| Abutilon pitcairnense | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Abutilon |
| Species: | A. pitcairnense |
| Binomial name | |
| Abutilon pitcairnense | |
 | |
Abutilon pitcairnense, theyellow fatu[1] oryellow fautu, is acritically endangered perennial plant that is native toPitcairn Island. It was once considered extinct, until a single plant was discovered on the island in 2003. At that time, cuttings and seed were used to propagate several plants at a nursery on the island and botanical gardens in Ireland and England. The last wild surviving plant died in a landslide in 2005, making the plantextinct in the wild.[3]
Abutilon pitcairnense is a spreading shrub, growing 1 m (3.3 ft) tall with nodding bell-shaped yellow flowers that have 3 cm (1.2 in) long petals. The alternate leaves are 13 cm (5.1 in) by 9 cm (3.5 in). The plant is native to unstable slopes, flowering from July to August.[4]
The plant is native to tinyPitcairn Island (3 by 2 km (1.9 by 1.2 mi)), a remote island between New Zealand and South America which is mostly known for being settled by the mutineers fromHMS Bounty. After being considered extinct for twenty years, a single plant was found growing in native forest ofHomalium taypau andMetrosideros collina in 2003. Vegetative propagation, along with seed from the plant, were used to establish a small population on the island's nursery, with some propagation material also being sent toTrinity College Botanic Gardens, Dublin. A landslide killed the only wild plant in 2005, making the plantextinct in the wild. Cuttings from the Trinity College collection were taken to theNational Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Glasnevin in 2007, and later to theRoyal Botanical Gardens, Kew.[3][5]
The forest where the plant is native is threatened by invasive species, with theHomalium taypau trees under competition fromSyzygium jambos andLantana camara. Chemical control of the invasive plants, along with reintroduction of native species, have had some success. In 2011, there were plans to attempt the reintroduction ofAbutilon pitcairnense to the island. There are also plans for a more thorough search of the island for surviving native plants during July and August, the flowering season ofAbutilon pitcairnense.[5] In 2018, it was reported that the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew had stored seeds in theMillennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst and were working on propagating the plant.[6]
Abutilon pitcairnense was discovered in 1934 by two American botanists,Harold St. John andFrancis Raymond Fosberg, and named after the island.[7]
