A new species of Tristaniopsis in the Myrtaceae family (of makopa, guava, and eucalyptus among others) has been discovered by a professor from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB), the university said on Tuesday, November 9.
UPLB said that Professor Edwino S. Fernando, alongside colleague Dr. Peter G. Wilson of the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, discovered the new tree species and that their findings were published as a journal article in Telopea, the Journal of Plant Systematics on October 29.
Tristaniopsis flexuosa, according to their data, is a small tree reaching to three meters tall and can only be found in the Philippines, particularly on Mount Redondo, Dinagat Island.
UPLB explained that it was named ‘flexuosa’ because of its distinct crooked branches and it does not show any clear affinities to any other Philippine species of the genus, showing the most similarity with a species from Borneo known as Tristaniopsis elliptica.
It was described as having relatively small leaves, with a smooth grey bark, which flakes to reveal a red-brown under-bark.
UPLB said that specimens of new species of plants and trees are deposited at the UPLB Museum of Natural History (MNH) Forestry Herbarium and Wood Collection.