loneliest-plant-needs-female-mate-for-survival

According to palaeontologist Richard Fortey, Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii) is a plant from South Africa. E. woodii "is the most solitary organism in the world," he wrote this in his book about the evolution of life

 

The plant belongs to the cycad family, which consists of robust plants with thick trunks and large, rigid leaves that form an impressive crown. These tough survivors have outlived dinosaurs and endured multiple mass extinctions. Once widespread, they are currently among the most endangered species on Earth.

 

The sole known wild specimen of E. Woodii was found in 1895 by botanist John Medley Wood during a botanical expedition in the Ngoye Forest in South Africa. He looked for others in the area but was unable to find any. Over the following decades, botanists took stems and offshoots and grew them in gardens.

 

In 1916, the Forestry Department took the final stem from the wild to protect it in Pretoria, South Africa, causing its extinction in its natural habitat.

 

The plant has been propagated globally, but the E. woodii is facing a critical situation because all plants are identical clones of the Ngoye specimen and are exclusively male, leading to the impossibility of natural reproduction. E. woodii's narrative revolves around survival and seclusion.

 

The study was sparked by the quandary of this solitary plant and the hope that a female counterpart may still exist. The research entails using remote sensing technologies and artificial intelligence to aid in the quest for a female E. woodii in the Ngoye Forest.

 

Cycads, known as "living fossils" or "dinosaur plants," are the oldest surviving plant group. Their evolutionary history dates back to the Carboniferous period, around 300 million years ago. These plants were widespread during the Mesozoic era (250-66 million years ago), also referred to as the Age of Cycads, and thrived in the warm, humid climates of that time.

 

Despite their resemblance to ferns or palms, cycads are not closely related to either. They belong to the group of gymnosperms, which also includes conifers and ginkgos. Unlike flowering plants (angiosperms), cycads reproduce using cones. It is difficult to distinguish between male and female cycads until they mature and produce impressive cones.

 

Female cones are typically broad and round, while male cones are elongated and narrower. The male cones produce pollen that weevils transport to the female cones. This ancient method of reproduction has remained largely unchanged for millions of years.

 

Despite their long lifespan, most cycad species are currently at risk of extinction. This is mainly due to their slow growth and reproductive cycles, typically taking ten to 20 years to mature, and habitat loss caused by deforestation, grazing, and over-collection. Cycads have become iconic symbols of botanical scarcity.

 

Their impressive appearance and ancient lineage have made them popular in exotic ornamental horticulture, resulting in illegal trade. Some rare cycads can fetch incredibly high prices, with certain specimens selling for millions of pounds. The illegal trade of cycads poses a serious threat to their survival.

 

Among the most valuable species is E. woodii, safeguarded in botanical gardens with security measures like alarmed cages designed to deter poachers.

 

The rapid disappearance of plant species is a cause for concern worldwide. Because all existing E. woodii specimens are clones, their ability to adapt to environmental changes and diseases through genetic diversity is limited.

 

Examples of this include the Great Famine in 1840s Ireland, in which the lack of genetic diversity in cloned potatoes exacerbated the crisis, as well as the susceptibility of clonal Cavendish bananas to Panama disease, jeopardizing their production similar to what happened with the Gros Michel banana in the 1950s.

 

The discovery of a female specimen would mean that E. woodii is no longer on the verge of extinction and could potentially revive the species. The presence of a female would enable sexual reproduction, introduce genetic diversity, and represent a significant advancement in conservation endeavours.