Post by Melanie on Jun 6, 2018 17:12:21 GMT 1
(CNS): An extremely rare endemic mistletoe species, which had not been seen since 1991 and was feared extinct, has been found on Little Cayman, paving the way for the Department of Environment to undertake a thorough survey of the plant for its future protection. The Terrestrial Research Unit at the DoE has been looking for this plant for many years, and according to a report in the latest edition of the DoE’s magazine, Flicker, the mysterious mistletoe species, Dendropemon caymanensis, was finally found quite by chance.
Stuart Mailer, the environmental programmes manager for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, was on an altogether different mission in Little Cayman in January of this year, inspecting a network of trails that have recently been developed by a landowner on a large forested property on the island.
Exploring what he said was a remote forest home to several rare plants and one of the places where the mistletoe was last seen, he spotted many “amazing” plants and trees. But on higher ground, where the trees gave way too shrubs, he encountered several headache bushes, primary host for the elusive Dendropemon.
According to Mailer, after some time, some scrambling around and careful concentration, he eventually spotted what might he thought could be the elusive mistletoe, and after he and others in the party looked more closely, they were all reasonably convinced it was the mistletoe, even more so when they found more of the parasitic plant, which he was able to photograph close up for the record.
Comparisons of Mailer’s pictures with George R. Proctor’s description of the various mistletoe species recorded in Cayman in his seminal work about local plants, based on the shape of the leaves and the berries, it seemed that Mailer had rediscovered the rare mistletoe.
Following his discovery, he sent his photos to the DoE, which passed them on to other international experts, who confirmed the identification. The TRU then conducted an initial search and identified another seven locations in the area where the plant was growing. As a result, a new survey will soon be underway to ensure the plant is preserved and to help researchers understand more about this plant.
caymannewsservice.com/2018/06/mistletoe-feared-extinct-found-on-little-cayman/
Stuart Mailer, the environmental programmes manager for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, was on an altogether different mission in Little Cayman in January of this year, inspecting a network of trails that have recently been developed by a landowner on a large forested property on the island.
Exploring what he said was a remote forest home to several rare plants and one of the places where the mistletoe was last seen, he spotted many “amazing” plants and trees. But on higher ground, where the trees gave way too shrubs, he encountered several headache bushes, primary host for the elusive Dendropemon.
According to Mailer, after some time, some scrambling around and careful concentration, he eventually spotted what might he thought could be the elusive mistletoe, and after he and others in the party looked more closely, they were all reasonably convinced it was the mistletoe, even more so when they found more of the parasitic plant, which he was able to photograph close up for the record.
Comparisons of Mailer’s pictures with George R. Proctor’s description of the various mistletoe species recorded in Cayman in his seminal work about local plants, based on the shape of the leaves and the berries, it seemed that Mailer had rediscovered the rare mistletoe.
Following his discovery, he sent his photos to the DoE, which passed them on to other international experts, who confirmed the identification. The TRU then conducted an initial search and identified another seven locations in the area where the plant was growing. As a result, a new survey will soon be underway to ensure the plant is preserved and to help researchers understand more about this plant.
caymannewsservice.com/2018/06/mistletoe-feared-extinct-found-on-little-cayman/
