German Tourist's iNaturalist Photo Leads to Discovery of New Toadflax Species in Portugal

Key facts

• An unnamed German tourist photographed the unknown flower in March 2023 in Monchique, Portugal, and uploaded it to iNaturalist.
• Portuguese botanist João Farminhão identified the plant as a possible new toadflax species from the photo.
• Farminhão traveled to Cerro do Castelo de Alferce in Monchique a year later and found a small population.
• The species was named Alferce ansarina, or Linaria alfercensis, after its locality.
• It has speckled yellow petals, two dark stripes on the underside, and an erect growth habit.
• Farminhão, a researcher at the University of Coimbra's Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), led a study published last month with researchers from the universities of Lisbon and Barcelona and Madrid's Royal Botanical Garden.
• The researchers proposed classifying the species as "Endangered," with only a few dozen flowering plants known.
• Threats include eucalyptus plantations, invasive mimosa acacia, and wildfire risk in the Monchique area; conservation measures have been introduced at the site.