Lomatia tasmanica, commonly known as King's lomatia or King’s Holly, is an unusual plant. It bears flowers, yet produces neither fruit nor seeds. The King’s holly propagates by dropping a branch, and letting the fallen branch take root and grow into a new plant. Unsurprisingly, all existing members of Lomatia tasmanica, numbering just 300 plants, are found within a narrow corridor of land just over one kilometer in length. Because the reproduction is vegetative, all the plants in this colony are genetically identical making the entire grove a clone. The plant has been cloning itself for at least 43,600 years, and possibly up to 135,000 years. This makes Lomatia tasmanica one of the oldest living plant clones.
Lomatia tasmanica. Photo: Natalie Tapson/Flickr
Click Here to read more Amusing Planet
