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(Newser)
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A drone hovering near a Hawaiian cliff spotted something that the whole world considered was gone: a flower. And it was not even in bloom. In January, the drone leaflet Ben Nyberg noticed three Hibiscadelphus woodii plants on a cliff where specialists are known to abseil the vertical faces of endangered plant species, National Geographic reports. But these were hidden more than 500 feet under a ridge line where even the daring researchers of the National Tropical Botanical Garden did not go. And the striking yellow flowers of the plants, which turn violet later, have not yet emerged. "We were hoping to catch it in bloom, but it was not blooming at that time," says Nyberg.
H. woodii was officially discovered in 1991, baptized in 1995 and considered extinct in 2016. Scientists have attempted to revive the species with cuttings, transplants and cross-pollination, but nothing has worked. Then comes Nyberg, the NTBG drone specialist who scours the cliffs of Kalalau Valley on Kaua'i in search of a unique flora, which exists because it is inaccessible to humans and goats, according to Hawaii News Now. The NTBG has been using drones for two and a half years to survey the region and now wants drones capable of collecting cuttings of plants. With a little luck, other great discoveries await you. "The drones open up a trove of unexplored cliff habitat, and while it may be the first such discovery, I'm sure it will not be the last," Nyberg said in a statement. press. (Read more flower stories.)
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