Largest Plant on Earth: 4,500 Years Old

“The discovery of the single plant or ‘clone’ of the seagrass Posidonia australis in the shallow, sun-drenched waters of the World Heritage Area of Shark Bay in Western Australia is detailed in a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.”

A group of researchers from The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Flinders University believe they have discovered the world’s biggest plant – stretching across 112 miles (180 km) and they estimated to be at least 4,500 years old.

Dr. Sinclair said what makes this seagrass plant unique from other large seagrass clones, other than its enormous size, is that it has twice as many chromosomes as its oceanic relatives, meaning it is a polyploid.

The researchers have now set up a series of experiments in Shark Bay to understand how this plant survives and thrives under such variable conditions.

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-largest-plant-on-earth-estimated-to-be-at-least-4500-ye