Xanthostemon verdugonianus Rak Raek Phob

The Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Rak Raek Phob)
with its beautiful red flowers catched our eyes
in mid August 2009, while we´ve been to a Chiang Mai Orchid exhibition
to train our new photographer “Chocolate”. It was the first time for him
to work on his own with the Canon 400 D and we all been impresssed
about his results. We found the Xanthostemon verdugonianus at a street vendor
and been astonished about the very high price for the just 50 cm high plant.
He wanted 3000.- Thai Baht, but didn´t even know the name of the beauty.
We started a research in the internet, but without any result.
We thought, it must be a very new hybrid.

© Orchids-Flowers.com
Image: Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Rak Raek Phob)
Photographer: Posantor “Chocolate” Saelie

Just a few days ago we stumbled upon the yellow variation
at the Kamthieng flower market in Chiang Mai
and could figure out the Thai name: Rak Raek Phob.
What a lovely name: Love at the first meeting.
Now our Thai Photographers started a research again
and got the result for the yellow “Rak Raek Phob”
Xanthostemon chrysanthus also called, Yellow Penda,
a tree, native to Australia, which can reach a highth until 15 meters.
Now it was just a small step to indentify the red variation.
There was just to different species, the Red Penda (Xanthostemon Youngi),
also native to Australia and our Rak Raek Phob: Xanthostemon verdugonianus.
Xanthostemon verdugonianus is endemic to the Philippines
and a threatened species because of habitat destruction.
Xanthostemon verdugonianus pertains to the Myrtaceae family.