AI on duty to help world’s loneliest tree

One of the rarest plants in the world, this large, palm-like plant survived the destruction of the dinosaurs and weathered through five ice ages, but now there is only one.

AI may soon help the world’s loneliest tree find a mate. The Wood’s cycad (Encephalartos woodii), a plant species dating back around 300 million years, has only one known male specimen discovered by botanist John Medley Wood in 1895 in the Ngoye Forest Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Cycads produce male and female cones on separate plants and can also reproduce through offshoots.

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Throughout the 20th century, botanists transplanted offshoots and original trunks from the solitary male, resulting in around 500 plants in botanical gardens worldwide.

However, sexual reproduction is crucial for the species’ survival.

To locate a potential female cycad, scientists are using drones to survey the remote forests of the cycad’s native habitat. The data collected by these drones is analyzed using AI algorithms to identify possible female plants.

If a female is found, it will likely be transplanted to a controlled environment where natural or artificial pollination can occur.

Seeds produced from this process would be cultivated to create fertile seedlings, which can then be reintroduced into their natural habitat, ensuring the species’ future viability.

One of the rarest plants in the world, this large, palm-like plant survived the destruction of the dinosaurs and weathered through five ice ages, but now there is only one.

Up to 20-feet tall, its noble trunk is crowned with a canopy of long, glossy leaves that resemble those of a palm