Samantha Lock, Photo leads to rediscovery of ‘extinct’ Aussie plant, InDaily, 19 January 2026
A native plant species has been rediscovered decades after it was presumed extinct, highlighting the power of citizen science data in research and conservation.
A small, slender, seldom-flowering Australian shrub thought to be extinct is “clinging on by its fingertips” after a citizen scientist made a fortuitous discovery.
The plant, with the scientific name Ptilotus senarius, hadn’t been seen in Australian soil since 1967, but a chance encounter with a bird enthusiast in northern Queensland has given scientists renewed hope.