RP pitcher plants to be conserved

Did you know that there are 12 species of pitcher plants known in the Philippines?

Of these, five are recorded to occur in Mindanao. But there could still be more undescribed and unnamed species on the island, according to the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin).

With this possibility, a research project that aims to conserve and multiply pitcher plants has been launched with the support of the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

Led by Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr. of the UP Mindanao College of Science and Mathematics based in Bago Oshiro, Davao City, the project will focus on the conservation and multiplication of this plant using the tissue culture and clonal propagation techniques.

The project will concentrate on Nepenthes truncata Macf., an endemic species of the Philippines and considered as endangered as per listing in the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

"The success of the project will ensure the conservation of wild populations and at the same time provide a diversified opportunity for income generation in the rural sector," Dr. Rasco said.

Pitcher plant, a carnivorous species with pitcher-shaped leaves, is being traded as an ornamental in the world market, fetching $14-$30 per plant.

Hitherto, the only source of this plant is the wilds. – RAF