Rare Sri Lankan Plant Rediscovered After 170 Years

Researchers have confirmed the existence of Indianthus virgatus, a critically endangered plant once thought extinct in Sri Lanka, in a low‑land forest fragment along the Sitawaka Ganga River. The species, known for its small white flowers, was last recorded in the country in 1855. In January 2025, a team from Manipal Academy of Higher Education and collaborators used historical records and predictive habitat modeling to identify suitable sites in southwestern Sri Lanka. They found a population of 70 to 100 individuals in Sabaragamuwa Province, matching the model’s high‑suitability predictions. The discovery underscores the species’ disjunct distribution across the Indian subcontinent and provides a concrete baseline for targeted conservation actions.