Rare plant rediscovered on Mount Apo after 122 years — DENR Davao Region

A rare plant that had not been documented in Mount Apo Natural Park in Mindanao was rediscovered after more than a century, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Davao Region said.

The Ophiorrhiza biflora was rediscovered by the Protected Area Management office during a routine wildlife monitoring activity.

"While retrieving camera traps along a forest trail, the team spotted a tiny flowering plant that caught their attention despite its minute size. After careful examination, 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," the DENR Davao Region said.

A member of the Rubiaceae family—which also includes coffee, gardenia, mussaenda, and santan—O. biflora has previously been documented in Benguet and Negros.

However, the DENR - Davao Region said the specimen found on Mount Apo marks the first time the species has been successfully photographed.

"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 [...] This discovery follows the documentation of another rare plant species, Agalmyla calelanesis, in 2025, a species that was originally recorded in Mount Apo in 1909," said DENR Davao Region.

Mount Apo is the highest peak in the Philippines, covering North Cotabato and Davao del Sur. It is bidding for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition. — VDV, GMA News