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After outliving dinosaurs and surviving several mass extinctions, the plant species Encephalartos woodii, also known as E. woodii, is facing extinction due to loneliness. According to a report by The Conversation, the ancient plant species is facing an existential crisis due to the lack of female mates.

About Encephalartos woodii

E. woodi is a plant species native to South Africa. This species belongs to the cycad family. People can easily recognize this ancient species by its thick trunks and large, stiff leaves that look like a majestic crown. The wild plant was discovered by a botanist on an expedition in the Ngoye forest in South Africa. The discovery of this plant encouraged the scientist to search for similar plants in the forest, but he could not find any.

E.Woodii’s survival story

Like most plants, E. woodi can only survive through sexual reproduction, which requires male and female species. However, the botanist was only able to discover the male E. woodi species. Since no female plant was found despite several forest expeditions, scientists decided to save the species by cultivating stems and offshoots in gardens. Since then, several E. woodi plants have been cultivated manually. Since most are clones of the Ngoye specimen, natural reproduction with a female plant is still impossible, raising questions about the survival of this million-year-old plant.

Scientists are looking for a partner

To save the E.Woodi plant from extinction, scientists have launched a project to search for female species. In her article published in The Conversation, scientist involved in the research project Laura Cinti shared that the research project was inspired by “the dilemma of the lonely plant and the possibility that there might still be a female out there.” Explaining the research, Cinti said that the research will use remote sensing technologies and artificial intelligence to find the female species of the plant in the Ngoye forest.