DIPOLOG PHILIPPINES VEGETABLES
 

Sitaw,  Green or String beans, French Beans, Phaseolus Vulgaris L. (Family Leguminosae) An annual with two growing habits: one is a tall, late maturing climbing variety and the other is a short, early maturing bushy plant that does not need support. The pods are picked just before the seeds begin to swell, at which time they are tender and palatable. Leaves are trifoliate.When Europeans first reached America, they found the American Indians cultivating the bean along with maize, and the beans supplemented their maize diet. According to radio-carbon analysis, remnants found at archaeological sites in the caves of Tehuacan valley in Mexico are about 7 000 years old. The Spanish explorers are perhaps the first to bring them to Europe in the sixteenth century.

Bagiuo Beans

Luy-a , Luya,  Ginger; Zingiber Officinale Rosc. (Family Zingiberaceae) This perennial herb has aerial shoots arising from a thick, fleshy, branching rhizome which is the part used. The light green leaf blades are alternate, oblong in shape and strongly pointed. The plant rarely flowers and vegetative propagation is necessary. There are many races differing in shape of foliage and in size of rhizome. Domesticated in South China or India where it has been in cultivation since ancient times, it is also grown now in parts of West Africa and in the West Indies. The first records of the plant came from China where it was mentioned by Confucius (551-479 BC). It was exported at an early date into the Mediterranean area by Arab traders. 

Singkamas , Jicama,  Yam Bean Root,   Pachyrrhizus Erosus Urban. (Leguminosae) A high twining herbaceous annual with characteristic three-lobed leaves and axillary upright inflorescence. Each plant forms a single swollen root tuber which is characteristically four-lobed. If left on the plant for too long, the tubers become too fibrous to be palatable. The ripe pods average 10 cm long. The yam bean is native to Central America where another species P. tuberosus is also thought to occur. It was brought to the Philippines by the Spanish and later became widely cultivated in India, China and East Africa.

Tanglad, Lemongrass, te de limon,  Cymbopogon Citratus Stapf. (Family Gramineae) A densely-tufted, fragrant grass with hairy leaves. It rarely flowers. Since it grows easily, it has been vegetatively propagated for centuries. It probably originated from Malaysia because as Burkhill (1935) reported, "though a group of European botanists first saw it in India, available information indicated that it was brought to India from Malaysia". It grows wild in the Philippines.

Tanglad

Mustasa,  Mostaza, Mustard, Mustard Cabbage. Brassica juncea (L.)  An annual producing abundant foliage that assumes various arrangements sizes accounting for the large number of cultivars available. Radical leaves are large, quick growing, obovate or lanceolate, angled or notched, margins finely serrated, petiole stout, broad and sessile. Of the many cultivars, two sold locally are: wrapped heart mustard and bamboo mustard.. juncea var. rugosa - a different cultivar with narrower leaves. This species is possibly of African origin, but was taken early to Asia. It has been extensively cultivated from Eastern Europe to China and Africa.

Patatas , Potatoe Papa, Patata,  Solanum Tuberosum L. (Family Solanaceae) It has weak stems; the branched trailing shoots bear underground stem tubers, almost oval in shape. The flesh is either white or yellow, the latter being the more favoured type.It is a native of the Andes where it remained confined until the Spaniards found it and introduced it into Europe in about 1570. Ireland was the first country to cultivate potatoes to prevent famine among the poorest of the inhabitants. They were grown there probably during the first decade of the 17th century. 

Potato Field

Rabanos, White Radish, Rabano,  Raphanus Sativus L. (Cruciferae) A fast growing erect annual herb with a long white cylindrical root. The local variety is white, cylindrical, more than 20 cm long and quite large. The exact origin is vague but it probably came from temperate parts of the Old World, cultivated long before the Greeks and Romans came to know of it as 'rhaphanis' and 'radix' respectively. Its use as a vegetable started long before recorded history

Daicon White Radish

Kamatis, Tomato, .Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill. (Family Solanaceae) It is an annual with weak, trailing, much branched stems covered with glistening reddish-yellow hairs. The fruit is a red or yellowish flattened globose berry with a smooth skin. There is however, a lot of variations among cultivars in the size and shape of fruits. The seeds of the fruit are flat, kidney shaped and hairy, light brown in color and contain a curved embryo. The tomato is native to Central and South America since pre-Columbian times. Its wild progenitor was thought to have been the cherry tomato Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme. The tomato plant was first domesticated from weedy forms which have spread as far north as Mexico.

Paliya, Ampalaya - Bitter Melon, Balsam Pear . Momordica Charantia L. (Family Cucurbitaceae) A slender, climbing annual with long stalked leaves, deeply cordate at the base and palmately 5 to 9 lobed. Solitary male and female flowers are borne in leaf axils. The fruit is warty-looking gourd, usually oblong and resembling the ordinary cucumber in shape. The young fruit is emerald green turning to orange-yellow when ripe. The fruit is never hard but splits at maturity into three irregular valves that curl backwards and release numerous brown or white seeds enclosed in scarlet arils. The generic name "Momordica" comes from Latin meaning "to bite", referring to the jagged edges of the seed which appears as if it has been bitten.

Balsam Pear Vine (Dipolog Harvest Agri Products)

Munggos, Mung beans  (Tausho and Toge are bean sprouts)   Aureus Ohwi (Family Leguminosae) Mung is the Indian name for this plant. It is an erect or suberect, much-branched annual. The narrow, green or brownish pods bear short hairs and contain green or gold seeds. Seeds of the hard shiny dark green variety are preferred for sprouting into seedlings. Native to India, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely planted in China and many other countries