Wildflower Believed To Be Extinct For 40 Years Spotted In Ecuador Wild Flowers

Gasteranthus extinctus was found by biologists at the foot of the Andes Mountains and in forest remains in the Centinela region of Ecuador, almost 40 years after its last observation. Extensive deforestation in western Ecuador in the late 20th century led to the extinction of a number of plant species, including Gasteranthus extinctus – which is why scientists gave it that name. Despite reports that more than 97% of the forests in the western half of Ecuador have been destroyed or converted to agricultural land, including most of the Centinela ridge, researchers began searching last summer, starting by scanning satellite imagery to locate primary rainforest. “Centinela is a mythical place for tropical botanists,” said Nigel CA Pitman, one of the researchers behind the discovery. “But because it was described by the top people in the field, no one really controlled science. No one returned to confirm that the forest was gone and that these things had disappeared. “We entered Centinela thinking it would break our hearts and instead we ended up falling in love.” The tropical wildflower is characterized by its neon-orange petals and large lower sheath, where pollinators can enter and exit. The researchers identified the plant within the first few hours of search, using only images of dried herb samples, line drawings and written description for reference. Taking care not to damage the rare remaining plants, they took photos and collected some fallen flowers before receiving confirmation of their identity from a tax collector. Despite its endangered status, Gasteranthus extinctus will retain its name. The research team is now working with Ecuadorian ecologists to protect some of the remaining fragments where Centinelan flowers live. “Rediscovering this flower shows that it is not too late to reverse even the worst biodiversity scenarios and shows that there is value in preserving even the smallest, most degraded areas,” said Dawson White, a postdoctoral researcher at Field. Museum of Chicago and co-author of the work published in PhytoKeys magazine. “New species are still found and we can still save many things that are on the verge of extinction.”

title: “Wildflower Believed To Be Extinct For 40 Years Spotted In Ecuador Wild Flowers " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Louis Davis”

Gasteranthus extinctus was found by biologists at the foot of the Andes Mountains and in forest remains in the Centinela region of Ecuador, almost 40 years after its last observation. Extensive deforestation in western Ecuador in the late 20th century led to the extinction of a number of plant species, including Gasteranthus extinctus – which is why scientists gave it that name. Despite reports that more than 97% of the forests in the western half of Ecuador have been destroyed or converted to agricultural land, including most of the Centinela ridge, researchers began searching last summer, starting by scanning satellite imagery to locate primary rainforest. “Centinela is a mythical place for tropical botanists,” said Nigel CA Pitman, one of the researchers behind the discovery. “But because it was described by the top people in the field, no one really controlled science. No one returned to confirm that the forest was gone and that these things had disappeared. “We entered Centinela thinking it would break our hearts and instead we ended up falling in love.” The tropical wildflower is characterized by its neon-orange petals and large lower sheath, where pollinators can enter and exit. The researchers identified the plant within the first few hours of search, using only images of dried herb samples, line drawings and written description for reference. Taking care not to damage the rare remaining plants, they took photos and collected some fallen flowers before receiving confirmation of their identity from a tax collector. Despite its endangered status, Gasteranthus extinctus will retain its name. The research team is now working with Ecuadorian ecologists to protect some of the remaining fragments where Centinelan flowers live. “Rediscovering this flower shows that it is not too late to reverse even the worst biodiversity scenarios and shows that there is value in preserving even the smallest, most degraded areas,” said Dawson White, a postdoctoral researcher at Field. Museum of Chicago and co-author of the work published in PhytoKeys magazine. “New species are still found and we can still save many things that are on the verge of extinction.”