A rare plant has been rediscovered in Mount Apo Natural Park after 122 years. The find was made by a Department of Environment and Natural Resources team during routine monitoring.
The Protected Area Management Office team spotted the tiny flowering plant while retrieving camera traps along a forest trail. It was identified as Ophiorrhiza biflora, a Philippine endemic species first collected in Mount Apo in October 1904 by American botanist Edwin Bingham Copeland.
The species belongs to the Rubiaceae family. This marks the first successful photographic documentation of Ophiorrhiza biflora. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region said the rediscovery confirms the continued survival of the endemic plant.
The regional office noted that the find reinforces Mount Apo Natural Park’s status as a biodiversity hotspot. It also strengthens the park’s bid for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition.
