DAYTON, Ohio - It takes luck, and sometimes good detective work, to find rare native plants growing in Ohio.

        Two species of plants not seen in Ohio in more than 20 years have been found this year by botanists working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

        They found white wood sorrel growing in Belmont County, where it hasn't been seen since 1915. Long-flowered alumroot, last sighted in 1954, was found in Adams County.

        Thousands of white wood sorrel were found blooming in Belmont County by Muskingum College student Jason Larson.

        The discovery is important because it means the habitat necessary for the plants to thrive still exists in Ohio, said Stu Lewis, chief of the ODNR division of natural areas and preserves.

        The wood sorrel thrives in cool, dark forested areas, stands 2 to 4 inches high and displays a pale pink bloom. The plant is not in bloom very long and may have been overlooked, said ODNR botanist Jim McCormac.

        “About 75 percent of rare plant finds are due to serendipity,” Mr. McCormac said. “But about 25 percent are found by botanical detectives who go out with a mission. Jason's find is remarkable.”

        Mr. McCormac said many rare plants may remain in the soil for decades or centuries and will come back when the habitat is right. Conservation in forests and along rivers helps restore the needed conditions, he said.

        In the spring, Mr. McCormac spotted a rare midland sedge in Butler County near Miami University.

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