Acalypha wilderi Merr. (1931:64)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
A. wilderi is likely synonymous with both A. raivavensis and A. tubuaiensis, and as it is the oldest name and the other two taxa are extant, it would be taxonomically rediscovered if even one of the latter two are synonymised under A. wilderi (see de Lange et al., 2014).
Conservation Status
Extinct (de Lange et al., 2014; Humphreys et al., 2019; Albani Rocchetti et al., 2022; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2024; POWO, 2024) (but see above)
Last record: 1929 (de Lange et al., 2014; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2024)
IUCN RedList status: Extinct
This species has been identified as one of the 50 best candidates for de-extinction, ranking 39/50 (Albani Rocchetti et al., 2022). However, it is likely to be taxonomically rediscovered in the future (de Lange et al., 2014).
Distribution
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015023272019;view=1up;seq=68
Other references:
Albani Rocchetti, Giulia, Carta, Angelino, Mondoni, Andrea, Godefroid, Sandrine, Davis, Charles C., Caneva, Giulia, Albrecht, Matthew A., Alvarado, Karla, Bijmoer, Roxali, Borosova, Renata, Bräuchler, Christian, Breman, Elinor, Briggs, Marie, Buord, Stephane, Cave, Lynette H., Da Silva, Nílber Gonçalves, Davey, Alexandra H., Davies, Rachael M., Dickie, John B., Fabillo, Melodina, Fleischmann, Andreas, Franks, Andrew, Hall, Geoffrey, Kantvilas, Gintaras, Klak, Cornelia, Liu, Udayangani, Medina, Leopoldo, Reinhammar, Lars Gunnar, Sebola, Ramagwai J., Schönberger, Ines, Sweeney, Patrick, Voglmayr, Hermann, White, Adam, Wieringa, Jan J., Zippel, Elke Zippel and Abeli, Thomas. (2022). Selecting the best candidates for resurrecting extinct-in-the-wild plants from herbaria. Nature Plants 8: 1385-1393. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01296-7 [Supplementary Tables S1-S6]
Cheeseman, T. F. (1903). The flora of Rarotonga. Transactions of the Linnaean Society, London, Second Series, Botany 6: 161-213.
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2023). Uitgestorven. Op plantenjacht rond de wereld: 1-511. Sterck & De Vreese.
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2024). Plant extinction in the Anthropocene. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae045 [Appendix S1]
de Lange, P., Martin, T. and McCormack, G. (2014). Acalypha wilderi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T199821A2612719. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T199821A2612719.en. Downloaded on 16 November 2016.
Florence, J. (1997). Flore de la Polynésie Française. Vol. 1. Cannbaceae, Cecropiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Piperaceae, Ulmaceae, Urticaceae. Collection Faune et Flora tropicales 34. Editions de l’Orstom, Paris.
Govaerts, R., Frodin, D. G. and Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Humphreys, Aelys M., Govaerts, Rafaël, Ficinski, Sarah Z., Lughadha, Eimear Nic and Vorontsova, Maria S. (2019). Global dataset shows geography and life form predict modern plant extinction and rediscovery. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3: 1043-1047. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0906-2 [Supplementary Dataset 1]
POWO. (2024). Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 9 September 2024]
Walter, Kerry S. and Gillett, Harriet J. (eds.). (1998). 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK: IUCN – The World Conservation Union. lxiv + 862 pp.
Whistler, W. A. (1988). The Unique flowers of Polynesia: The Cook Islands. Pacific Tropical Garden Bulletin 18(4): 89-95.
Wilder, G. P. (1931). Flora of Rarotonga. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 86: 1-113.