The Small Dipcadi, described in 1892, is known only from material that was collected in 1859 somewhere on the Deccan Plateau; it has never been found again since and is probably extinct.
*********************
edited: 20.08.2022
This subspecies of the Fragrant Prismatomeris (Prismatomeris fragrans E. T. Geddes) was originally described as a distinct species in 1940; as its name implies, it is restricted to the Andaman Islands.
This plant was not found recently and is thought to be possibly extinct.
*********************
edited: 24.08.2022
The Thyreus Snail was described in 1852; it was known from several places in the Nilgiri Mountains in southern India.
The shells on average reach sizes of about 3,5 cm in diameter; they are of a horny brown color and often have a narrow dark rufous band below the subangulate periphery.
The species is now considered possibly extinct. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] Robert H. Cowie; Claire Régnier; Benoît Fontaine; Philippe Bouchet. Measuring the Sixth Extinction: what do mollusks tell us? The Nautilus 131(1): 3-41. 2017
*********************
Photo: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
https://www.naturalis.nl
(no copyright)
*********************
edited: 22.04.2022
Rusty Sandwort (Eremogone ferruginea)
The Rusty Sandwort (originally described as Arenaria ferruginea Duthie ex F. N. Williams [1]) was restricted to the valleys of the rivers Dhauli and Kali in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, India, it is known exclusively from material that had been collected in 1886 and is most likely extinct.
The species probably disappeared due to heavy grazing by feral ungulates.
*********************
References:
[1] Richard K. Rabeler; Warren L. Wagner: Eremogone (Caryophyllaceae): new combinations for Old World species. PhytoKeys 50: 35-42. 2015
*********************
edited: 14.04.2019
Arched Sedge (Carex repanda)
The Arched sedge was described in 1894, it is, or maybe, was apparently restricted to the Khasi Hills, a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in Meghalaya, India. [1]
the species appears to be extinct now.
*********************
[1] Joseph Dalton Hooker: The flora of British India. London: L. Reeve 1875-1897
*********************
edited: 21.09.2020
South Indian Grammitis Fern (Oreogrammitis austroindica)
The South Indian Grammitis Fern was described in 2001; it is known only from the type material that had been collected in the 19th century in Tamil Nadu, India.
The species might now be extinct.
*********************
References:
[1] Atsushi Ebihara; Christopher Roy Fraser-Jenkins; Barbara S. Parris; Xian-Chun Zhang; Yue-Hong Yang; Wen-Liang Chiou; Ho-Ming Chang; Stuart Lindsay; David Middleton; Masahiro Kato; Titien Ngatinem Praptosuwiryo; Victor B. Amoroso; Julie F. Barcelona; Rajapaksha Haddokara Gedara Ranil; Chan-Ho Park; Noriaki Murakami; Akihiko Hoya: Rare and Threatened Pteridophytes of Asia 1. An Enumeration of Narrowly Distributed Taxa1. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Ser. B 38(3): 93–119. 2012
*********************
edited: 02.05.2022
Cloud-born Angelica (Angelica nubigena)
This species is only poorly known, only two or three herbarium specimens that were collected in Sikkim, India, where it was found at elevations of about 3500 m above sea level.
The species was last collected in 1849 and is now considered extinct.
*********************
edited: 02.05.2021
Khasi Sterkulia (Sterculia khasiana)
This tree species was restricted to the subtropical forests growing on the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India.
The species is known from three collections, all made in the 19th century, with the last one dating to 1877; since then the tree could not be relocated and thus is now considered most likely extinct.
*********************
edited: 25.05.2021
Oblanceolate Pavetta (Pavetta oblanceolata)
The Oblanceolate Pavetta is known only from the type material which was collected in 1847 in Kerala, India.
It was a shrub with terete branches and 17 cm long and 5 cm wide oblanceolate, shortly acuminate leaves, the flowers appeared in terminal, short peduncled cymes and were about 3 cm long and greenish-white.
The species appeares to be extinct. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] Sharad Singh Negi: Biodiversity and Its Conservation in India. Indus Publishing 1993
*********************
edited: 19.06.2020
Barnes’ Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis barnesii)
Barnes’ Pearly Everlasting was described in 1939; it is known exclusively by its type collection.
The species inhabited the high altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats in the Idukki District of Kerala, India.
*********************
edited: 15.08.2022
Naga Pimpernel (Acronema evolutum)
The Naga Pimpernel is known only from the type material, that is said to have been collected in 1985 at the Naga Hills in Nagaland, India.
The species was apparently never recorded since and is thus considered most likely extinct, it is, however, almost always listed under its old synonym Pimpinella evoluta (C. B. Clarke) M. Hiroe. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] Sharad Singh Negi: Biodiversity and its conservation in India. New Delhi: Indus Publishing 1993
*********************
edited: 04.09.2019
Hairy Carrot (Trachyspermum villosum)
The Hairy Carrot was endemic to sandstone hills of Ramnagar in the northern Champaran District of Bihar, India.
The species is known exclusively from the type specimen that had been collected in 1916, it was not recorded since that time and is most likely extinct today.
*********************
edited: 14.04.2019
Pulney Pimpernel (Pimpinella pulneyensis)
The Pulney Pimpernel, described in 1919, was restricted to the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India, the plant was formerly used by several of the native tribes as a medical plant to treat hemorrhoids (?).
The species was last recorded in 1891 and is now considered most likely extinct.
*********************
References:
[1] Sharad Singh Negi: Biodiversity and its conservation in India. New Delhi: Indus Publishing 1993
*********************
edited: 04.09.2019
Rottler’s Asparagus was described in 1875; the species is thought to be endemic to the Deccan Peninsula, India.
The species is known exclusively from the type collection.
*********************
edited: 12.08.2022
Short-stemmed Begonia (Begonia brevicaulis)
The Short-stemmed Begonia was described in 1859, it is, or maybe was, endemic to the state of Megalhaya, India, where it was found growing at elevations of about 300 m.
The plant had a bulbous root system, was completely stem-less and had heart-shaped, browdly ovate leaves.
The species is now considered likely extinct.
***
The species should not be mistaken for Begonia brevicaulis T. C. Ku, which is a synonym of the Chinese Begonia sinobrevicaulis T. C. Ku.
*********************
edited: 04.09.2019
Braman Frog (Rana brama)
The enigmatic braman Frog is known exclusively from a single illustration (shown here), which, however, may or may not correspond to a specimen that is kept in the National Museum of Natural History in France.
The species is believed to originate from an area somewhere between Bangladesh and India.
The Braman Frog may actually never have existed as a distinct species, however, I’d like to list it here as well, since it’s name often appears in listings of extinct animals.
*********************
*********************
edited: 11.05.2019
The Andaman Cryptocarya, a little tree described in 1886, is known only from the type collection that was made on Middle Andaman Island in the Andamans, India.
The species has not seen since and is believed to be extinct.
*********************
edited: 13.11.2021
Watt’s Shield Fern (Polystichum wattii)
Watt’s Shield Fern had a restricted distribution in the east part of the Indian state of Manipur, where it was found growing at ca. 1800 m altitude.
The species is now thought to be extinct.
*********************
References:
[1] Subhash Chandra; C. R. Fraser-Jenkins; Alka Kumari; Archana Srivastava: A Summary of the Status of Threatened Pteridophytes of India. Taiwania 52(2): 170-209. 2008
[2] C. R. Fraser-Jenkins: Endemics and Pseudo-Endemics in Relation to the Distribution Pattern of Indian Pteridophytes. Taiwania 53(3): 264-292. 2008
*********************
edited: 20.10.2016