Lost Plant Species Rediscovered: Sri Lankan Botanist Finds 100+ ‘Extinct’ Plants
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📰 The quick summary: Young Sri Lankan scientist Himesh Jayasinghe has rediscovered more than 100 plant species previously thought extinct and found 210 species never before reported in Sri Lanka, giving new hope for biodiversity conservation in well-explored tropical countries.
📈 One key stat: Over 210 plant species never before reported from Sri Lanka have been discovered by Jayasinghe, including about 150 potentially new to science, highlighting significant undiscovered biodiversity even in well-explored areas.
💬 One key quote: ““Himesh is an amazing guy,” Wijesundara said. “He spends his life searching for plants.”“
1️⃣ The big picture: A young Sri Lankan scientist named Himesh Jayasinghe has made extraordinary botanical discoveries that challenge our understanding of extinction. Despite having a background in civil engineering, his passion for nature led him to document over 100 plant species previously thought extinct and discover 210 species never before recorded in Sri Lanka. His unconventional approach focuses on specialized, hard-to-access habitats including mountaintops, rock outcrops, and wetlands. Jayasinghe has assembled a comprehensive photo library representing nearly all of Sri Lanka’s known flowering plants and deposited thousands of specimens in the National Herbarium, making his discoveries accessible for future research and conservation. Sri Lanka’s plant messiah spreads optimism for biodiversity conservation.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Plant species considered lost for over a century are being rediscovered through targeted searches, proving extinction assessments can sometimes be premature. These findings reveal that unexpectedly high numbers of plant species still await discovery even in countries like Sri Lanka where botanical exploration has a long history dating back three centuries. The rediscoveries demonstrate the resilience of nature despite massive habitat loss – with less than 5% of Sri Lanka’s original rainforests remaining. Conservation efforts become more compelling when supposedly extinct species resurface, as evidenced by the case of Crudia zeylanica, which was rediscovered during an environmental impact assessment and successfully preserved despite development plans.
3️⃣ What’s next: Jayasinghe plans to continue exploring untapped areas while he’s physically able to work in the field. His upcoming 680-page book, “Discovery: Additions to the Flora of Ceylon,” will be published July 22nd, making his data and photographs available in the public domain. He’s prioritizing locating as many rare species as possible so government agencies and NGOs can initiate conservation actions before tackling formal taxonomy.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Sri Lanka’s plant messiah spreads optimism for biodiversity & conservation
