By: Ethan & Connie Cao

A supposedly “extinct” plant has been rediscovered! The plant, known as the Fairy Lantern plant (T. kobensis was first found in Kobe, Japan in 1992. However, shortly after it was discovered it was declared extinct when an industrial complex was built into the area, destroying the plant’s habitat.

However, a team led by Kenji Suetsugu discovered a patch of the plants safe and sounded at a trail not far from an industrial area—just 30 kilometers. The now-non-extinct fairy lantern species was found near Chicago, Illinois. Scientists speculate the plant may have migrated to the US over the Bering land bridge, which connected Asia and North America over 10,000 years ago.

Fairy lanterns are a strange and beautiful plant species. These plants have a golden jelly-like ring in the center with flowers around it. Around the world, tropical forests are home to fairy lights. However, the plants are elusive and spend the majority of their life underground. Their presence is only realized when their peculiar-looking blossoms poke through the ground. Fairy lanterns cannot photosynthesize because they lack chlorophyll. Instead, it relies on the fungus that encircles the roots of the plant and is used as a source of energy.

Although this discovery brought hope for one species of plant, there are plenty of others that remain in danger. We should avoid building factories on the habitats of endangered species.