Seeing blue

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Blue is a rare color in flowers, and among plant genera, Rhynchoglossum is one of the extremely few whose every member carry the color in their flowers. Three species of this gesneriad genus is found in the Philippines, of which one- R. spumosum- is endemic. 


These plants were found at a roadside in the Benguet-Ifugao border in the central Luzon highlands. A few months ago, I also found a small population in the province of Laguna in southern Luzon. In both instances, the plants were observed rooting in moving water in rocky soils with thin deposits of clay in open, yet shady situations. Rhynchoglossum spumosum is supposedly the smallest in the genus, attaining average heights of 8 cm with prostrate stems acting as creeping rhizomes. The leaf backsides are tinged reddish-purple, particularly the veins. Despite the popularity of gesneriads worldwide, very few rhynchos are in cultivation, perhaps due to the difficulties in their cultivation. However, these are rather easily observable plants near running bodies of water, and no naturalist will fail to appreciate those curious flowers in the rarest of colors- blue!


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