Blooming peacefully on a vertical cliff face, the flower thought to be extinct was rediscovered by scientists when they flew a drone “into the Hawaiian skies to observe an extremely biodiverse area on a remote part of Kauais’s Kalalau Valley.
According to a statement from the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hibiscadelphus woodii was discovered on a vertical cliff face. Most sections of this area of the valley are inaccessible to humans because of the steep landscape.
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Dr. David Lorence, director science and conservation for the garden, said, "This incredible rediscovery was made possible by our staff using drone technology and was supported by a grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Drone technology greatly facilitates botanical surveys in rough terrain areas."
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The plant grows in a shrub or small tree and produces bright yellow flowers, which turn purple or maroon as it ages. The species was named and published in 1995, raising the number of Hibiscadelphus at the time from six to seven species. An eighth species was discovered on Maui in 2012, and prior to the rediscovery, only two species still exist in the wild, the statement said.
In this day and age where a lot of animals and plants have gone extinct, it is a breath of fresh air to see this kind of news.
(Image Credit: CNN)
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That flower is a soldier from the future, flying through the air, aiming and firing an electric-ray rifle.
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