08/11/2024
Sa mga nakaakyat na sa tuktok ng Mt. Apo, ang pinakamataas na bundok sa Pilipinas, siguradong nakapitas ka na rin sa mga blueberries na makikita lamang doon.
Opo! May blueberries po tayo sa Pilipinas.
At alam mo ba na may bagong species ng blueberry na nadiskubre sa Mt. Apo?
Kamakailan, ang Phytotaxa and Magnolia Press ay naglathala ng isang artikulo na naglalarawan ng bagong micro-endemic tropical blueberry sa Mt. Apo, ang ๐๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น.
Ayon sa artikulo:
๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น grows together with ๐. ๐ฎ๐บ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด, which fruits are commonly called wild berries, eaten by trekkers and mountaineers while traversing the boulder face of Mt. Apoโs summit. The name โ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐นโ was derived from the Latin word that means deceptive due to its resemblance to ๐. ๐ฎ๐บ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด, resulting to a large number of years before it was ascertained to be a unique species.
๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐น can only be found within a small portion of Mt. Apo, particularly in open areas near the summit, growing on rhyolite boulders surrounding the sulfur vents. Due to its very limited range, it is recommended as a critically endangered species based on the guidelines of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Mt. Apo Natural Park is a legislated protected area by virtue of RA 9237 of 2003 under the National Integrated Protected Areas System and an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark.
