Now Reading: New Zealand rare woollyhead plant revived with 250 seedlings
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New Zealand rare woollyhead plant revived with 250 seedlings
The Times of India reports, citing Radio New Zealand, that about 250 seedlings of New Zealand’s rare woollyhead plant (Craspedia argentea) are being planted back into the Mahaka Katia Scientific Reserve. The…
The Story in Brief
The Times of India reports, citing Radio New Zealand, that about 250 seedlings of New Zealand’s rare woollyhead plant (Craspedia argentea) are being planted back into the Mahaka Katia Scientific Reserve. The dryland herb, found only in Central Otago’s Pisa Flats, had dwindled to just two known plants, with pollination breaking down. Conservationists collected a tiny seed supply, only three seeds from one season, two of which germinated, and began a hand-pollination and propagation programme at Dunedin Botanic Garden. After two years of work, the team produced roughly 300 seedlings from 800 seeds, far exceeding their original hopes of 20 or 30 plants. The young plants will now be monitored monthly through winter, with a trail camera watching between visits.
The Indian Opinion
A sceptic might call this sentimental fuss over a single weed, but the hand-pollination and painstaking propagation prove that targeted intervention can pull a species back from two individuals. Still, these 250 seedlings now face the harsh Central Otago dryland without nursery pampering. The real test is simple: will they survive the winter and set seed on their own? Next year’s monthly monitoring will give the answer.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
