A rare parasitic plant, Campbellia aurantiaca, thought extinct for about 175 years, has been rediscovered in Wayanad district, Kerala. The plant was first described in 1849 by Scottish botanist Robert Wight from Naduvattam in Tamil Nadu. Now, researchers found it in a forest region less than five km from the July 2024 landslide sites in Chooralmala and Mundakkai. The discovery was detailed in a paper published in Kew Bulletin, the journal of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. The research team includes Salim Pichan from the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, and botanists from Sanatana Dharma College and the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. Campbellia aurantiaca had long confused scientists because it was thought to be the same as Christisonia bicolor, a plant found in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. This confusion made it hard to confirm if the recent specimens collected in 2022-23 near Thollayiram forest were the true Campbellia aurantiaca. Dr. Jose Mathew said, “It was frequently assumed to be synonymous with Christisonia bicolor... The resulting ambiguity precluded a clear understanding of the plant.” Robert Wight described the plant in 1849 as having “deep orange coloured tops only appearing above ground.” Salim Pichan spotted bright orange clumps of this holoparasitic plant growing in moist, shady soil. Holoparasitic plants cannot photosynthesize and depend fully on host plants for nutrients. The newly found specimens measure 13-17 cm in length. The research warns that the plant’s habitat is in an eco-sensitive area prone to landslides, posing natural threats to its survival.