Scientists discover tribal medicine for dogs in N. Ecija as distinct plant species

A plant long used by the indigenous Bugkalot folk of Nueva Ecija to treat ailing dogs has now been formally identified by scientists as a new species.

According to Ateneo de Manila University's research communications unit, the discovery highlights the vital role of indigenous knowledge in modern biodiversity research.

Known locally as "kelli," the shrub has been scientifically named Clerodendrum kelli, a rare species found only in the humid montane rainforests of the Caraballo Mountain range. It grows in just two known localities, namely Mount Meddengen and Sitio Binbin within the Pantabangan-Carrangalan Watershed Forest Reserve (PCWFR).

For generations, the Bugkalot community has mashed the plant's leaves and mixed them with food as a traditional remedy for sick dogs. Despite this longstanding familiarity, the species had not been formally documented in scientific literature until December 2025.

Reaching about a meter in height, C. kelli is a small shrub that blends quietly into its forest habitat. It bears oval green leaves with pale purple undersides and produces white, tube-shaped flowers that emerge from reddish-pink bases. Unlike other members of the genus, its flowers form loose, open clusters rather than dense groupings.

Researchers found that the plant is never abundant and is difficult to encounter in the wild.

Its limited range has placed it under serious threat. It is now assessed as critically endangered, occupying a total area of just eight square kilometers. Habitat loss due to land conversion and natural landslides, particularly along steep ridges where the plant grows, has significantly reduced its distribution.

Although the area is under formal protection, ongoing habitat degradation continues to endanger the species. Researchers emphasized that there is no evidence linking the Bugkalot's traditional use of the plant to its rarity.

The Ateneo research office described the discovery of Clerodendrum kelli as more than a scientific milestone."

"It highlights how Indigenous knowledge and science can overlap—bridging traditional and formal understanding of biodiversity," it said.

The species was described in the study "Clerodendrum kelli (Lamiaceae), a new species from Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and lectotypification of Clerodendrum mindorense," published in December 2025 in the Gardens' Bulletin Singapore.

The paper was authored by David Justin Ples, John Patykowski, Leonardo Udasco, John Charles Altomonte, Adriane Tobias, and Rene Alfred Anton Bustamante. — VDV, GMA Integrated News