Gesneria brachysepala was for the first time collected by Erik L. Ekman at the 4th of October 1928 and had not been seen ever since. The species was known from a single locality in South Western Haiti. G. brachysepala has been searched for, by two Gesneriad experts: The Laurence E. Skog expedition in 1970 and the expedition of John L. Clark in 2015. They did however not find it, and Laurence E. Skog considered it extinct. The species was rediscovered in July 3, 2019 in a ravine about 1 km east of the type locality.

Reith, M (2020). Rediscovery of Gesneria brachysepala Urb. & Ekman. Gesneriads, the Journal for Gesneriad Growers. Vol.70 Nr.1