The Wild Equity Institute filed the lawsuit on Tuesday. The group criticizes the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not listing the Franciscan Manzanita under the Endangered Species Act since its rediscovery in 2009.
Institute Executive Director Brent Plater tells the San Francisco Chronicle the plant needs the act's protection to recover.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Sarah Swenty said she could not comment on pending litigation. But federal officials are currently reviewing the plant's candidacy.
Before its discovery two years ago, the plant had not been seen in the wild since the 1940s.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh