Top 9 Rarest Plants in the World

Rhizanthella Gardneri is a species of orchid discovered by Jack Trott in 1928. They live and bloom underground in Western Australia. The flowers of this plant range in color from milky white to red, with a strong fragrance, usually blooming in May and June. They measure from 2.5-3 cm. Because they live underground without sunlight, they form a symbiotic relationship with a fungus called Thanatephorus Gardneri for growth. There are only about 50 individuals left in the world. This unique orchid often spends its entire life underground, even blooming there. From late May to early June, each plant produces over 100 flowers ranging from cream to red and emitting a strong fragrance.

It only lives as a parasite on bush plants. Due to the lack of chlorophyll, the plant cannot photosynthesize like most plants. Instead, it absorbs nutrients from the roots of bush plants by forming symbiotic relationships with parasitic fungi. Rhizanthella gardenneri reproduces vegetatively, allowing it to produce three offspring. Three known populations of Rhizanthella gardenneri are protected within nature reserves, and a collaborative initiative has been launched to safeguard this species for future generations.

Anogramma ascensionis, also known as Ascension Island parsley fern, inhabits Ascension Island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, under harsh and arid conditions on steep rocky cliffs. In 2003, scientists declared them extinct but they were rediscovered in 2009. Currently, only about 40 individuals exist in the wild. The small parsley fern has elegant yellow-green leaves resembling small branches of parsley. It was first recorded in 1842 by an amateur botanist, Dr. AB Curror, and later formally described and named by Joseph Dalton Hooker after his visit to the island in 1843.

This species is endemic to the slopes of Green Mountain on the island. Another specimen was recorded in 1889, with few or no reports of specimens until 1958 when a British scientist collected a specimen on the northern slope of the mountain. Subsequent searches were conducted in 1976, 1986, and 1995 but were unsuccessful, and in 2003, it was officially declared extinct. It is one of eight species named in the genus Anogramma. It was believed to have become extinct due to habitat loss until four plant species were found on the island in 2010. Since then, over 60 specimens have been successfully cultivated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and on Ascension Island. Currently, it is classified as Critically Endangered.

Mammillaria herrerae is a cactus species inhabiting mountainous regions, discovered in 1931 by Wedermann. They have pink flowers, white stems, and a spherical shape resembling a golf ball, hence the name 'golf ball' cactus. Currently, only 5% of the remaining population has survived in the last 20 years. This species is categorized as critically endangered, nearing extinction, due to severe natural habitat destruction. Fortunately, many botanical gardens worldwide have successfully propagated and conserved this species.

Mammillaria herrerae originates from Tehuacan Valley, west of Oaxaco, Mexico, which is home to over 30 species of specialized cacti (such as Ferocactus ingens, Ferocactus recurvus, F. robustus, Coryphantha pallida, M. pectinifera, and M. napina, etc.) under conservation. Tehuacan Valley lies in the low tropical desert basin, where plants thrive in dense shrubs on alkaline soil with high water retention. It experiences a hot dry climate with high temperature fluctuations and mild summer rains. This slow-growing cactus species easily propagates when grafted onto its own roots but is often grafted onto other cactus species for faster growth.

Mammillaria pectinifera has large water-retaining roots, thus it should be planted deep in pots with good drainage to avoid waterlogging. Watering should be done in spring and summer, as these are the optimal growth periods for the plant. However, caution should be exercised to avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot.

Tahina spectabilis, also known as the suicide palm, was discovered by Xavier Metz and his family in 2007, officially announced in 2008, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild. This tree originates from northwest Madagascar, with stems reaching up to 18 m (59 ft) tall and leaves spanning up to 5 m (16 ft) wide. It has a lifespan of 30 to 50 years, flowering only once before dying. The suicide palm or Tahina spectabilis is a giant palm species concentrated in a 4km2 area in Analalava, Madagascar. Through DNA analysis, botanists found its relatives across Asia, sharing similarities with certain palm species from Afghanistan, Thailand, and China. Another threat to this species is significant habitat loss due to deforestation for agriculture and forest fires. Currently, seeds of the suicide palm have been sent to over 10 research institutions across 5 continents for experimental cultivation, hoping to increase the population of this extraordinary species.

This is the largest palm species on the island of Madagascar. With its gigantic size, the suicide palm can be spotted on Google Earth. Xavier Metz, a French project manager overseeing a cashew plantation in northern Madagascar, stumbled upon the peculiar palm during a family outing. Metz took photographs and reached out to biologists at the Royal Botanic Gardens KEW (UK). Immediately, the captivating images intrigued biologists, including Dr. John Dransfield. Dr. John Dransfield noted that the most remarkable feature of this palm species is that after 30-50 years of living, the tree blooms for the first time with hundreds of flowers per branch, millions of flowers per tree. Ironically, this is also the only time this palm species blooms because shortly after, the palm weakens and dies. The reason is attributed to the sudden demand for nutrients to support the excessive flowering, causing the palm to exhaust and perish.

Nepenthes attenboroughii, also known as the Attenborough's pitcher plant, was discovered on Mount Victoria, Palawan province, Philippines by the British naturalist David Attenborough in 2007. After its discovery, this plant species was named after David Attenborough. The population of this plant is extremely low and it is being conserved. Belonging to the carnivorous plant species, it has pitcher-like structures about 30 cm tall that secrete a liquid to attract prey. Pitcher plants actually constitute a group of plant species with pitcher-shaped structures rather than just a single species. They vary in size and characteristics, with some even having their own unique 'flavor'. In terms of general structure, all pitcher plants have... pitchers covered with 'lids'.

