Vaccinium paradoxum (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae), an unusual new species from sea cliffs on ultrabasic forest of Luzon Island, Philippines

Vaccinium paradoxum (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae), an unusual new species from sea cliffs on ultrabasic forest of Luzon Island, Philippines

Vaccinium paradoxum is described as a new species of blueberry from the lowland ultrabasic forest of Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Luzon Island, Philippines. It resembles V. halconense, but differs by having shorter inflorescences, fewer flowers per inflorescence, a glabrous inner surface of the corolla, absence of anther spurs, and a glabrous style. Vaccinium paradoxum is unique among the currently known blueberries in Malesia by the presence of sessile glands borne on the pedicel and predominantly near the centre or scattered on the calyx lobes. It is also the only known Philippine Vaccinium to inhabit lowland ultrabasic forest on sea cliffs.