Filipino botanist, colleague discover new tree species

A new tree species of Tristaniopsis in the Myrtaceae family, which includes makopa, guava, and eucalyptus has been discovered in the country, University of the Philippines - Los Banos (UPLB) reported.

The findings of Edwino S. Fernando and his colleague Peter G. Wilson of the Australian Institute of Botanical Science were published in Telopea, the Journal of Plant Systematics on October 29, 2021.

The Tristaniopsis flexuosa is a small tree reaching to three meters tall and can only be found in the Philippines, particularly on Mount Redondo, Dinagat Island.

"The tree relatively small leaves, with a smooth grey bark, which flakes to reveal a red-brown under-bark," according to the UPLB announcement.

"It was named ‘flexuosa’ because of its distinct crooked branches.  Tristaniopsis flexuosa does not show any clear affinities to any other Philippine species of the genus, showing the most similarity with Tristaniopsis elliptica, a species from Borneo."

Fernando, UPLB added, is professor emeritus at the Department of Forest Biological Sciences and curator for palms and other forest plants at the UPLB Museum of Natural History (MNH).

Fernando is a forest botanist and plant taxonomist, who specializes in biodiversity and protected areas, biodiversity conservation policy and planning, and conservation biology and plant genetic resources.

The specimens of new species of plants and trees are deposited at the MNH Forestry Herbarium and Wood Collection. -- BAP, GMA News