The rediscovery of Griffinia alba (Amaryllidaceae), a poorly known and endangered species

Griffinia alba was described in 2000 from a collection made in the 1930s, which remained the only known material of the species until recently. In 2014, two new records of the species from one of the most deforested regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest were discovered. This discovery revealed that the original description of G. alba was partially incorrect and lacking in certain important diagnostic features. In this article, we present an updated description of G. alba , plus a more detailed illustration and the first in-vivo photos of the species. Additionally, comments are provided on the species’ geographic distribution, conservation status, and putative relationships. Two other species names based on unicate types collected in the nineteenth century are found to be synonyms of G. alba . The rediscovery of G. alba adds to ongoing research on the genus, enabling a deeper understanding of its evolutionary history.