New plant species from Calanasan published in international journal

A shrub first encountered in 2023 inside Calanasan’s forest is now recognized in scientific literature as a new species.

Medinilla calanasan has been formally described in the international journal Phytotaxa following field surveys conducted in Barangay Eva, Calanasan, Apayao. Researchers initially documented the plant during a biodiversity assessment within the province’s upper lowland rainforest. Subsequent study confirmed it did not match any known species of Medinilla in Southeast Asia.

Botanists describe the plant as a glabrous shrub growing two to three meters tall. It produces hanging clusters of white flowers that may turn pink as they mature. Its most distinctive feature is a pair of small, horn-like projections at the base of each leaf where the secondary veins meet the petiole, a characteristic not recorded in related species in the region.

The species was observed at elevations between 700 and 800 meters above sea level within the Apayao Lowland Forest Key Biodiversity Area. The site lies inside the core zone of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the yApayaos (BRyA), which received its designation in July 2024. The same forest supports habitat for the Philippine Eagle and remains regulated under the Indigenous Lapat system, a long-standing isnag practice of conservation.

Only two individual plants have been documented in two locations approximately one kilometer apart. Pending additional surveys to determine its distribution and population size, researchers recommend that the species be classified as Data Deficient under international conservation criteria.

The Calanasan finding adds to recent scientific documentation from Apayao’s forests. In Kilang Pass along the Apayao–Ilocos Norte boundary, botanists earlier described Vaccinium kilangensis, a blueberry relative also new to science. Field studies in previous years also recorded Luzon’s first active Philippine Eagle nest within the province.

These findings point to forest areas that remain insufficiently studied. Local communities have long known these landscapes. Formal documentation continues to reveal species that had not yet entered scientific records.

In a statement, Governor Elias C. Bulut Jr. said the identification of Medinilla calanasan, together with earlier documentation of Vaccinium kilangensis, adds to the growing scientific record emerging from Apayao’s highland forests.

“Each documented species expands the understanding of Luzon’s plant diversity and contributes to the global body of taxonomic research,” the Governor said. “Apayao’s designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve carries practical responsibility. Conservation, research, and sustainable development must move in deliberate coordination.”

He also emphasized the province’s openness to continued collaboration with academic institutions and conservation partners, noting that careful study of Apayao’s forests strengthens protection efforts and responsible knowledge-building. “The mountains of Calanasan continue to speak. It is our task to listen, document, and safeguard what they reveal,” he added.