Archive of Vanished Flora
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Wildfire Flower Pyrophila resurgens
Specimen · N°025 · Fire

Pyrophila resurgens

Only after fire has passed does this flower appear.

FOUND 33.9°S 19.8°E · Dry grassland of the Cape region, South Africa  ·  ✝ EX · Last seen 2023

A grassland plant 15–25 cm tall, bearing a few small crimson flowers atop slender stems, with narrow grey-green leaves. Its seeds sleep underground and wake only on touching wildfire smoke, sprouting all at once on the blackened, burned ground.

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Specimen Plates

8 plates · click to enlarge
Wildfire Flower plate 1PLATE I
Wildfire Flower plate 2PLATE II
Wildfire Flower plate 3PLATE III
Wildfire Flower plate 4PLATE IV
Wildfire Flower plate 5PLATE V
Wildfire Flower plate 6PLATE VI
Wildfire Flower plate 7PLATE VII
Wildfire Flower plate 8PLATE VIII
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Field Note

Habitat
Dry grassland of the Cape region, South Africa. Hill country that wildfire sweeps through once every few years.
Local name
Flower After the Fire
Folklore
Locally, years when it bloomed across the land were said to be followed by a rich rainy season and lush grass.
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Locator

Coordinates
33.9°S 19.8°E
Dry grassland of the Cape region, South Africa
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Record

Only after fire has passed does this flower appear.

The seed sleeps on until it senses the scent of smoke.

The dry grassland of the Cape, South Africa.

Hills that wildfire races through once every few years.

The Wildfire Flower's seeds wait underground, waking only at the touch of smoke.

On the burned, blackened ground, small crimson flowers open all at once.

More分類・学名・語源などの詳しい標本データ
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Classification

Classification & specimen data
Scientific name
Pyrophila resurgens  K. Brandt, 2020
Taxonomy
Plantae › Angiosperms › Dicotyledons › PyrophilalesPyrophilaceaePyrophila › resurgens
Voucher
AVF-025 · Holotype
Archive of Vanished Flora (AVF)
Conservation
✝ EX — Extinct Last seen 2023
Collector
Y. Aoki
2019-02-14
Synonym
Pyroopsis resurgens C. Iwabuchi, 2017
Protologue (Latin)
Planta humilis, caule brevissimo, petalis albidis nitentibus, in loco aperto crescens. Typus: Dry grassland of the Cape region, South Africa. Species iam extincta.
Discovered / Described
2019 / 2020
Height
15〜25cm
Life form
Perennial herb
Phyllotaxy
Alternate
Chromosome
2n = 16
Flowering
The season after disturbance (eruption/fire)
Pollination
Small flies and wasps
Substrate · pH
Gravelly, near-neutral
Elevation
200〜1,200 m
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Etymology

Etymology of the name
PyrophilaGENUS
pyroFire
phil-loving
resurgensEPITHET
resurgresurgent
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Related

Specimens of the same habitat
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