there isn't goign to be a friday five this week, however im goign to post a
story from the BBC I ran into this morning
Jurassic pot plants on sale soon (wow what a headline)
The Wollemi Pine, a plant from the Jurassic age which survived in a single isolated Australian grove, is set for an amazing comeback.
As seen in the Jurassic age
It was once thought to be extinct, but in 2005 small plants cultivated from the pines will go on sale.
In 1994 the discovery of the pines caused a scientific sensation, and prompted the Australian Government to protect the site.
Years of investigation into the best way to grow the plants has now paid off, allowing commercial selling of them.
Like finding a dinosaur
The Wollemi Pines were discovered in an isolated region of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia, when park ranger David Noble stumbled across the unusual trees.
It had been thought to have been extinct for at least two million years. The only known examples were fossils 175 million years old.
Professor Carrick Chambers, director of Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens, said at the time of the discovery that it was "the equivalent of finding a small dinosaur still alive on Earth".
Today, the tree's home is a closely guarded secret. No roads lead to the area. Even scientists studying them are blindfolded as they are flown by helicopter to the site.
The location is a secret
Now, the pines are set for a return.
Perfect patio plants
Botanist Sally McGeoch says that by the end of 2005 Wollemi Pine saplings will be available from selected retailers.
They could survive in hot or cold climates and would make perfect indoor plants.
"They grow slowly, like low-light and would be perfect on a patio," Sally McGeoch told BBC News Online.
The breeding programme began in 1998 as a collaboration between the Queensland Forestry authorities and a commercial grower.
The initial plan was to extract seeds from the tips of the pines. This involved a scientist dangling from a helicopter and was not very successful.
Looking for the best growth medium
Working with cuttings has proven to be much more satisfactory in producing a robust plan for commercial propagation.
"It's a piece of scientific history," says Sally McGeoch, "interest has already been expressed by gardeners in many countries."
Posted by henry at September 26, 2003 08:35 AM