25/06/2023
JURASSIC PLANT SPOTTED IN MASUNGI 😲
Masungi Georeserve on Thursday shared photos of the Cycas riuminiana, also known as "Pitogo" or "Living Fossil," as it blooms on the trail of the wildlife sanctuary in Baras, Rizal.
"This unique flora species comes from a prehistoric lineage of plants that appeared 350 million years ago—outliving dinosaurs. [It] is a slow-growing plant that thrives in tropical rainforests," the caption read.
Masungi added that the age of the plant can be estimated by counting the number of layers on its trunk and multiplying it to the number of years when the cone last bloomed.
"Given this, the Pitogo found on the Discovery Trail is estimated to be at least 75 years old," it revealed.
Pitogo is currently listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with poaching and habitat destruction being the leading causes of its population decline. (Facebook/Masungi Georeserve)
Photos and txt: Philippine Star
