Only Two Specimens Worldwide: Scientists Discover Rare 'Golden-Mantled' Tree in the Brazilian Rainforest

In December 2025, botanical researchers officially documented a previously unknown plant species, Myrcia barbata, following a series of intensive expeditions into the Serra do Mar State Park in Cunha, located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This significant find within the dense, humid foliage of the Atlantic Forest highlights the extreme vulnerability of the region's biodiversity. As one of the world's 25 primary biodiversity hotspots, the Atlantic Forest is a critical ecological zone that has already witnessed the destruction of more than half of its original forest cover, making every new discovery a race against potential extinction.

Belonging to the diverse Myrtaceae family—the same botanical group that includes well-known plants like guava, eucalyptus, and the jabuticaba—Myrcia barbata stands out due to its unique physical characteristics. The species is distinguished by a dense layer of golden hairs, leading researchers to affectionately nickname it the "plant wearing a golden mantle in the forest." Scientists believe these golden trichomes serve a vital evolutionary purpose, providing a protective shield against thermal stress, excessive moisture loss, and intense ultraviolet radiation in its high-altitude habitat, which sits more than 1,100 meters above sea level. The Myrtaceae family is a cornerstone of the Serra do Mar ecosystem, with 47 distinct species already recorded in this specific region.

Despite its formal scientific description, M. barbata has already been categorized as "Data Deficient" (DD) due to its incredibly restricted range and the scarcity of known specimens. Extensive field research conducted over a four-year period between 2019 and 2023 yielded the discovery of only two individual plants. Such extreme rarity within a limited habitat raises urgent conservation alarms, particularly as the region faces an increase in erratic and extreme weather patterns. Events such as unexpected frosts and severe flooding pose a direct and significant threat to the survival of this newly recognized member of the Brazilian flora, which exists in such precarious numbers.

The Serra do Mar State Park (PESM), which was established in 1977 and spans a massive 332,000 hectares, remains the largest protected area of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The identification of M. barbata within the park's Cunha nucleus underscores the critical role this biome plays in harboring endemic species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Current research suggests that improving the conservation status of Myrtaceae species requires robust state intervention, the implementation of stronger environmental policies, and the expansion of protected territories. Given the ongoing pressures of habitat fragmentation and rapid urbanization, the need for immediate protective measures for M. barbata is paramount, especially as a vast portion of Brazil's biodiversity remains uncatalogued and under constant threat from human activity.