Rediscovered after 100 years: scientists reveal status of the critically endangered Osmanthus pubipedicellatus
image: The rediscovery of Osmanthus pubipedicellatus, a national second-class key protected critically endangered plant.
Credit: Dan Xie, Yi-Da Xu, Rong Liu, Shu-Peng Dong, Imalka Kahandawala, Angela Biro, and Zu-Lin Ning.
Date: April 25, 2026
Guangzhou, China: An international research team led by the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has officially rediscovered Osmanthus pubipedicellatus, a critically endangered oleaceous species missing from its type locality for nearly a century. The findings, published in Biological Diversity, combine morphological taxonomy, DNA sequencing, population ecology, and community analysis to clarify its identity, habitat, and extinction risk.
The team conducted six field surveys on Mt. Tonggu, Guangdong Province, and located 18 wild and transplanted individuals. By comparing vegetative, floral, and fruit traits with 1932 type specimens, and sequencing nuclear ITS and four chloroplast fragments from both modern samples and herbarium type material, researchers confirmed the rediscovered plants match O. pubipedicellatus. Notably, pubescence was found not to be a diagnostic trait, as both puberulent and glabrous individuals belong to the same species.
Ecological surveys showed the species inhabits subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests dominated by Lauraceae and Fagaceae. Population dynamic analysis using a static life table and survival curves revealed a declining Deevy-II type population with severe recruitment failure: seedlings and small trees are largely absent. Population indices indicate high vulnerability to external disturbance, with a clear long-term declining trend.
The community includes 103 vascular plant species, but O. pubipedicellatus ranks sixth in importance value. Threats include insufficient light for germination, pollinator limitation, fruit abscission, and historical overcollection.
This study provides the first integrative assessment of the century-lost species. The team urges immediate in-situ protection, ex-situ conservation, and population reinforcement to prevent extinction.
Original Source
Xie, Dan, Yi-Da Xu, Rong Liu, Shu-Peng Dong, Imalka Kahandawala, Angela Biro, and Zu-Lin Ning. 2024. “Community Characteristics and Population Dynamics of Osmanthus pubipedicellatus, a Rediscovered Critically Endangered Species Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence.” Biological Diversity 1(2): 93–105.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bod2.12018
Keywords
community characteristics, conservation, Guangdong Province, molecular evidence, Oleaceae, population dynamics, rediscovery
About the Author
Dan Xie (First Author), Engineer at the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He focuses on plant taxonomy, biodiversity conservation, and population ecology of rare and endangered plants. His work supports the conservation of threatened plants in South China.
Zu-Lin Ning (Corresponding Author), PhD, Senior Engineer, the Horticulture Research Center at the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on plant ex-situ conservation, field surveys, and sustainable utilization of rare and endangered plants. He devotes to the conservation and population restoration of threatened plants in South China.
About the Journal
Biological Diversity (ISSN: 2994-4139) is a new open-access, high-impact, English-language journal, devoted to advancing biodiversity conservation, enhancing ecosystem services, and promoting the sustainable use of resources under global change. It features innovative research addressing the global biodiversity crisis.