# What is the World’s Rarest Plant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2001, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822 "2001-11-29T00:59:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chubbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chubbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chubbs)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/1 "2001-11-29T00:59:10Z")
I know it’s not Dandelions. Blasted weeds from Hell. Anyone have an idea or if your from New York, an idear what the world’s rarest plant is? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/2 "2001-11-29T01:05:09Z")
Last I had heard, there is one living specimen of a species of coffee plant alive on Mauritius. It was almost killed because the conservationists recognized it and put a fence around it. Locals would then reach through the fence to get a leaf or twig from such a special plant. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/3 "2001-11-29T02:02:28Z")
Dendroseris neriifolia on ISLA ROBINSON CRUSOE, Chile Lady’s Slipper orchid in Shangri La (AKA Mt. Everest region) Ramosmania rodriguesiana at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (England) unknown, in the Peak District National Park (England) ABRONIA UMBELLATA SSP. ACUTALATA, Canada Googling on [Rarest plant](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=rarest+plant&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off) or [World’s rarest plant](http://www.google.com/search?q=+%22world%27s+rarest+plant%22&hl=en&as_qdr=all&start=0&sa=N) turned these up. Several of them are down to a single specimen, so you can take your pick as to which is the rarest. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/4 "2001-11-29T02:12:49Z")
I think I’ve heard of the same one as Dr. Fidelius (in the Douglas Adams book on ecology, no less). Poor Maritius. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/5 "2001-11-29T05:17:44Z")
It’s the money tree our parents were always talking about. ---
**Author:** ![BalmainBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@BalmainBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BalmainBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-world-s-rarest-plant/95822/6 "2001-11-29T06:28:08Z")
Antipodean examples: the Wollomi pine (pronounced WOLLA-my) was discovered a few years ago in an inaccessible canyon west of Sydney. It is the ‘missing link’ between the tree-ferns found in fossils and modern pines and conifers that produce seeds. 32 specimens grouped together, and they’re all cloned from the one parent - exact genetic match! Also, there is an Aussie orchid found in the sand dunes south of Botany Bay, it has only flowered once (and not seeded) since discovery, and there are only two plants.