A team of American botanists discovered a red oak tree thought to be extinct in Big Bend National Park in Texas.
The red oak Quercus tardifolia was considered a species that became extinct at the turn of the century. Despite the prevalence of red oaks around the world, the last known tree of this species died in 2011. Nevertheless, a team of American botanists found such a tree, reported the press office of the Chicago Morton Arboretum.
As the experts note, the oak found in Big Bend Park is in poor condition: the researchers found pockets of fungal infection, and in one of the forest fires the trunk of the tree was injured.
Now scientists are working on a plan to save this tree species. The results of the study worry them because the discovered oak tree does not produce acorns, which will make the operation to save the species much more difficult.