2021 New Discoveries

Happy New Year from your #NationalMuseumPH!
2021 was a great year for new discoveries!

Did you know that discovery is one crucial step in plant conservation? We need to discover and identify the plant to ensure its survival.

In 2021, more than 20 species of plants were discovered in the Philippines. Here are some of the novel plants discovered by researchers from the #NationalMuseumPH and their team of experts.

Three of these novel species were described during the expedition from Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an ASEAN Heritage Park located in Mindanao.

Amylotheca cleofei Tandang, Galindon & A.S. Rob is the fifth Amylotheca species in the world. This mistletoe is named after Clint Michael B. Cleofe of the DENR-PENRO Davao Oriental. Dischidia glabrata Arshed and Tandang is a succulent epiphytic vine known only in Mount Hamiguitan. The specific epithet “glabrata” refers to the glabrous habit of the plant. Hypericum perryongii Galindon is the fifth Hypericum in the Philippines and the first to be found outside Luzon. It is named in honor of Dr. Perry S. Ong, a renowned ecologist and UP Scientist who championed science-based biodiversity conservation in the country. 

A new species of Dischidia was described again in November 2021. Dischidia argentii Arshed, J.R. Callado & Tandang was named in honor of the late Dr. George Argent for his contribution to the flora of the Philippines. This novel species is known only from Mt. Kilang, Ilocos Norte.

For more information about this plants, click the links below:

https://bit.ly/3eLglW7 (Amylotheca cleofei)
https://bit.ly/3sVvNr6 (Dischidia glabrata)
https://bit.ly/3nfjO47 (Dischidia argentii)
https://bit.ly/3pQzeNR (Hypericum perryongii)

Text and photos by the Botany and National Herbarium Division
© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)