Paphiopedilum urbanianum - This orchid is a semi-terrestrial orchid. The leaves are pale green, tessellated with dark green spots, up to 20 cm. long, and 4 cm. wide. The inflorescence is erect, up to about 25 cm. high, usually one or sometimes two-flowered. The dorsal sepal is up to about 35 mm. long, white with green stripes; the synsepatum is about 30 mm. long, white with green stripes; the petals are about 50 mm. long, undulate, whitish with pale green veins. The apical half is purple, spotted with dark purple, the margins sparsely hairy. The lip is about 40 mm. long, dull purple in front, greenish at back, margins at back rolled inward. The staminode is nearly circular and notched above. and below. The flower has two separated sticky pollinia.

Mariposa - Phalaenopsis amabilis (P30.00) - The leaves of this orchid are few, broadly ovate-oblong, blunt apically, fleshy and leathery, long and about 5" wide. Inflorescences are slender and gracefully arching. Flowers which vary in size are white, flushed with yellow on the lip and more or less marked and striped with red around the calli. Sepals are oblong and blunt at tips. Petals are clawed, mostly broadly rhombic-cuneate, blunt and somewhat emarginate apically.

Sanggumay - Dendrobium superbum (P50.00) - The leaves of this specie are fleshy, glossy-green, oblong-Ianceolate, acutish up to 5" long, flattened and borne in two (2) ranks. Inflorescences are usually 2 flowered, almost stalkless, borne on the leafless pseudobulbs. Flowers vary in colour, the typical phase with mauve-purple sepals and petals. The lip has 2 deep purple blotches in the throat, the flaring part of which is veined with deeper purple. Flowers are extremely fragrant.

Lady's Slipper - Paphiopedilum argus - (P75.00) - The leaves grow up to 7" long and 1 1/2 wide with the upper side chequered with light spots. Scape consists of one flower that grows up to 15" tall. The dorsal sepal is white except for the darker base, with green and brown longitudinal nerves of unequal lengths, very broadly ovate and sharp-pointed. Flowers are about 4" in diameter. The petals are sharply turned downwards, while the base is pale and red near the apices which is furnished with many black-purple warts, ligulate and acutish. The lip is broad, dark brown-purple. The lower side of the lip is paler and veined with light green. Bloom in spring to early
summer.

Waling-Waling - Vanda sanderiana (P100.00) - This epiphyte grows on branches of tall dipterocarp trees. It is 25 to 100 em. tall with numerous, rather closely arranged long narrow leaves. Inflorescences are stout, erect or ascending to about 12" long, well-spaced or somewhat crowded flowers. The sepals are greenish with purple streaks and irregular spots. Though similar to the petals, the sepals are smaller, rose purple in color and have purple spots on the lower margins near the base. The flowers, variable in dimensions and color are fragrant and long-lived. Found in Davao and considered an endangered specie.

Phalaenopsis philippinensis has mottled leaves that are up to 35 cm long and 9 cm wide. The inflorescence grows up to 40 cm long, is erect to bent, mostly branched, many-flowered. The flowers, which reach 55 mm in diameter, are white. The lateral lobes of the lip are intensively yellow. The middle portion on the lip bears a callus between the lateral lobes; in the apical part it has two thread-like appendages. The pollinarium has two cleft pollinia connected to a stipe with a large viscidium.

Phalaenopsis fasciata is similar in form to P. amabilis but smaller. The leaves, which grow to 25 cm long, are yellowish green. The inflorescence is spreading, longer than the leaves. The flowers are shiny, wax-like, around 50 mm in diameter, and appear two or three at a time. The lip is three-lobed; the middle lobe has a central keel and few hairs on the apical part. The pollinarium has two cleft pollinia.

Phalaenopsis pulchra resembles P. lueddemanniana in habit. The leaves are yellowish green, elliptic, and up to 25 cm long. The inflorescence is about as long as the leaves, spreading to pendent, few-flowered. The flowers reach 50 mm in diameter. They are luminous purple red and shiny; against the light, lighter dots and stripes are visible. The lip is three-lobed; it has a keel in the middle part between the lateral lobes and is thickened and a little hairy toward the apex; the lateral lobes are yellow. The pollinarium has two cleft pollinia.

Phaius tankervilleae is a large terrestrial plant. Its pseudobulbs are about 35 mm long. The leaves are up to 1m long, and 12 cm wide. The inflorescence is erect, sometimes up to 1.5 m tall, bearing 10 to 25 flowers. The flowers are about 12 cm in diameter; the petals and sepals are white on their back with varying shades of red or brown on the front. The sepals are widely stretched out, acute, up to about 60 mm long; the petals are smaller but also acute. The lip is only indistinctly trilobed, and deep purple. The pollinarium has eight waxy pollinia.

1. Medinilla magnifica - Commonly called rose grape belonging to the family of plants called Melastomataceae Juss., this shrub is a stunning flower endemic to the Philippines. It is usually found in high altitudes growing up to 6 feet. The shrub has either ribbed or winged stem and glossy green leaves with conspicuously pale veins. The flowers are breathtaking growing as a bunch of small pink clusters attached to large pink bracts sheltered by its curved leaves.

2. Strongylodon elmeri - Endemic in the thick forests of the country, this specie along with its more famous cousin Strongylodon macrobotrys (jade vine) are arguably the most beautiful flowers in the world. Strongylodon elmeri is a perennial climbing shrub belonging to the family Fabaceae. The flowers hang in bunches up to 90 cm and each with a spectacular claw like shape measures up 7.5 cm. Bats usually pollinate these flowers.

3. Amyema incarnatiflora - Belonging to the family of Lorantacae, this particular specie calls the mountainous region of Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte as well as the thick jungles of Cagayan province as its home. The bunch of slender pink flowers is a beauty forming a shape of a half open parasol.

4. Dillenia monantha - This specie is unique to the Philippines and produces only a single flower. Monantha after all is derived from the Greek words mono (one) and anthos (flower). The richly hued yellow flower is a spectacular sight thanks largely to the bottom colors that resemble a spider.

5. Xanthostemon fructicosus - Belonging to the family called Myrtaceae, this specie can call 3,000 other species as its close kin; many of them grow in Australia as well as in Mediterranean and America. This particular specie can be set apart, however, by its spectacular foliage that comes in red bunches of individual actinomorphous (spreading symmetrically) flowers.

6. Plumiera acuminata - Generally found in the tropics, Plumiera acuminate (sometimes known as Plumeria rubra and Plumeria acutifolia) is specie of Frangipani otherwise locally known as kalachuchi. Frangipanis are known to have eight (8) species found in tropical Americas; South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. With white and yellow colors, Plumiera acuminata is more closely identified with the common frangipanis. The flowers are very fragrant and a source of scent for perfumes. They have no nectars but scent lure potential pollinators that would go from flower to flower searching for food in vain but transferring the pollens in the process.

7. Pahiopedilum adductum - A member of the Orchidaceae family and is endemic to the Philippines. Usually found in tropical moist lowland forest, the scientific name is derived from the fact that it belongs to the family of orchids and that the shape of its staminode (vestigial stamen) is severely adducted that is severely bent backwards.

8. Rafflessia manillana - The scientific name of this specie is derived from its genus rafflesia (named after Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, who first obtained a specimen) and from the city of Manila. Although Rafflesias can be found in various forests in southeast Asia, this particular specie is the world's largest and endemic. It has a foul-smelling flower and is pollinated by carrion flies.

The miniature sheets, souvenir sheets and Official First Day Covers will be available starting March 30, 2007 at the Philatelic Service, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio, 1000 Manila and at all Regional Offices of the Philippine Postal Corporation.