NEW species of orchid, flowering plant, grass fern, and snout beetle have been discovered in Mount Hamiguitan, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, through a project implemented by Central Mindanao University (CMU).
The project is part of the Biodiversity S&T Program of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) and is being implemented in collaboration with the Museum of Natural History of the University of the Philippines Los BaƱos, National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), and Davao Oriental State University.
A new terrestrial orchid species, called Dilochia deleoniae belonging to the Orchidaceae family was recently discovered in Mount Hamiguitan Range in Davao Oriental. This endemic species prefers to open in partly shaded habitat, where it is found in clumps or scattered.
Meanwhile, a new species of flowering plant called, Hypericum perryongii Galindon, sp. nov was discovered in a narrow summit of Mount Hamiguitan. This species flowers from June until late July, and fruits in August.
Another flowering plant, Vaccinium hamiguitanense, of the Ericaceae family, was discovered in Mount Hamiguitan. This species is similar to Vaccinium gitingense but has smaller leaf blades and inflorescences with fewer flowers.
While a new species of grass fern, Actinostachys minuta Amoroso & Coritico was also discovered in Mount Hamiguitan. It is an epiphyte on the trunk of the tree fern embedded between adventitious roots.
Also found in Mount Hamiguitan is a new species of snout beetle, Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) bronsi sp. nov, which was named after the Mandaya word ābronsi,ā due to the prominent bronze scale markings on the integument.
The research team also collected a pygmy grasshopper called Arulenus validispinus, which had not been recorded for more than a century. This species is commonly known as the four-spined pygmy devil.
Another discovery is the Gymnosiphon syceorosensis (Burmaniaceae), a type of flowering plant that obtains nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi, which is considered as the second new species for the Philippines because only one population of G. syceorosensis has been discovered and no estimation of its abundance or overall distribution has been made.
Botanical inventory and assessment at the Mount Tago Range revealed a total of 490 species of plants.
Of these, 60 species are bryophytes, 202 species are ferns and lycophytes, 125 species are understory flora, and 103 species are trees and shrubs.
An initial 219 species of plants were documented in Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. Of these, 42 species are ferns and lycophytes, 139 species are understory flora, and 138 species are trees and shrubs belonging to 96 genera and 51 families.
The three-year PCAARRDās Biodiversity S&T Program aims to update, assess, and monitor biodiversity and evaluate the physico-chemical properties of selected mountain ecosystems in Mindanao for conservation and sustainable development.
This research has explored the different ecosystems in a landscape approach, using biodiversity and forest condition assessments as basis. Among the significant accomplishments of the project is the discovery of new species and new species records for both flora and fauna in Mindanao./PN
