Botanists discovered a new plant called Amalophyllon miraculum in a small part of a forest in northwestern Ecuador.
Clark, a botanist from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Florida, and his team found the rare tree while driving near Santo Domingo on the western slopes of the Andes. They stopped to investigate, and the landowner, curious about their interest, gave them permission to explore the forest patch on his property.
The tiny plant, just 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall, was discovered growing on a boulder in a region that has lost 70 to 97 percent of its original forest due to farming and past government policies promoting deforestation.
Researchers believe this new species offers hope for preserving biodiversity. It shows that unique species can still survive in areas that have been significantly changed.
“We knew right away it was something unique,” Clark told Mongabay News.
Green leaves with minuscule white flowers
Amalophyllon miraculum stands out with its green leaves sporting purple undersides and tiny white flowers. This new species was recently detailed in the journal PhytoKeys.
Centinela, where the plant was discovered, was once part of a vast, dense tropical forest. Now, much of it has been cleared for farming.
Experts believe 70 to 97 percent of the original forests in western Ecuador have been lost since the mid-20th century. The remaining patches of Centinela forest are now isolated pockets of diverse wildlife surrounded by agricultural land.
Discovering hope in the midst of devastation! Meet Amalophyllon miraculum, a newly found species in Ecuador’s Andes—a tiny symbol of resilience in a once ravaged landscape.
#Biodiversity #Conservation #NewSpecies pic.twitter.com/sd1wBg3uQh
— Mahir Daiyan (@m_mahirdaiyan) June 14, 2024
“When I mention howler monkeys, most people think of the Amazon, but you used to know you were getting away from Quito [the capital city] and close to Guayaquil [west of the Andes] because you could hear the monkeys howling,” Clark said. “It’s incredible how much that landscape has changed. Now you have wholesale deforestation.”
There are currently only two known populations of Amalophyllon miraculum, both found in small protected areas. Due to its restricted range, it has been preliminarily classified as critically endangered. Clark said that the name “Amalophyllon miraculum” signifies the “miracle” of discovering the plant in these unexpected fragments of protected forests.
Ecuador’s forest holds many things yet to be discovered
Andrea Fernandez, a co-author of the study from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), expressed to Mongabay, “Describing this species represents a relic of what still remains of the forest.”
“It really tells a story of hope where the forests hold many things yet to be discovered even when they are so small,” Fernandez further added.
Much of the deforestation in this region of Ecuador has been driven by agriculture, closely linked to historical government policies. In the 1960s, Ecuador’s government classified forested lands without human occupants as “unproductive,” making them vulnerable to occupation by land grabbers.
To retain ownership, landowners were required to clear at least half of their land to demonstrate active use.