This Itty Bitty Plant Was Thought To Be Extinct, But It Was Recently Rediscovered In Vermont

Over a century later, a tiny plant that was thought to be extinct has been rediscovered in Vermont. The plant species is called false mermaid weed and is scientifically known as Floerkea proserpinacoides. Until now, it hasn’t been seen in Vermont since 1916.
False mermaid weed can be found in swamps and along the rivers and streams of floodplain forests in the western parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
It grows under a canopy of ostrich ferns, which stand as tall as a person’s shoulder. Its flower is composed of three miniature white petals that don’t make the plant any easier to spot.
According to a social media post from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the flowers of false mermaid weed are as small as the head of a pin.
Plus, they have a short blooming period of around four to six weeks per year. Once the plants have finished flowering and dispersing their seeds, they will nestle themselves back into the ground until the following spring. All things considered, it’s much like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
But now, 108 years later, a scientist named Molly Parren from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department stumbled across the itty bitty plant growing on the side of a stream while visiting a piece of private land.
She snapped a picture and sent it to her colleague, Grace Glynn, who was a botanist. Glynn expressed her surprise and delight regarding the discovery.
“When I opened up the photo that she had sent, there was this weird little plant in the corner of the frame. And when I zoomed in, I immediately knew that it was Floerkea, that it was false mermaid weed,” she said. “I couldn’t believe I was finally seeing this plant.”
Glynn visited the site to confirm the find for herself. On a second visit, she even located more specimens within a public conservation area further downstream.

Don Landwehrle – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Previously, it was believed that extreme floods, invasive species, and infrastructure development in Vermont’s floodplains wiped out the plant for good.
“The fact that the newly rediscovered population of false mermaid weed has been able to persist in good quality habitat—on both private and protected land in Addison County—for over a century is a sign that good stewardship by landowners and conservation organizations can really make a difference,” said the department.
Since the plant only blooms for a short period, the rediscovered patch won’t be able to be studied in more detail until the next year.
It is the hope that botanists can figure out how to improve conservation efforts for false mermaid weed and help it thrive in the future. The latest discovery highlights the importance of monitoring biodiversity.
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