He went out bushwhacking and discovered a new plant species
The Ithaca Voice • • science
Key Points:
- Justin Scholten, a Cornell Ph.D. student, discovered a new plant species, the pink baneberry (Actaea rhodostigma), in New York's Summerhill State Forest during summer 2023, initially mistaking it for a hybrid between white and red baneberries.
- Detailed observations and genetic analysis revealed the pink baneberry is a distinct species with unique reproductive traits and pollinators, including attraction to green non-biting midges, unlike its close relatives.
- The pink baneberry is highly toxic to humans and has been found in multiple locations in New York, with sightings extending as far south as Tennessee and north to Ontario, Canada, documented on iNaturalist.
- Climate change poses a threat to the plant’s survival by causing mismatches between flowering times and pollinator emergence, potentially reducing pollination success.
- Scholten emphasized that despite extensive botanical studies, undiscovered plant species likely remain in the region, encouraging continued exploration and identification efforts.