Lost Wildflower Named ‘Extinctus’ Rediscovered, Still Endangered – CNET [CNET]

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The rediscovery of the plant is good news, but any sense of celebration has to be balanced by the difficult realities of the wildflower’s threatened environment. The study describes the species as critically endangered.

The researchers offered a “measure of optimism regarding the plant’s conservation prospects.” There is hope it may grow in some protected areas. However, the team cautioned that the flower’s striking appearance could attract commercial plant collectors, potentially putting it at risk of unsustainable harvesting. The team is working with conservationists in Ecuador to protect some of the remaining areas of the Centinelan region where the species lives. 

Gasteranthus extinctus will be keeping its name. Said study co-author Dawson White, “It’s an important piece of evidence that it’s not too late to be exploring and inventorying plants and animals in the heavily degraded forests of western Ecuador.”