Overview
- A paper in the Australian Journal of Botany confirms Ptilotus senarius is extant based on a collected specimen and photographic records.
- Horticulturalist and bird bander Aaron Bean photographed the plant in June 2025 on a Gilbert River cattle station and uploaded the images to iNaturalist.
- Queensland Herbarium botanist Anthony (Tony) Bean and collaborators coordinated a swift response, collecting a specimen on July 7 and verifying it in Brisbane within a week.
- Researchers observed roughly 15 plants at the site, kept the precise location confidential because it is on private property, and outlined plans for targeted surveys and long-term monitoring.
- The case underscores iNaturalist’s conservation value, with more than 104 million verifiable plant records by July 2025 helping experts detect rare species in remote or restricted areas.