易胜博官网

In 1901, several peculiar specimens of crabgrass were discovered on the rocky slopes of . Initially thought to belong to the species known as 听(Digitaria filiformis), the slender, wiry plants with small, delicate spikelets were only known from this single location. But by 1931, they were last collected from the area, and the grass has not been observed since. Recently, , which holds three of the last known remaining dried specimens of the grass, , commonly known as smooth crabgrass.

鈥淯sing our three herbarium specimens, I worked with colleagues to genetically identify that this was, in fact, its own species, and that it has been extinct from 易胜博官网 probably soon after last documented in 1931,鈥� said , Collections Manager for the Hodgdon Herbarium. 鈥淎nd I think over time, we鈥檒l see more and more stories like this, about how our natural history collections contain 鈥榟idden species鈥� that we may have not even known existed and have now disappeared from our world.鈥�

鈥淓thical plant collection will help reduce the likelihood that rare plant species go extinct in the future. Keeping this in mind, the importance of making new specimen collections for our public herbaria has never been greater given rapid environmental changes and loss of biodiversity.鈥� ~ Bill Nichols, NH State Botanist and Senior Ecologist with the NH Natural Heritage Bureau and lead author of the study

involved collaboration among researchers at 易胜博官网, West Virginia University, Oregon, and in Mexico, as well as scientists from the 听and was recently published about in an issue of听.听This international team compared DNA sequences from specimens at 易胜博官网鈥檚 herbarium to those of related species, helping to confirm it鈥檚 globally extinct status. This marked the first documented plant extinction in 易胜博官网 (and the 65^th documented plant extinction in the U.S.).

鈥淒ocumenting the extinction of Digitaria laeviglumis has significant implications for biodiversity conservation,鈥� said Sigel. 鈥淚t highlights the vulnerability of endemic species, particularly those with very limited geographic ranges, and understanding the factors that led to the extinction of this grass can help inform conservation strategies for other at-risk species.鈥�

鈥淭his case underscores the vital role herbaria play in preserving specimens and providing essential data for scientific research,鈥� she added.

, NH State Botanist and Senior Ecologist with the NH Natural Heritage Bureau and lead author of the study, noted that several factors contributed to the extinction of Digitaria laeviglumis, including increased recreation at Rock Rimmon over the last two centuries and over-collection by earlier botanists 鈥� 31 collections were made over a four-day span when last documented in 1931. Nichols and herbaria staff like Sigel emphasize that rare plant specimens should only be collected if there is a scientific need and if collecting them will not negatively impact plant populations.

鈥淓thical plant collection will help reduce the likelihood that rare plant species go extinct in the future,鈥� said Nichols. 鈥淜eeping this in mind, the importance of making new specimen collections for our public herbaria has never been greater given rapid environmental changes and loss of biodiversity.鈥�

This work is co-authored by William F. Nichols, Craig F. Barrett, Joseph K. Wipff, III, Jorge Gabriel S谩nchez-Ken, Wesley M. Knapp, Erin M. Sigel, Lauren Kosslow, and Cameron Corbett.

Funding and support for this research came from the 易胜博官网 Conservation and Heritage License Plate Program, U.S. Award, and the . Sequencing support came from the West Virginia University (WVU) Genomics Core Facility.