The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region (DENR-Davao) has announced the rediscovery of Ophiorrhiza biflora, a rare endemic plant species, after 122 years. The plant was documented alive for the first time since 1904 within the Mount Apo Natural Park (MANP).
Discovery during routine monitoring
The rediscovery was made by the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) of MANP during routine wildlife monitoring activities. While retrieving camera traps along a forest trail, the team spotted a tiny flowering plant that caught their attention. Upon examination, they identified it as Ophiorrhiza biflora, an endemic species first collected in MANP in 1904 by American botanist Edwin Bingham Copeland.
Significance of the rediscovery
“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,” the office stated on June 30, 2026. Ophiorrhiza biflora belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which includes coffee, gardenia, mussaenda, and santan. The species has been recorded in Benguet and Negros, but the Mount Apo documentation is the first successful photographic documentation of the species, marking a major milestone in Philippine botanical research.
Implications for biodiversity and UNESCO bid
DENR-Davao said the rediscovery reinforces MANP’s status as one of the Philippines' most important biodiversity sites and strengthens its bid for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition. This discovery follows the documentation of another rare plant species, Agalmyla calelanensis, in 2025, which was originally recorded in 1909. The department emphasized that these findings highlight the richness of Mount Apo’s forests and the importance of sustained biodiversity monitoring, scientific research, and habitat protection.
Mount Apo’s rich biodiversity
MANP was declared a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, or Republic Act No. 7586, enacted on June 1, 1992. The park hosts 800 types of flora, of which 27 have economic, cultural, and medicinal significance. It also supports about 272 bird species and 54 mammal species, including the Philippine Eagle. In total, there are about 414 faunal species, with 207 endemic to MANP, and 146 faunal species and 27 floral species of economic and medicinal importance.
