The species, which measures only around 2 inches tall, is already thought to be critically endangered.
Researchers have identified a tiny new plant species with iridescent foliage in the Andes mountains—in what experts have hailed as a 'miraculous' discovery.A team of scientists observed the species Amalophyllon miraculum in two localities during recent exploratory field expeditions to the western slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, according to a study published in the journal PhytoKeys.
The 'miraculum' part of the name is a reference to the remarkable nature of the plant's discovery, according to the researchers.'The specific epithet reflects the extraordinary and unexpected persistence of remnant forest patches of an area broadly defined as 'Centinela,'' the authors said. 'The heroic efforts of local landowners who maintained small patches of forests—usually surrounding waterfalls—were instrumental in conserving remnant forest fragments.
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