Tree That Went Extinct In 1838 Resprouts In Brazil City 200 Years Later
NDTV
Better known as the Pernambuco holly, the tree was first documented in Western science by the Scottish biologist George Gardner in 1838.
A species of small holly tree that was last seen nearly two centuries ago and was feared extinct has been rediscovered pluckily clinging to life in an urban area in northeastern Brazil, scientists said Tuesday. The tree, "Ilex sapiiformis," was found in the city of Igarassu, in Pernambuco state, by an expedition that spent six days combing the region in hopes of finding it, said the conservation group that backed the project, Re:wild, co-founded by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Better known as the Pernambuco holly, the tree was first documented in Western science by the Scottish biologist George Gardner in 1838.
His collection was the only confirmed sighting -- until March 22, when the new expedition found four of the trees on the bank of a small river in the city of Igarassu, just outside the state capital, Recife.
