A RARE flowering plant with the scientific name 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢 has been rediscovered in Mount Apo Natural Park after more than a century.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) XI, through the Protected Area Management Office–Mount Apo Natural Park (PAMO-MANP), has rediscovered the flowering plant that had not been seen for 122 years.
The monitoring team made the discovery during routine wildlife monitoring activities.
“While retrieving camera traps along a forest trail, the team spotted a tiny flowering plant that caught their attention despite its minute size,” DENR XI said in a statement.
The specimen was identified as 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢, a Philippine endemic species first collected in Mount Apo in October 1904 by American botanist Edwin Bingham Copeland.
O. biflora belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which includes coffee, gardenia, mussaenda, and santan. It has also been recorded in Benguet and Negros.
However, the agency said the Mount Apo specimen represents the first successful photographic documentation of the species, considering it a significant milestone in Philippine botanical research.
“The rediscovery is highly significant as it confirms the continued survival of a Philippine endemic species that had not been documented in Mount Apo for over a century,” DENR-Davao said.
The agency said the discovery reinforces MANP’s status as one of the country’s important biodiversity hotspots and strengthens its bid for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition.
To note, DENR XI and XII jointly conducted a simulation activity on April 30 in preparation for the upcoming assessment of Mt. Apo as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
The official validation is set in August 2026, when UNESCO Global Geopark evaluators will visit Regions XI and XII, covering the Mt. Apo Natural Park.
Another rare plant species, 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘺𝘭𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, a species originally recorded in Mount Apo in 1909, was also rediscovered in 2025.
“Together, these remarkable discoveries underscore the enduring richness of Mount Apo’s forests and highlight the importance of sustained biodiversity monitoring, scientific research, and habitat protection in conserving the Philippines’ unique natural heritage,” DENR XI said.
