Scientists thrilled as ultra-rare flower once thought to be extinct begins to flourish in wild: 'We don't yet know its potential'

Researchers in China are celebrating the reemergence of a flower that was once thought to be extinct for over a century, according to GD Today.

Primulina tabacum is a "calciphilous perennial herb found only at the entrances of a small number of karst cave drainages in southern China," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was discovered in the 1880s but was not seen again until three plants were spotted in the 1990s.

Since then, researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have worked in partnership with the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve and South China Botanical Garden to ensure the plant's survival.

Primulina tabacum has enjoyed a healthy expansion throughout karst caves in Guangdong, China. The SCBG has a handful of locations for its conservation efforts, including its "display zone," which is home to over 18,000 taxa growing in 38 theme gardens. Inside the SCBG's Dinghushan National Nature Reserve, over 2,400 plant species are spread across 1,155 hectares (around 2,854 acres).

In 2002, the SCBG team established an ex situ conservation program in the hope of protecting rare and threatened plant species, as detailed by GD Today. Ex situ refers to something being located outside its natural place or habitat. These sites can serve as a safeguard against extinction and a means to study and understand plant diversity.

Ning Zulin, deputy director of SCBG's horticulture center, noted the central objective for plant conservationists, per GD Today: "We protect each plant not because of its known value, but because we don't yet know its potential. Once a species vanishes, it's irreversible."

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Plant conservation programs can play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, providing essential resources for humans and wildlife, and ensuring the overall health of the planet. Plants provide food, oxygen, and clean water for countless species. They have a major impact on biodiversity in many regions throughout the world.

Wang Ding of the Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme emphasized the importance of conservation efforts. "Nature reserves should bridge socio-economic development, not hinder it," he said, per GD Today. "Harmony with nature is our guiding principle."

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