By Patricia Lanzagarita
MANILA — The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office – South Cotabato announced that they have discovered a new species of orchid, the Pinalia Campanulata.
The new discovery occurred in the mossy forest located within an elevation above 1500 meters within the Mt. Busa Key Biodiversity Area.
It was unveiled by the PENRO-SC that was led by biologist Aljohn Jay L. Saavedra and former biologist Kier Mitchel E. Pitogo.
The 50cm Pinalia Campanulata has a distinct bell or campanulate shape with pure looking crystal-white flowers.
The initial sighting took place back in 2021 during the Biodiversity Monitoring System in the Allah Valley Protected Landscape (AVPL).
The authors designated the orchid as “Near Threatened” for their preliminary classification aligning with the criteria made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and due to the empirical limited field data available.
According to the DENR Soccsksargen, the discovery of the species highlights the importance of continued field biodiversity surveys in the underexplored forests of Southern Mindanao, as it was the first orchid species described from the location of Mt. Busa Key Biodiversity Area.
The Biodiversity Monitoring System also stated that approximately 185 orchid species can be found within the AVPL, with the addition of Pinalia Campanulata.
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As per DENR Soccsksargen, the discovery will strengthen the efforts of including the AVPL as a full component of the National Integrated Protected Areas System which was based on Republic Act No. 11038.
“This legislative effort underscores the urgency of safeguarding the newly discovered orchid species and the entire ecosystem of the AVPL.” the agency stated.
Source: DENR Soccsksargen
(AI/MNM)
