Sonchus neriifolius

Sonchus neriifolius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Sonchus
Subgenus: Sonchus subg. Dendroseris
Species:
S. neriifolius
Binomial name
Sonchus neriifolius
(Decne.) S.C.Kim & Mejías[2]
Synonyms[2]
  • Dendroseris neriifolia Hook. & Arn.
  • Rea leucantha Bertero ex DC.
  • Rea neriifolia Decne.

Sonchus neriifolius, synonym Dendroseris neriifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.[2] It is a tree with droopy, elongated leaves and small yellow-white flowers. The plant was originally native to Continental Chile but is now endemic to Robinson Crusoe Island. The plant is endangered and very rare: only two specimens are known to exist in a ravine in the eastern part of the island, although there exist other human-cultivated specimens.[3] It is classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.[1] In a collaboration between the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Kew Wakehurst near Haywards Heath and the National Forest Corporation (CONAF) with Parque Nacional Archipiélago Juan Fernández (PNAJF) 29 seeds (out of a total of 400 collected in May 2026) were sent to Kew, of which eight are now germinating. Three will be sent to Logan Botanic Garden in Scotland once they are big enough. 4 turned out to be not viable. The other 17 seeds will be put in long-term storage at the MSB at Kew. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Dendroseris neriifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998 e.T34171A9847347. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T34171A9847347.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sonchus neriifolius (Decne.) S.C.Kim & Mejías". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  3. ↑ "Dendroseris neriifolia - one of the rarest trees in the world". Wondermondo. 8 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Seeds from rare island tree arrive at Kew Wakehurst". 5 June 2026.