Vaccinium hamiguitanense (Ericaceae), a new species from the Philippines

Researchers have discovered Vaccinium hamiguitanense, a new plant species endemic to the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in the Philippines. This rare species, belonging to the heather family (Ericaceae), is closely related to Vaccinium gitingense but distinguished by its smaller leaves with fewer, evenly spaced crenations, shorter and puberulent pedicels, and a glabrous floral disk. The discovery was made through detailed morphological analysis, revealing unique traits that set it apart from known species. The plant thrives in tropical upper montane rainforests and low 'bonsai' forests on ultramafic clay soils, highlighting its specialized habitat requirements. Due to limited data, the authors provisionally classify this species as Data Deficient under IUCN Red List criteria.

Fritsch, P. W., Amoroso, V. B., Coritico, F. P., & Penneys, D. S. (2020). Vaccinium hamiguitanense (Ericaceae), a new species from the Philippines. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 14(2), 281–287. https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v14.i2.1009