Long-lost South African plant rediscovered after nearly 200 years

A long-lost plant, missing for nearly two centuries, has been rediscovered near Nieuwoudtville, reaffirming the extraordinary richness of South Africa’s botanical heritage. Prismatocarpus fastigiatus, last collected in 1830 by the German horticulturist and botanical collector Johann Franz Drège, had not been seen since. For years, botanists assumed the species was either extremely rare or extinct, until biodiversity officer JP Le Roux made an unexpected discovery about 12km south of Nieuwoudtville on the Bokkeveld Plateau.

He posted a photograph of the plant oniNaturalist, where fellow botanists were able to confirm its identity. Research suggests that one reasonP. fastigiatusremained hidden for so long is that it was originally believed to occur in the Caledon/Bredasdorp region of the Western Cape, about 300km away.

In reality, the plant’s home is Uienvalei — “bulb valley” — on the Bokkeveld Plateau, a region renowned for its spring and autumn blooms that draw visitors from across the globe. Another factor might be its flowering period.P. fastigiatusblooms in mid-summer, a time when few botanists are typically in the field, highlighting the crucial role of grassroots conservation efforts.

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Amateur botanist De Waal Hugo, who had long sought the missing plant, emailed Le Roux saying he suspected the original location had been incorrectly recorded. Hugo, who has a particular interest in the bellflower family (Campanulaceae) to which this plant belongs, told him: “It was immensely fortunate that you found the plants in flower and confirmed the theory. “Hopefully, a proper assessment of the conservation status can now be undertaken and the plant appropriately protected.

It is quite possibly still rare in an area that has seen a lot of habitat loss.” Le Roux came across the plant while surveying a property bordering the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve for flowering Pelargonium species. “The area burnt in 2024, so I was out looking for any unusual plants,” he said. “At this time of year, it’s quite unusual to find anything in flower, so when I came across this plant it immediately caught my attention as something out of the ordinary. “I took photographs and uploaded the observation to iNaturalist, which I routinely do to collect biodiversity data and make every field trip count.”

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