A NEW micro-endemic tropical blueberry was discovered in Mt. Apo – the ๐๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Davao revealed on Monday.
In a statement, DENR cited the publication by plant taxonomists led by Filipino researcher Maverick N. Tamayo and Texas-based researcher Peter W. Fritsch in collaboration with researchers from the Central Mindanao University, National Museum of the Philippines, and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington described the new plant.ย
โThe discovery of ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐นย is a testament to the crucial role of Mt. Apoโs geodiversity in shaping the endemicity and uniqueness of flora species in the Philippinesโ highest point,โ the DENR Facebook post read.
๐๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น or ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น is a shrub with a minimum height comparable to an average 2-year-old child and an adult human being as maximum.ย
It grows alongside ๐. ๐ฎ๐บ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด, commonly called wild berries, are consumed by trekkers and mountaineers while traversing Mt. Apoโs summit.ย ย
According to the publication, ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น can be distinguished from ๐. ๐ฎ๐บ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด by having smaller leaves, flower bracts that are easily detached, a shorter flower stalk, a floral cup that looks like an inverted cone, a flower calyx that is broadly triangular in shape, and deep pink or red urn-shaped flowers.
The new plant, however, can only be found in open areas near the summit of Mt. Apo, growing on rhyolite boulders surrounding the sulfur vents.ย
Due to its limited number, citing guidelines of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the plant is recommended as a critically endangered species.
The department reminded all trekkers and mountaineers to adhere to the โLeave No Traceโ principles to preserve the new wonder, including all the species of flora and fauna along the trails.
Mt. Apo Natural Park is a legislated protected area by virtue of RA 9237 of 2003 under the National Integrated Protected Areas System and an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark.
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ด๐บ: (๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต; ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐.๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ (๐๐) ๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ://๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ.๐ฃ๐ฉ.๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ.๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ/)
