The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Davao has announced the discovery of a new micro-endemic species of tropical blueberry, Vaccinium fallax, on Mt. Apo. This discovery was documented in a publication by a team of plant taxonomists, including Filipino researcher Maverick N. Tamayo and Texas-based Peter W. Fritsch, in collaboration with the Central Mindanao University, National Museum of the Philippines, and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
V. fallax, described as a shrub with a height range from that of an average 2-year-old child to an adult human, is found exclusively in open areas near the summit of Mt. Apo, thriving on rhyolite boulders close to sulfur vents. Distinguished by its smaller leaves, easily detached flower bracts, shorter flower stalk, and deep pink or red urn-shaped flowers, V. fallax grows alongside V. myrtoides, a species consumed by trekkers. Due to its limited numbers and specific habitat, it is recommended as critically endangered following the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines. DENR urges adherence to "Leave No Trace" principles to conserve this species and the broader biodiversity of Mt. Apo Natural Park, a protected area and aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark.
Source: Mindanao Times