Overview
- Horticulturalist Aaron Bean photographed the plant in June 2025 on a Gilbert River cattle station and uploaded the images to iNaturalist, triggering expert interest.
- Botanists, including Tony Bean, collected a specimen in early July that confirmed the identification, and a 2026 Australian Journal of Botany paper formally documents the rediscovery.
- Researchers observed roughly 15 individual plants at the known location, and the precise site is being withheld to protect the population and respect private property.
- Targeted surveys and ongoing monitoring are being planned to determine the species’ population size, distribution, and conservation needs.
- Scientists say the case underscores how platforms like iNaturalist enable rapid detection in hard-to-reach places and note the species’ susceptibility to cattle grazing.