Wendlandia psychotrioides facts for kids

Wendlandia psychotrioides was a type of shrub or small tree. It belonged to the plant family called Rubiaceae. This plant is now officially extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world.

The only places this plant was ever found were in the Wet Tropics rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. This means it was an endemic species, living only in that specific area.

About This Lost Plant

Wendlandia psychotrioides was a unique plant. It was first described by scientists in the late 1800s. Sadly, it disappeared from its natural home.

How It Was Discovered

A famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller first described this plant. He was a scientist who studied plants at the Melbourne Herbarium in Australia. He officially described the plant in 1889 and again in 1892. The plant's scientific name, psychotrioides, means it looked similar to plants in the Psychotria group.

The Collector's Journey

A plant collector named William A. Sayer helped discover this species. He worked with Mueller. Sayer collected samples of the plant around "Mt Bellenden Ker" in 1887. Mueller wrote "9/87" on the plant label, meaning September 1887. These plant samples, called herbarium specimens, were later sent to the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in the UK in 1892.

Where It Was Found

The plant was also found near the Russell River. This location was noted in Mueller's first description of the plant in 1889. The Russell River area is very close to Mount Bellenden Ker. Both places are in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia.

Its Changing Name

When Ferdinand von Mueller first described the plant in 1889, he called it Oldenlandia psychotrioides. But later, in 1892, he decided it belonged to a different group of plants. He then renamed it Wendlandia psychotrioides. This happened after he had described another similar plant called Wendlandia basistaminea.