For 185 years scientist believed the Madhuca diplostemon (Sapotaceae) to be extinct but hidden away in the Ayiravilli sacred grove in Kerala, India the last mature individual has been standing guard for its species and a Hindu goddess.  

Rediscovered in 2020, conservationists set to work trying to get access to the tree for propagation purposes, a process that proved lengthy as the tree is considered sacred by temple authorities and the devotees of the temple. But there was another problem with the propagation. The tree had stopped producing seeds.  

With a grant from MBZ Dr Santhosh Kumar Ettickal Sukumaran and his team at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) were hoping to find a solution to the Madhuca diplostemon’s lack of reproductive success by studying its phenology, natural regenerations and habitat threats. 

Through careful studies, they found that the very measure taken by the temple authorities to protect the tree had been hindering its reproduction all along. To protect the tree a retaining wall had been built and the base covered with clay tiles, that resulted in adverse microenvironmental conditions. The sealed soil restricted water infiltration and aeration, causing elevated ground temperature through heat radiation. The resulting heat buildup ended up scorching the flowers and fruits, effectively keeping the tree alive but in a state of ecological and reproductive stagnation. 

The Madhuca diplostemon’s conservation sits at an age-old bottle neck where two legacies clash: that of the individual’s cultural story and that of the species. But this grant also shows that through careful collaboration these stories can coexist and what better way to continue a legacy than through a new generation.