Griffinia ornata T. Moore, one of the c. 20 species of Griffinia endemic to Brazil, has attractive lilac or white flowers and ornamental foliage, grows to c. 1 m tall and has leaves > 1 m long. It was described in 1876 from plants imported from Rio de Janeiro and introduced into cultivation in London a year earlier. A more detailed description of the species, accompanied by a colourful illustration, was published in 1878, but since then G. ornata has not been observed in the wild.

However, in 2017 we discovered a natural population of the species, comprising c. 20 mature individuals in a forested area of the coastal plain in Ubatuba, a municipality in the state of São Paulo that borders Rio de Janeiro. More than 85% of Ubatuba comprises remaining Atlantic Forest, and most of this is included in fully protected conservation units, but the municipality is threatened by real estate speculation and urban development.

Since 2017, via citizen science platforms and social media groups, we obtained information on four potential new localities for G. ornata in Ubatuba, all of which we were able to confirm through field investigations in November 2023. These new localities comprise small groups of 3–10 mature individuals in lowland forests (< 50 m altitude), one of the least protected vegetation types in the municipality. All five known populations are outside conservation units, and four are on the edge of residential areas. As the population found in 2017 was reduced by 50% in the year following its discovery, as a result of damage by larvae of the noctuid moth Xanthopastis timais, and currently comprises c. 10 mature individuals, we estimate that the total number of known mature individuals of G. ornata is c. 30.

Although most species of Griffinia are categorized as threatened in Brazil, the risk of extinction of G. ornata has not been assessed and it is not legally protected. We recommend that urgent measures are taken to ensure the conservation of the known populations, with active involvement of both regional and local public authorities, and civil society.

Griffinia ornata: (a) a clonal clump with flowering individual, and (b) detail of inflorescence. Photos: J.A. Gomes.