Rare Flower Gets Protection After 47 Years: '5 Decades Is Far Too Long'

A rare flower from the Virgin Islands is finally getting protection under Endangered Species Act after 47 years. The species faced a rather arduous journey before it got the protection it needs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) finalized the listing of the marron bacora plant under the Endangered Species Act this week. It is a rare plant species from the U.S. Virgin Islands that has small purple flowers and can grow to more than nine feet in height.

"We have determined that the marron bacora meets the definition of an endangered species; therefore, we are listing it as such," the Service noted in a listing.

There are only seven remaining populations of the plant on the island of St. John, the Service news release added. The threats to the species include tropical storms, droughts, urban development, and even mammals that have been introduced to its habitat, the Center for Biological Diversity (Center) shared in a news release.

Along with the listing, the agency is also designating 2,548 acres as a "critical habitat" for the species, which it noted could help in raising awareness about the needs of the species.

"Species like marron bacora that are found in limited numbers on parts of only one or two Caribbean islands deserve special conservation attention," Service Regional Director, Leopoldo Miranda-Castro, said in the agency news release.

The journey to getting the much-needed protection for the endangered species, however, was a long one.

According to the Center, it was way back in 1975 when the Smithsonian Institute first determined that the species needed to be protected, and the Service had added it to the candidate list by 1980. However, the plant failed to get protection even after the Government of the Virgin Islands petitioned for it in 1996, and by 2004 the Center sued the Service for failing to make a decision.

The plant faced a few more bumps on the road, including another lawsuit after the Bush Administration reportedly denied it protection. But now, 47 years later, it is finally getting the protection that it needs.

"I'm thrilled this gorgeous plant is finally protected, but five decades is far too long to wait," Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director at the Center, said in the organization's news release. "The clear scientific evidence should have made it an easy decision to protect the marrón bacora, but cumbersome bureaucracy and political interference at the Fish and Wildlife Service delayed protections. These problems have to be addressed."