Ten Extremely Rare Seeds on the Brink of Extinction
The Millennium Seed Bank has set out to collect 25 percent of the world's plant species by 2020—before it is too late
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian.com, May 14, 2012
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(Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
Name: Starfruit (Damasonium alisma)
Status: Once found in several counties of England, the now critically endangered starfruit is limited to just a few sites in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey. It is illegal to pick or intentionally damage the plant.
Threats: The aquatic plant, with white flowers and star-shaped fruits, prefers the edges of muddy ponds, turned up by cattle in the pastures looking for a drink. But development has made this habitat scarce.
Learn more about Starfruits at the Encyclopedia of Life.
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Comments (3)
Mulanje cedar is really going. I concieve a plan to conduct a research at Chambe Basin but I don't have enough resources. Anyone who may wish to offer support should contact me. I'm currently studying forestry at Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife. The research is part of the fulfillment for the award of the diploma. please help me.
Posted by Frank Fred on May 4,2013 | 05:14 PM
we have some in the woods but we are not allowed to touch them
Posted by corbin geyer on September 7,2012 | 12:08 AM
It is endemic to the Mulanje Massif of Malawi, but yet it is a pioneer species. It can be used for reforesting high elevation forests throughout southern Africa. One of the most endangered forest types in Africa are montane forest. This could be the pioneer species, that can help in assisting in reforestation techniques.
Posted by Tim Upham on August 30,2012 | 04:53 PM