About the plant
Cylindrocline lorencei is a small tree that has been considered extinct in the wild since 1990, but has recently been reintroduced to its native Mauritius.
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Not yet evaluated
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.
IUCN Red List Status:
Not yet evaluatedData deficientLeast concernNear threatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically endangeredExtinct in the wildExtinct
Facts
- Extinct in the wild
- Cultivated from rescued cells
- 80 other plant species considered extinct on Mauritius
- Sunflower family
© Harriet Maxwell
Andrew McRobb © RBG Kew
© Harriet Maxwell
Cloning from cells
Cylindrocline lorencei was last seen in the wild in Black River Gorges National Park, Mauritius. Thankfully, seeds were collected from the last two wild plants before they died.
The seeds wouldn’t germinate using conventional methods. In our Conservation Biotechnology Unit scientists identified a small number of living cells contained within the embryos of the seeds from one plant. These living cells were extracted and cultured, and slowly they multiplied.
After several years of patient work, three clones were successfully reared, saving this species from extinction.
-
Not yet evaluated
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.
IUCN Red List Status:
Not yet evaluatedData deficientLeast concernNear threatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically endangeredExtinct in the wildExtinct