Scientists rediscover rare plant in Masungi, offering new hope for PH biodiversity

Hidden beneath the untouched ecosystem of Masungi Georeserve, a rare flower once thought to be lost for over a century has revealed itself. Tiny, pale, and parasitic, there lies Exacum loheri in the reserve’s limestone floors, a spectacle of how much of the country’s natural wonders are still left unseen.

For decades, this plant existed only as a holotype specimen pressed between papers by a Swiss botanist in 1895. Now, over a hundred years later, its delicate body has been photographed alive for the very first time.

This rediscovery, made by researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Philippine Normal University, seeks not only to rewrite the botanical record but to remind us of the things left to be discovered and preserved.

A resurging 100-year-old mystery

When Swiss botanist August Loher first collected Exacum loheri in the late 1800s, he likely had no idea his finding would vanish from the scientific radar for more than the next hundred years. 

Known only from its type collection, the species was sensational in the pages of Philippine botany, but was never seen. For if left uncaptured, E. loheri became somewhat unreachable or would soon be a myth.

But its story pivoted when researchers Jayson Mansibang, Lawrence Jacob Alterado, Aaron Gabriel Espinosa, and Erwin Blancaflor stumbled upon a peculiar, non-green plant while surveying mollusks at Masungi’s “600 Steps” trail in Baras and Tanay, Rizal. 

Captivated by its bizarre appearance, they photographed the specimen and began the process of comparison with historical records. Their eventual conclusion supports the fact that, certainly, it was Exacum loheri, the same species that has been lost since 1895.

A life without green

Unlike the leafy plants that fill Masungi’s trails, Exacum loheri is strikingly distinct in its own morphology and traits. As a plant, it lacks chlorophyll, the pigment needed for photosynthesis, and therefore cannot produce its own food. 

Instead, it has evolved a rare adaptation: a mycoheterotrophic lifestyle, drawing sustenance from fungi in the soil rather than sunlight. This unusual feeding strategy places E. loheri among some of the most fascinating plant forms.

At the same time, this advanced mechanism of the species reveals a deeper truth about forests: that survival is often threaded through hidden partnerships, that is invisible yet essential. In the limestone forests and moist soils near Masungi’s freshwater streams, these systems persist.

Moreover, the chance discovery of a thriving population of E. loheri led to the notion that signals the plant’s alarming vulnerability. As of the moment, its known range is bounded within Masungi’s protected area, and any disruption—may it be from quarrying, construction, or ecological imbalance—could easily erase it again.

A call to protect

For the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, this rediscovery is more than a scientific milestone; it is a call to action. 

Masungi’s 2,700-hectare karst landscape shelters more than 400 species of flora and fauna, which serve as a refuge for both ancient life and modern conservation. Every new scientific revelation from its forest floors strengthens its shelf as an ecological stronghold. 

The foundation’s persistence in protecting the area has gained global recognition. But beyond the accolades, the rediscovery of E. loheri is by far the strongest argument for preservation—a proof that even the smallest and most delicate flower can carry the weight of a nation’s natural heritage.

For many years, Exacum loheri blooms like a secret finally told deep within the solemn understory of Masungi’s forests. It is a fragile reminder of nature’s persistence amid loss, and its rediscovery is not just a triumph of science but a testament to what can blossom when wild places are given a space to heal. For a country so rich with undiscovered life, the story of this flower is both promise and warning; that what is fragile is often what matters most, and once gone, it may never return.