A plant that dates back to the prehistoric era has bloomed along the Discovery Trail of the Masungi Georeserve, the foundation wrote on social media.
After three years, the plant, known as Pitogo or by its scientific name, Cycas riuminiana, bloomed new cones from its trunk, Masungi Georeserve shared.
“Referred to as a ‘Living Fossil’ or ‘Jurassic Plant’, this unique flora species comes from a prehistoric lineage of plants that appeared 350 million years ago—outliving dinosaurs,” it wrote online.
The Pitogo is endemic to the Philippines and grows in tropical rainforests. It is a slow-growing plant that produces cones instead of fruits or flowers.
According to Masungi Georeserve, the Pitogo plant along its Discovery Trail is estimated to be 75 years old.
The foundation added that the Pitogo is listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, as its numbers have dwindled due to poaching and habitat destruction.
“Apart from the ancient limestone formations in Masungi, its native biodiversity also highlights the area’s significance that date back to a bygone time. Preserving and protecting this geological heritage is critical to unraveling mysteries of the past,” it wrote.
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