral vine or San Miguelito Vine, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, it is a perrenial, that is native to Mexico. It is a vine with pink or white flowers.

Invasive species

It is listed as a category II invasive exotic by the Florida's pest plant council.

Description

Antigonon leptopus is a fast growing climbing vine that holds via tendrils, and is able to reach 25ft or more in length. It has cordate (heart shaped), sometimes triangular leaves 2½ to 7½ cm long the flowers are borne in panicles, clusted along the rachis producing pink or white flowers from spring to autumn, it forms underground tubers and large rootstocks, it is a prolific seed producer, the seeds float on water, the fruit and seeds are eaten and spread by a wide range of animals such as pigs, raccoons and birds. The tubers will resprout if it is cut back or damaged by frost.

This is another ornamental flower planted at the center island of PdP highway.