Kew Gardens botanist found rare plant extinct for 70 years with aims to kickstart return

Mr Xanthos said the plant was last found in the Lateritic bowal habitat, adding that the area is “characterised by an absence of trees and an orange-red soil surface due to the high iron content in the ground.

The main threats to this habitat are iron-ore mining, though additional threats include artificial fires, associated grazing and intensive agriculture. Because this species, along with several others, had not been recorded over several decades despite many surveys carried out in Guinea, it was presumed, in early 2019, that the species was possibly extinct.

“It was only after the collection from Kounounkan was brought back to Kew, that it was identified as the same species as that collected in 1949.”

As a result of the team’s work, RBG Kew’s scientists have published conservation assessments for around 250 species in Guinea, outlined in the book Threatened Habitats and Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) of Guinea West Africa. In addition, they have highlighted 22 threatened habitats in need of conservation. (Here’s more info about our TIPAs programme).

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1712047/kew-gardens-botanist-rare-plant-extinct-70-years-Ctenium-sequiflorum-cop15