Kingdom Plantae Family Asteraceae Genus Commidendrum Rank Species | Order Asterales Tribe Astereae Higher classification Commidendrum | |
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Scientific name Commidendrum rotundifolium Similar Commidendrum, Commidendrum spurium, Commidendrum robustum, Cyanea truncata, Trochetiopsis erythroxylon | ||
The bastard gumwood (Commidendrum rotundifolium) is a species of tree endemic to the island of Saint Helena. It was thought to be extinct, but one last tree was discovered in Horse Pasture in 1982. This tree, long believed to be the last, was destroyed in 1986 by a gale. Fortunately seedlings were grown from this tree before it perished. The last of these to survive in cultivation was damaged by gales in 2008 and the survival of the species was in doubt.
In December 2009, Lourens Malan, a horticulturist working for the island's conservation department under the Critical Species Recovery Project, discovered a wild tree growing on a cliff. A local team of botanists, conservationists and volunteers commenced an intensive programme of hand pollination and seed collection of the remaining cultivated tree, while protecting it from insects that may cross-pollinate with nearby false gumwoods. Successful fertilisation will occur only if any grains of pollen happen to have mutations that will suppress the tree's mechanisms for preventing self-pollination.
With funding from DEFRA an intensive propagation and nursery programme has demonstrated that a low percentage (0.2%) of viable seed can be generated by this method, and, as of October 2010, 250 seedlings have been grown for the recovery of the species.
