A RARE tree on the brink of extinction has hit upon an odd strategy to
survive: it is the first plant known to produce offspring just from its pollen.
But in a tragic twist, the same trick may eventually lead to its demise.
The Saharan cypress (Cupressus dupreziana) makes its home in the
parched Tassili N’Ajjer desert of Algeria. It is one of the most endangered
trees in the world, with only 231 individuals left alive. Such a small
population would normally be forced to inbreed, leading to high rates of genetic
disease.
But when Christian Pichot from the French…
