researchers from School of Biological Sciences as well as University of Western Australia Oceans Institute published on Tuesday (01) a study identifying the largest known plant in the world. is in west coast of australiaspecies called Posidonia australisis an algae with an extension 180 kilometers in shark bayover 20,000 football fields.

How did you grow up like that?

According to the researchers, the plant reached this size by cloning itself, a form of reproduction of the species, creating genetically equal ramifications. It is estimated that algae have approximately 4500 yearssince the basic calculation of the growth of the species shows that it grows approximately 35 centimeters per year.

The researchers collected samples from 10 locations by expansion algae in shark bay, in 2012 and 2019, and with the help of genetic tools were able to recognize that this is just one plant. That is, without genetic variability throughout the expansion range.

Propagation by cloning has contributed to the spread of the plant, as the species has been found in an area where seaweed is not normally found, in environments with saltier-than-normal water, high light levels, and temperature fluctuations. Being in such an environment and having managed to achieve this expansion, Posidonia australis the object of study must be well adapted to the environment in which it is carried out.

old record

before the newfound Posidonia australisthe largest known living thing was forest of pando trees located in Utah, in the United States. Like algae, the set of trees is also formed by clones that extend approximately 106 acres and more 40,000 individual trees. Generally speaking, the place is a forest of one tree.

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Source: CNN, UVA.