84 MANGROVE SWAMPS 
Acanthus ilicifolius is a shrub 0.5 to 1.5 meters high. It has 
prop roots. The leaves are opposite and up to 18 centimeters 
in length and 8 in breadth. They have very short petioles. 
The flowers are about 4 centimeters long, borne on spikes, and 
are surrounded by two bracts and a bracteole. The calyx is 
divided near the base into four parts, two of which are much 
longer than the other two. The fruit is a capsule from 2 to 2.5 
centimeters long. 
ACANTHUS EBRACTEATUS Vahl, TIGBAU. 
This species is also known by the same names as Acanthus 
ilicifolius. The flowers of Acanthus ebracteatus are surrounded 
by two bracts but no bracteole. The corolla is white and about 
2 centimeters long. The calyx is shorter than in Acanthus ilici- 
folius. Otherwise the species is similar to Acanthus ilicifolius. 
Family 16, RUBIACEAE 
Genus SCYPHIPHORA 
SCYPHIPHORA HYDROPHYLLACEA Gaertn. (Plate XL). NiLAp. 
Local names: Arinaya (llocos Norte); landing (Culion, Tayabas) ; 
tugisak (Cotabato); balasidi (Zambales); kuldsi’ (Tayabas); hanbulali, 
tabdu (Negros); sagasd (Zamboanga); nilad or nilar (Tagalog). 
Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea is a small tree growing along 
streams in the swamps. It has dark-colored bark. All parts of 
the plant except the inside of the corolla tube are without hairs. 
The leaf blades are smooth, leathery, rounded at the apex, 
and pointed at the base, 4 to 10 centimeters long, and 2 to 5 
centimeters wide. The petioles are usually 1 to 2 centimeters 
long. The flowers are small, white, often tinged with red, and 
borne in compact groups. The calyx is about 4 millimeters long. 
The calyx tube ends in four or five small teeth. The corolla 
tube is cylindrical, about as long as the calyx with four or five 
lobes which are about half as long as the tube. The fruit is 
somewhat cylindrical, with eight to ten grooves, and usually a 
little less than a centimeter in length. 
Family 17, COMPOSITAE 
Genus PLUCHEA 
PLUCHEA INDICA Linn. KALAPINI’. 
Local names: Banig-banig (Moro); kalapini’? (Manila); manzanilla 
(Batangas) ; lagund?-late (Zambales). 
Pluchea indica is a small shrub 1 to 4 meters in height. The 
leaves are 1 to 7 centimeters long and widest toward the tip, 
which is slightly pointed ; the base narrows to a point; the margin 
