Rediscovery and amended description of Psychotria palimlimensis (Rubiaceae): a rare species found only in Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Abstract

Recent exploration on the northern Cordillera Mountain Range of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, resulted in the rediscovery of Psychotria palimlimensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis. This is an endemic Psychotria species first collected by Ramos in 1918 and identified as P. subalpina. However, the diagnosis of Sohmer and A.P. Davis in 2007 proposed it as a new species based on herbarium materials, and no further recollection was made to date since its last collection in 1953. Therefore, an amended taxonomic description of P. palimlimensis is proposed with color photographs, additional records on the distribution and morphological comparison with its allied species. The current conservation status is also provided.

Solved at last: The Philippine endemic Psychotria philippensis is a synonym of Scyphiphora hydrophylacea (Rubiaceae, Scyphiphoreae)

“…Following a drastic decline in primary forest cover over the last century, many species have not been seen for decades, leading Koopowitz et al (1998) and Sohmer (2001) to assume that more than half of the Philippine species of Psychotria are extinct. In contrast, Sohmer and Davis (2007) provided a more optimistic estimate of extinction rates of up to 28%, but a few of these presumably extinct species have since been rediscovered by local botanists ( Ordas et al 2019 ; Biag and Alejandro 2020 , 2022 ; Batuyong et al 2021 ). Apparently, several primary forest species can tolerate some disturbance and escape extinction in relatively more widespread secondary forests ( Sohmer and Davis 2007 ; Biag and Alejandro 2022 ).…”

Inventory of Rubiaceae species in Mt. Pao Range, Ilocos Norte, Northwestern Luzon, Philippines

“…Uy and Alejandro 2012;Obico and Alejandro 2013;Banag and Alejandro 2014;Villanueva et al 2016;Banag et al 2017;Chavez et al 2021;Ordas et al 2021). In addition, the recollection and discovery of new species Salamanes et al 2015;Alejandro and Meve 2016;Arriola et al 2016;Ordas et al 2017;Alfeche et al 2020;Biag and Alejandro 2020;Batuyong et al 2021b). Tantamount to these studies is an understanding of the distribution, ecology and biology of species within the family, in various ecosystems, which still remain largely limited and incomplete.…”