Before it was rediscovered in a crater in Hawaii, this plant was believed to have gone extinct.

 

 

In a crater on the island of Hawaii, an unique plant that was believed to be extinct in the wild was found.

 

According to a joint news release from Kamehameha Schools, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and charity Three Mountains Alliance released on Monday, the small colony of Delissea argutidentata was found in March 2021.

 

The press statement stated that three distinct Delissa plants were discovered in a crater on land controlled by the school system on Hawaii Island. To save the species, the precise location where the incredibly uncommon plants were discovered is being kept secret. They also put up a safety fence to keep them contained.

According to the press release, the recently discovered plants are already being used to aid in the repopulation of their species. The three plants in the crater produced seeds, which sprouted into 30 seedlings.

 

The discovery, according to Amber Nmaka Whitehead, the natural resources manager for the school system, is "the first step toward a much stronger focus on rare species recovery."

 

"Healthy native ecosystems and each and every one of our rare species are necessities for us. They are crucial to maintaining our Hawaiian cultural identity as well as our community's health and well-being "She continued.

 

According to the press release, Delissea argutidentata has a long, unbranched trunk that can get as tall as 35 feet.

 

According to the press announcement, the plant had not been spotted in the region since the early 1970s. A solitary plant was discovered in 1992, but it perished in 2002. The plant had been thought to be extinct in the wild ever since.

 

The discovery of the three plants, according to Colleen Cole, coordinator of the Three Mountain Alliance, a group devoted to managing watersheds throughout the Mauna Loa, Klauea, and Hualalai mountains, is "an essential message of optimism."

 

The Delissea reminds us to always nurture and make room for hope and discovery, Cole said in the press release. "In Hawaii, there is frequently a great deal of focus on loss - loss of species, forest, sacred places - and maybe that is human nature. We may now introduce this plant in great numbers to its old range thanks to this incredibly encouraging event, which serves as a reminder to stay positive and watchful.