Extinct Plant Rediscovered After 60 Years Via iNaturalist

Rediscovery of a 'Lost' Australian Plant Species

In a remarkable conservation breakthrough, a plant species believed extinct for nearly six decades has been rediscovered in remote northern Queensland, Australia. The slender shrub Ptilotus senarius, with its distinctive purple-pink flowers resembling 'exploding fireworks with feathers,' was last officially documented in 1967 and had been presumed lost forever.

The Citizen Science Discovery

The rediscovery story began in June 2025 when professional horticulturist Aaron Bean was bird banding on a sprawling outback station in the Gilbert River region. Spotting an unusual plant, he snapped photos and uploaded them to the citizen science platform iNaturalist, a global network where nature enthusiasts share observations.

'It was very serendipitous,' says Thomas Mesaglio, a botanist at the Queensland Herbarium who has written about the rediscovery for the Australian Journal of Botany. 'Aaron Bean is an avid iNaturalist user who opportunistically took some photos of a few plants that were interesting on the property.'

Expert Identification and Confirmation

The photos caught the attention of botanist Anthony Bean (no relation) from the Queensland Herbarium, who immediately recognized the plant as something extraordinary. Anthony had actually described Ptilotus senarius as a new species in 2014 based on historical specimens, but until now, it was considered extinct.

With permission from the landowner, researchers conducted follow-up field visits to confirm the identification. The plant, which grows to about 50-60 centimeters tall with unique star-shaped hairs on its stems, was indeed the long-lost species.

The Growing Power of Citizen Science

This discovery highlights the transformative role citizen science platforms are playing in biodiversity research. iNaturalist now boasts over 4 million users who have contributed nearly 300 million observations of more than 500,000 species worldwide.

'Engaging landholders themselves with science and the natural world makes them far more likely to be interested and invested in protecting that diversity,' Mesaglio explains. He notes that iNaturalist has been cited in scientific papers covering 128 countries and thousands of species, underscoring its importance as a research tool.

Conservation Implications

The rediscovery has significant conservation implications. Ptilotus senarius has now been moved from 'presumed extinct' to the 'critically endangered' species list, allowing conservationists to implement protection measures.

The plant's extremely limited distribution—found only in rough country between Georgetown and Croydon in northern Queensland—makes it particularly vulnerable. Its habitat consists of tea-tree forest dominated by Melaleuca species and grassy hills, areas potentially threatened by cattle grazing and land use changes.

A Broader Trend

This rediscovery is part of a growing trend where citizen scientists are making significant contributions to biodiversity knowledge. Platforms like iNaturalist are democratizing science, allowing anyone with curiosity and a smartphone to contribute to important discoveries.

As Mesaglio notes, 'The more information you can provide and the more context you can provide, the more potential uses that that record will have in the future.'

The story of Ptilotus senarius serves as both a conservation success story and a powerful reminder that even in our rapidly changing world, nature can still surprise us with its resilience.