The 'lid' (operculum), as its name suggests, prevents rainwater from entering the inside of the 'pitcher', ensuring that the concentration of the fluid secreted by the plant is not diluted. As for the 'pitcher', it is formed by the curling of special leaves into a round pouch. These leaves have two different surfaces, inner and outer. On the outside, they appear completely normal, embellished with patterns and vibrant colors, attracting insects to land and move around easily. But the inside surface is entirely different. Once a 'victim' insect falls in, it is virtually unable to escape. After this discovery was announced, it sparked a new wave of interest in the field of biology, particularly in the study of pitcher plant species. Researchers began to question - do pitcher plants consume meat from mammals?

Acacia anegadensis, also known as the Poke-me-boy tree, inhabits the Virgin Islands, UK. This tree species is threatened due to habitat loss. To conserve them, experts have planted 22 seedlings at the JR O'Neal Botanic Garden in Road Town, British Virgin Islands. The exact number of trees surviving outside the wild is currently undetermined. As this is low-lying land, the Poke-me-boy tree is often submerged deeply in water during high tides. They closely resemble the sour tamarind trees in Vietnam, especially their leaves. Currently, biologists have yet to determine the species' population and distribution area, only knowing that they occur within an area of ​​10 km2.

Vachellia anegadensis (pokemeboy) is a tree species in the Fabaceae family. Its natural habitat includes tropical or subtropical dry forests, shrublands, sandy shores, and rural gardens. Protecting its habitat also contributes to the conservation of the Caribbean dry forest, a biodiversity hotspot and one of the most severely threatened habitats on Earth. The Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew, is working with the National Parks Trust in the BVI to understand and conserve this species as well as its unique habitat.

Encephalartos hirsutus, also known as the Venda cycad, was discovered by P.JH Hurter in 1996 in Limpopo, South Africa. They grow at altitudes from 800 to 1,000 m above sea level, with a lifespan of up to 70 years. The initial estimated population when discovered was around 400-500 trees, but it is rapidly declining due to human exploitation for decorative purposes. It is an arborescent cycad, with an upright trunk that becomes reclined in older specimens, reaching up to 4 m tall and 35 cm in diameter. The intricately adorned leaves form a crown at the top of the trunk, measuring 1.1-1.4 m long, supported by leaf stems about 13 cm long, consisting of numerous pairs of elliptical leaflets with long entire margins and spinose apices, arranged along the rachis at an angle of about 40°, decreasing to spines towards the base of the leaf stem.

In recent years in Europe, the tender leaves of the Venda cycad have been processed into dried leaves with beautiful colors used for flower arrangements, which has become very popular. Venda cycads are dioecious, with separate male and female plants, the leaves of female plants are longer and larger than those of male plants, occasionally producing fruiting cones, but the propagation of Venda cycads is mainly vegetative. Like the 'golf ball' cacti, the population of this tree species has declined significantly as humans tend to use them for decorative purposes. According to the BBC, unconfirmed reports suggest that the Venda cycad has become extinct in the wild.

Platanthera praeclara, also known as the white fringed orchid, was discovered in 1986 by Sheviak and M.L. Bowles. This plant species inhabits the Tallgrass Prairie of the Mississippi River Valley, Canada (Manitoba); United States (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota). They grow from 38-85 cm, with white fringed flowers, threatened by habitat loss, and the remaining population is very few and is being conserved. The flowers resemble a white egret in flight and are named scientifically as Habenaria radiata. In our country, Habenaria radiata is also known by other names such as white egret orchid or snowy egret.

Habenaria radiata, also known as the white egret orchid, is a flower species native to Russia, South Korea, Japan, and China. The white egret orchid has many leaves along the stem, with small white flowers. It blooms in the summer and prefers mild climates and places with plenty of water. When budding, the white egret orchid resembles a perched bird, and when fully bloomed, the flower takes the shape of a bird spreading its wings. Due to its striking resemblance to a white egret, the Habenaria radiata flower is often mistaken for the white fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) – a rare and valuable species of orchid in North America.

Medusagyne oppositifolia, commonly known as the jellyfish tree, was once considered extinct until a few specimens were rediscovered in the 1970s by J. Procter. They inhabit the island of Mahé in Seychelles, with a very limited number of individuals remaining in the wild and lacking protection. The jellyfish tree (scientific name: Medusagyne oppositifolia), the sole species in the genus Medusagyne and the family Medusagynaceae, is an extremely endangered and peculiar woody plant, endemic to the island of Mahé in Seychelles. This species was once thought to be extinct until a few specimens were rediscovered in the 1970s.

The flower clusters of this plant species resemble the tentacles of a jellyfish, hence its common name in some languages (such as English) as well as in its scientific name. This plant shows adaptation to a dry climate, a curious trait on a humid island. It can tolerate dry conditions, and its seeds are dispersed by the wind. This suggests its Gondwanan origin. The genus Medusagyne was often placed in the Ochnaceae family in a broad sense, for example, in the recent classification by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. The small Quiinaceae family in the tropical regions of the Americas was also included in the broad sense Ochnaceae family.