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The flora of the Philippines comprises a diverse array of plant species, owing to the country's location within the Malesian biogeographical region. The Malesian phytogeographic zone is considered one of the major centers of plant diversity because of the large number and variation of species found there. [1] The Philippine archipelago is geographically isolated by both continental shelves and deep ocean trenches. [2]
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At least one-third of the more than 9,250 vascular plant species native to the country are endemic. [3] However, no plant families are known to be endemic to the Philippines. [4] The families of gingers, begonias, gesneriads, orchids, pandans, palms, and dipterocarps have particularly high numbers of endemic species. For instance, about two-thirds of the 150 palm species found in the country occur nowhere else in the world. More than 137 genera and about 998 species of orchids have been recorded in the Philippines as of 2007. [5]
The broad lowland and hill rainforests of the Philippines, most of which have been lost, [6] were dominated by at least 45 species of dipterocarps. These large trees were common up to about 1,000 meters above sea level. Since dipterocarps originated in India and Malaysia, their presence in the Philippines indicates a historical biogeographical connection with western Malaysia. [7] Other important tree species include giant figs, which provide food for fruit bats, parrots, and monkeys, and Pterocarpus indicus , which, like dipterocarps, is valued for its timber.
Due to ongoing environmental changes, the discovery and documentation of new species have become increasingly important for maintaining an accurate record of the archipelago's flora and fauna. [8]
Several species of Rafflesia occur in the Philippines, [9] including Rafflesia philippensis . [10]
