Discovered in 1895 by British botanist John Medley Wood on a hillside in South Africa, a small portion of the plant was transported to Kew Gardens in London, where it has been for 117 years.
Encephalartos woodii is a cycad, a plant type that has existed for 300 million years and was once abundant during the Jurassic period, covering 20% of the Earth’s flora. However, as time passed, cycads were pushed out by modern plants, reducing the population of E. woodii to potentially just one. Cycads are dioecious, needing both male and female plants to reproduce, and the lone E. woodii at Kew Gardens is a male.
Despite numerous expeditions, no female counterpart has been found, making it possibly the last of its species. Researchers continue to search for a mate, but until then, the solitary plant remains in the care of its guardian.
Vocabulary:
• Botanist - A scientist who studies plants.
• Hillside - The side of a hill.
• Dioecious - Having male and female reproductive organs on separate plants.
• Solitary - Being alone, without others.
• Flourished - Grew well and was healthy.
• Extinct - No longer existing.
Source: Great Big Story