‘Extinct’ plant, rediscovered after 200 years, could be lost again within 10 years

However the sedge may not be around for much longer as competition from non-native species, including a recently-colonised African grass sweeping across the island, could consign the sedge to extinction for good. Dr Phil Lambdon, who rediscovered the plant, said that without action to remove the threats from invasive plants, the sedge could be lost within a decade.

RSPB and Kew
RSPB-employed staff working on the island found the plant - one of the world's smallest sedges. Dr Dave Simpson of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) an expert in sedges verified the identification in London.

‘Neglected tuft sedge' - not seen since Napoleon
The tiny plant, now named the ‘neglected tuft sedge' was found in a remote, western part of the island, known as High Hill. Prior to its rediscovery, it was last seen in 1806, nine years before Napoleon was exiled on the island for six years after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

Dr Phil Lambdon said: "Before I arrived on the island, I'd studied the historic herbarium specimens at RBG Kew, which were collected by the English Explorer William Burchell on the island in the early 1800s, but I didn't believe at that time that I'd actually see the living plant. We have since made more discoveries of the neglected sedge since and we estimate there could be around 4000 plants. Although that sounds like a lot you could still fit the entire world population in a sports bag!"

The plant's Latin name is: Bulbostylis neglecta. Dr Lambdon added: "We liked the fact that the sedge was christened neglecta; it seemed appropriate for a plant that hadn't been seen for two centuries."

Invasive species
Dr Lambdon is working for the South Atlantic Invasive Species project, which is funded by the European Union and managed by the RSPB, on behalf of the St Helena Government, and supported by RBG Kew.

Claire Miller manages the South Atlantic Invasive Species project. She said: "St Helena's wildlife has been ravaged by species introduced to the island. Goats, gorse, grasses, and cage birds have all been liberated on the island where they have wreaked havoc with the native species.

Extinction hotspot
"St Helena is a noted extinction hotspot, driven largely by non-native species, and the native birds have suffered more here than many other islands. Of eight species of bird confined to the island, seven have become extinct since the island's discovery in 1502.

"The rediscovery of the sedge does give some renewed hope that other extinct species may be still be lurking in isolated spots on St Helena. For example, it is not completely beyond possibility that one of the nocturnal seabirds may yet be discovered still nesting in burrows in remote parts of the island. We wonder whether this island has given up all its wildlife secrets."

Millenium seed bank
Colin Clubbe, who heads up RBG Kew's work on St Helena said: "As well as making sure this small population of plants is conserved in the wild, we will try to collect seeds to be banked at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank for safe keeping and repatriation to St Helena. If we are successful, the seeds will join seeds from almost 22,000 other wild flowering plant species already conserved in the Seed Bank."