Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Family: Fabaceae (Pea)

Distribution: Western Cape, Winterhoek Mountains near Tulbagh

Habitat: Stream sides in fynbos

National red list: Extinct

Life form: Evergreen perennial

Comments: Brian Du Preez, M.Sc. graduate from Stellenbosch University Botany and Zoology, rediscovered this fountain bush, Psoralea cataracta, last known from 1804 from a single specimen collected at ‘Tulbagh waterfall’. In 2008, after many unsuccessful searches, the species was declared extinct on the Red Data List of South African Plants presumed lost to Agriculture as early as the 1800s. However, Brian accidently discovered the species with small purple flowers dangling on long, thread-like flowerstalks while looking for other plant species for his PhD on the slopes of the Winterhoek Mountains near Tulbagh, and had the taxonomic expertise to recognise it as something very special.
Du Preez specialises in the family Fabaceae and is currently revising the genus Indigofera within the Greater Cape Floristic Region for his PhD at UCT. He has a passion for supporting conservation of plant species thrpugh taxonomy and systematics. ‘We can only conserve what we have described.'
Professor Charles Stirton, a world-renowned Psoralea expert and mentor to Du Preez, has confirmed that the find is indeed the long lost species. Prof. Stirton writes, ‘For me the definitive characteristics are the remarkable stipules, very long filiform pedicels, and the unique flower colour. This is a very important find as it shows how the Cape is still relatively unexplored in many mountainous areas.’