Gasteranthus extinctus is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.[1] The species is a small herb that produces bright orange flowers that gave rise to the genus name Gasteranthus ("belly flower").[2]
| Gasteranthus extinctus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gasteranthus extinctus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Genus: | Gasteranthus |
| Species: | G. extinctus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gasteranthus extinctus L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
| |
Conservation
editGasteranthus extinctus was declared extinct after large areas of the rainforest where it occurred were cleared for farmland. On 15 April 2022, the plant was rediscovered in the foothills of the Andes mountains, and in patches of cloud forest in the Centinela region of Ecuador, almost 40 years after it was last sighted.[3][4][5] G. extinctus was subsequently reclassified as critically endangered.
Sources
edit- ^ a b Clark, J.L.; Skog, L.E.; Pitman, N. (2004). "Gasteranthus extinctus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T45338A10992670. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T45338A10992670.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "'Extinct' flower rediscovered in Ecuador after forest destruction". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ^ Bugel, Safi (15 April 2022). "Wildflower believed to be extinct for 40 years spotted in Ecuador". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
- ^ Pitman NC, White DM, Andino JG, Couvreur TL, Fortier RP, Zapata JN, et al. (15 April 2022). "Rediscovery of Gasteranthus extinctus L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist (Gesneriaceae) at multiple sites in western Ecuador". PhytoKeys (194): 33–46. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.194.79638. PMC 9033745. PMID 35586327.
- ^ Kooser, Amanda (15 April 2022). "Scientists rediscover lost wildflower named extinctus, but it's still endangered". CNET.com.
 | This Gesneriaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |