Abutilon pitcairnense
Encyclopedia
Abutilon pitcairnense is a critically endangered perennial plant that is native to Pitcairn Island. It was once considered extinct, until a single plant was discovered on the island in 2003. At that time, cuttings and seed were used to propagate several plants at a nursery on the island and botanical gardens in Ireland and England. The last wild surviving plant died in a landslide in 2005, making the plant extinct in the wild
.
Abutilon pitcairnense is a spreading shrub, growing 1 m (3.3 ft) tall with nodding bell-shaped yellow flowers that have 3 cm (1.2 in) long petals. The alternate leaves are 13 cm (5.1 in) by 9 cm (3.5 in). The plant is native to unstable slopes, flowering from July to August.
. After being considered extinct for twenty years, a single plant was found growing in native forest of Homalium taypau
and Metrosideros collina
in 2003. Vegetative propagation, along with seed from the plant, were used to establish a small population on the island's nursery, with some propagation material also being sent to Trinity College Botanic Gardens, Dublin. A landslide killed the only wild plant in 2005, making the plant extinct in the wild
. Cuttings from the Trinity College collection were taken to the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Glasnevin in 2007, and later to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
The forest where the plant is native is threatened by invasive species, with the Homalium taypau
trees under competition from Syzygium jambos and Lantana camara
. Chemical control of the invasive plants, along with reintroduction of native species, have had some success. As of 2011, there are plans to attempt the reintroduction of Abutilon pitcairnense to the island. There are also plans for a more thorough search of the island for surviving native plants during July and August, the flowering season of Abutilon pitcairnense.
and Francis Raymond Fosberg
, and named after the island.
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
.
Abutilon pitcairnense is a spreading shrub, growing 1 m (3.3 ft) tall with nodding bell-shaped yellow flowers that have 3 cm (1.2 in) long petals. The alternate leaves are 13 cm (5.1 in) by 9 cm (3.5 in). The plant is native to unstable slopes, flowering from July to August.
Conservation and habitat
The plant is native to tiny Pitcairn Island (3 by), a remote island between New Zealand and South America which is mostly known for being settled by the mutineers from the HMS BountyHMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
. After being considered extinct for twenty years, a single plant was found growing in native forest of Homalium taypau
Homalium taypau
Homalium taypau is a species of plant in the Salicaceae family. It is endemic to Pitcairn. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
and Metrosideros collina
Metrosideros collina
Metrosideros collina is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to the Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu. In the Samoa Islands, the plant is indigenous to the islands of Savai'i, Upolu and Tutuila.-Taxonomy:The species was first formally described by...
in 2003. Vegetative propagation, along with seed from the plant, were used to establish a small population on the island's nursery, with some propagation material also being sent to Trinity College Botanic Gardens, Dublin. A landslide killed the only wild plant in 2005, making the plant extinct in the wild
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
. Cuttings from the Trinity College collection were taken to the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Glasnevin in 2007, and later to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
The forest where the plant is native is threatened by invasive species, with the Homalium taypau
Homalium taypau
Homalium taypau is a species of plant in the Salicaceae family. It is endemic to Pitcairn. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
trees under competition from Syzygium jambos and Lantana camara
Lantana camara
Lantana camara, also known as Spanish Flag or West Indian Lantana, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics. It has been introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is considered an invasive species in many...
. Chemical control of the invasive plants, along with reintroduction of native species, have had some success. As of 2011, there are plans to attempt the reintroduction of Abutilon pitcairnense to the island. There are also plans for a more thorough search of the island for surviving native plants during July and August, the flowering season of Abutilon pitcairnense.
Taxonomy
Abutilon pitcairnense was discovered in 1934 by two American botanists, Harold St. JohnHarold St. John
Harold St. John was a professor of botany at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa from 1929 to 1958. A prolific specialist in field botany and systematics, he is credited with discovering about 500 new species of Pandanus, along with many other species, especially in the Pacific Islands.Born in...
and Francis Raymond Fosberg
Francis Raymond Fosberg
Francis Raymond "Ray" Fosberg was an American botanist. A prolific collector and author, he played a significant role in the development of coral reef and island studies.-History:...
, and named after the island.