Researchers have a population of an extremely rare plant species, last recorded in Sri Lanka in 1855, growing in a lowland forest fragment along the Sitawaka Ganga River.
Documenting the finding in a recent study, researchers write that the plant, Indianthus virgatus, while officially listed as critically endangered in Sri Lanka, was presumed possibly extinct in the wild in the country.
I. virgatus, which has small white flowers, grows in the understory of wet tropical forests. It’s known from some 150 locations in India, but the only verified record of the plant in Sri Lanka is from a specimen collected in 1855, the study says.
Using a combination of historical records across India and Sri Lanka, and predictive habitat modeling to identify potential habitats, researchers looked for the plant in southwestern Sri Lanka, in Sabaragamuwa Province.
In January 2025, the research team successfully located a small population of I. virgatus of 70 to 100 individuals. This population was found in an area that researchers had predicted to be highly suitable for the species.
