Two unique New Zealand plants that have been believed extinct in the wild have been rediscovered, the government's Department of Conservation announced Tuesday.
Dysphania pusilla, or pygmy goosefoot, had been one of eight native plant species listed as completely extinct until its surprise rediscovery in summer at two widely-separated sites in the South Island, said a statement of the department.
Another native herb, Leptinella filiformis, or slender button daisy, was being cultivated at some protected sites, but was last seen growing wild in the late 1990s until it was rediscovered growing wild at another site in the South Island.
"The last record of pygmy goosefoot was from 56 years ago and amazingly, when rediscovered this year, a few thousand plants were seen at both locations," director-general Lou Sanson of the department said in the statement.
"Botanists believe pygmy goosefoot may lie dormant for many years as seed when conditions aren't suitable for it to grow. It was fortunate rangers were in the right places at the right time when it had germinated in abundance enabling its rediscovery," he said.
"Both herb species grow in dry, open areas and finding them highlights how much is still being learnt about the unique species that inhabit such dryland ecosystems and what is needed to preserve them."