Guinumhay Peak and its Carnivorous Plants

On the second day of our climb in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, our team hit the trail towards the newly discovered peak of Guinumhay..

From the camp site of Ognop Tribal Filipino Community School it took us more than 2 hours of 3km trekking through the muddy and rolling trails that were recently created intended for the participants of the exploration of Guinumhay. Finding the trail became easy because of the ribbon markings placed on tree branches by the locals, though extreme caution is still needed for the high risk of falling and sliding on the slippery trails.

Guinumhay is 859 meters above sea level (masl) with coordinates of N 8°43.81” E125°59.74. This mountain peak is not the usual summit that mountaineers would expect. Far from the usual grassland summit; Guinumhay is home to some unique aggregation of flora from dwarf trees, orchids and the most eye catching plants, Nepenthes or the pitcher plants.

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that get it sustenance from the digested small animals from small insects to small vertebrates like frogs, small birds and even forest rats.

The surprising scenario in the area was the presence of more than 4 species of pitcher plant that thrive side by side and competing on the small space of the peak by climbing through the branches of shrubs and small trees. This Nepenthes habit  competes with the numerous species of orchids that were littered in the mossy environment. The compact and green  environment suggests that the habitat is still in excellent condition with abundant source of food and nutrients for plants’ growth and reproduction.

Guinumhay was discovered only last November 2011 and presents a good attraction for tourists/explorers to witness different species of pitcher plants in a single location. Barangay Mabuhay has passed  an ordinance in the protection of the entire location against cutting of important tree species and poaching of other unique, endemic species of flora and fauna in their area, thus, picking of pitchers is prohibited and punishable by law.

My appeal to my fellow explorers and mountaineers and the like, please always follow the rule of climbing: "Leave nothing but foot prints, take nothing but pictures , and kill nothing but time!"

Please never collect specimen samples from the area to lessen the disturbance and we may preserve such living treasure for the benefit of the future generation.

Nepenthes truncata

Nepenthes mindanaoensis

Nepenthes merrilliana

Nepenthes sp. (?)

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