Ascension was largely bare rock when colonised by the British. Only 25 native plants have ever been recorded of which ten were endemic and of these seven have survived albeit sometimes only just.

Here are a few of them:

Euphorbia origanoides. Critically endangered.

Sporobolus caespitosus. The island's only grass. Critically endangered.

The tiny fern Asplenium ascensionis. Vulnerable

One of these endemics had become extinct, but incredibly in 2009 was recovered from viable spores (ferns are very difficult to cultivate unless environmental conditions are exactly right) found in its previous habitat. Here it is, Anogramma ascensionis, a Lazarus species:

The endemic plant nursery:

And a completely unique man; the guy in this photo is Stedson Stroud who has personally rediscovered three plant species previously believed to be extinct (two on St Helena and one on Ascension), and discovered an alga new to science (which is to be named after him in his honour). The lady with him is the only plant person in the Ascension Island Government, responsible for bringing  Anogramma ascensionis back from extinction with the help of Kew Gardens. An amazing couple.

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