In March 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Phytotaxa.
๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ
Distribution/habitat: Tanauan City, Batangas, southern Luzon, Philippines
Endemic: Yes
Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด has a few similarities with a ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ช๐ข species from eastern Luzon, ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ช. Both plants have light pink flowers, fleshy green leaf blades (laminae), and boat-shaped bracts (leaflike structures), but ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด differs from ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ช in that it has no prominent white midrib and veins on the top side of its leaves. The leaf edges of ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด are smooth, unlike ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ชโs, which has tiny hairs. Moreover, the stipules (paired appendages near the leaf base) of ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด are only partly keeled (folded along the middle, like a boat), while ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ชโs are prominently keeled. Lastly, ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด has no thick and wooly (tomentose) hair covering under its leaves and stalks, which the leaves of ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ช possess.
๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด has only been found growing on moist boulders near a waterfall, within a lanzones plantation. It has been observed to bear flowers and immature fruits from February to March and dried capsules in May.
Conservation status: Critically Endangered
Described by: Mark Angelo Bucay, Danilo Tandang, and Kuo-Fang Chung
Etymology: Its species name, ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด, references its place of origin.
Significance
Aside from its โrestricted and severely fragmented distribution,โ the existence of ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด is also threatened both by human activities (e.g., people bathing or doing their laundry near the area, nearby land conversions) and Taal Volcanoโs activity. The description of ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด brings hope not just for increased environmental awareness, but perhaps more importantly, for a stronger commitment from all stakeholders โ including the government and the general public โ to protect and support research efforts in vulnerable areas where these novel species reside.โMF
Reference:
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
