I was saddened passing by Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife. I saw they were cleaning and widening the open canals fronting Quezon Avenue probably to beautify the frontage. But in the process they uprooted my favorite tree, the native mambog or Mitragyna diversifolia. For the past 4 years I have been following the flowering season of this particular mambog as I have discovered that the pin-cushion flowers 
have a very potent nocturnal fragrance, much agreeable compared to Cestrum nocturnum or dama de noche. This is beside the fact that the tree has very nice arranged leaves and a clean conical crown. I wonder if the PAWB people even tried to save and ball the mambog. Would they even have known that it was M. diversifolia and a Philippine native?All I have left are these nostalgic pictures of the tree in bloom. I will be less looking forward to summers again in NAPWC minus the blooming of the mambog specimen.
4 comments:
Hi, I notice that the plant in the photo is Nauclea orientalis and not Mitragyna diversifolia. Peace brother!
Nauclea orientalis has golf ball size orb flowers. This one has much smaller flowers. I consulted it with some botanists and they confirmed it is Mitragyna. But thanks for pointing it out.
May I ask, what island is this tree found?
Do you know where else can I find a Mambog tree in the Philippines?
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