New Tree Grows in Bladen Reserve

There is some interesting news from southern Belize where a new species of tree has been discovered in the forests. The species is Parasenegalia lundellii which was discovered by plant ecologist Steven Brewer within the Bladen Nature Reserve.  Ya’axché Conservation Trust, which co-manages the park, says that the new species is found in semi-evergreen tropical forests and is restricted to rugged limestone ridges and slopes such as those of the Maya Mountains. The tree was first collected by Brewer in 2002 and taxonomic revisions have confirmed that it is new to science. According to the N.G.O., ten other individuals of the species have been documented in Belize and Guatemala, implying that the species could be threatened due to its rareness. Aside from the Bladen Nature Reserve, the plant has been found in Columbia River Forest Reserve, and Golden Stream Corridor Reserve.