Which plant is the oldest on earth. Interesting things on the web

Plants on the planet play important role. It's no secret that trees are the lungs of the planet, and flowers are best decoration parks and globe. The first plants existed long before the appearance of man himself - geologists still find their fossilized remains today. But which modern plants can be considered the most ancient? And have those rare ancient specimens survived to this day?

1 The oldest plant in the world - Old Tikko

He is 9550 years old. This is Norway spruce, officially recognized as the oldest clonal tree on earth. It grows in the Swedish national park in the province of Dalarna.

One of the most ancient plants on earth is a tree with the interesting name “Metasequoia glyptostroboides”. It was thought to have died long ago, but in 1943 a living representative of this genus was discovered in China. After examining the remains and materials taken from a living tree, it was found that their ages are not that different.

Brazil boasts the oldest coniferous tree. This is the Patriarch of the forest, which is already more than 3000 years old. Unfortunately, the Patriarch grows in the very center of the deforestation zone, which means it risks being destroyed every day.

In Taiwan, until 1998, there was a tree with an age of 3,000 years: Alishan Sacred Tree from the cypress genus, in other words - red cypress. Today, a fence is installed around its trunk, testifying to the sanctity and value of the plant.

In 1968, the Suga Jamon tree was discovered in Japan on the island of Yakushima. Its age is estimated to range from 2,500 to 7,200 years. Exact date impossible to determine because inner part the wood has completely rotted - this often happens with old plants. The plant belongs to the species “Cryptomeria japonica”. Its circumference is 16.2 m, height - 25.3 m.

The Cormac Tree grows in Italy - it is oldest tree, which is also called European olive. It is about 3,000 years old and “lives” in Sardinia. Well, if you think about it, it is not surprising that it is in Italy that the most ancient olive tree.

Hundred horse chestnut is a tree of the “sowing chestnut” species. It got its name because of the legend according to which one hundred knights were once able to shelter from the rain under its crown. Its representatives today are also in Russia - in the south Krasnodar region. The main plant, which is more than 3,000 years old, grows in Sicily. According to official data from the Guinness Book of Records, this tree is the thickest: its circumference is almost 60 meters.

Fitzroya cypress is the oldest representative of the Fitzroy genus. Now he is on the verge of extinction. IN natural conditions these trees are native to South America and Patagonia. The Sochi climate is also well suited for them. The oldest representative, 58 m high and 2.4 meters in diameter, can be seen in the Argentine National Park. Its age is more than 2600 years.

A very interesting specimen grows in the California National Park. This is the "mammoth tree" named General Sherman. Its age exceeds 2,500 years. The total mass of the plant is almost 2,000 tons, and the height reaches 85 meters. It is not only one of the oldest, but also the largest tree on Earth.

Sri Maha Bodia from the ficus genus - sacred tree Buddhists. They believe that it was under him that Buddha achieved enlightenment. The height of the tree does not exceed 30 meters, and its age is more than 2,300 years.

The list of the oldest plants on the planet goes on. Some of them were cut down due to safety precautions, many were destroyed by poachers, but most of the earth's centenarians have survived to this day and can tell us about the past of the Earth.

Giant Sequoiadendron

Blue-green algae

Algae have existed on Earth for billions of years, and the most ancient of them are considered blue-green, which outlived all their ancestors and were on Earth when there was no one else on it. These representatives flora They are most often found in fresh water bodies, but can live in the seas, on land, and even in extremely hot springs. You can find these amazing organisms in your aquariums when they stand in the sun for a while. By the way, many biologists are inclined to believe that these organisms are not plants at all, but bacteria. The thing is that they simultaneously engage in photosynthesis (which, as we remember from biology lessons, means the creation organic matter with the help sunlight), but also by the absorption of those same organic substances that already exist.

Seliganella

This is an unusual small plant, somewhat reminiscent in its appearance of ferns, which, by the way, are their younger relatives. Selaginella belong to one of the oldest groups of plants - the moss mosses. Once upon a time, millions of years ago, they, together with ferns and mosses, inhabited entire tropical forests and swamps.

Today you can even grow them at home, but keep in mind that they are very difficult to care for.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a relict plant that is not difficult to find on the streets of modern cities. Most often it is found in China and Japan. He can be easily identified by amazing leaves, shaped like small fans. It's amazing that these plants can survive in any conditions. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, the only plants that were not at all affected by the disaster were ginkgo trees.

According to recent research, these plants are more than 250 million years old, which means that the ancestors of today's trees of this species witnessed the “great” Permian extinction, which led to the extinction of more than 95% of the species of all living things.

Metasequoia

Another ancient plant from China. For a long time it was considered extinct as only fossilized remains were initially discovered. Living plant it was found relatively recently, namely in 1943 in the mountains of China. A DNA analysis of this coniferous tree revealed that metasequoia literally has not changed since the time of the dinosaurs.

Giant Sequoiadendron

This is someone who has no doubt about his age and antiquity. This giant hundred-meter tree is impressive not only for its history (it has lived on Earth for more than 100 million years), but also for its appearance - a real giant, whose trunk can be up to 10 meters in diameter. Sequoiadendron lives about 3-4 thousand years. Just imagine how many stories each tree could tell.

You can look at it at North America, but don’t expect to see entire thickets - at the end of the 19th century, sequoiadendrons were cut down in gigantic quantities due to their unique durable wood, so today there are only about 500 copies.

Wollemia

This tree, which looks like an ordinary Christmas tree, has actually lived on our planet for more than 200 million years. Wollemia trees were discovered completely by accident twenty years ago by employees of the Australian National Park. At first glance, the tree is completely unremarkable, of course, unless you know that it witnessed the birth of the first mammals on Earth and outlived all the dinosaurs.

Zelkva

Most of all, this plant is famous for its wood, which is highly valued by builders. Today there are about 6 species of zelkova. It grows slowly, but for a long time - 300 years, which, however, is, of course, incredibly short compared to other relics.

The oldest plant on the planet at the moment is the common spruce - Old Tikko, it is 9550 years old.

The oldest non-coniferous tree grows in Brazil - the Patriarch of the Forest, it is already more than 3000 years old.

In the USA, in the California National Park, the “Mammoth Tree” grows - General Sherman, which is more than 2500 years old, moreover, the mass of the plant is 2000 tons, and the height is 85 meters. This tree is recognized as the largest on Earth.

Blue-green algae. These representatives of the plant world are many billions of years old. They usually live in fresh water bodies, but can live on land and in salt water and even in hot springs. These plants were the first to photosynthesize and produce oxygen. It was thanks to these representatives of the flora, according to scientists, that the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere once changed.

Selaginella. This plant belongs to the oldest group - mosses. Outwardly it resembles a fern. Now there are several about 300 species of Selaginella, and some of them can be grown at home.

Ginkgo. This plant is found on city streets in Japan and China. Feature of this tree is interesting shape leaves - in the form of a small fan. According to scientists, these trees existed approximately 250 million years ago.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides. The oldest coniferous tree. Until recently, this species was considered extinct, but in 1943 living tree was found in China. Analysis of the wood showed that the appearance of trees of this species has not changed at all since the time of dinosaurs.

Giant sequoiadendron. The tree reaches 100 meters in height and lives for about 4,000 years. There are only about 500 living trees left in the world. These giants grow in the United States.

Wollemia. A small tree similar to a Christmas tree. However, these trees grew on our planet about 200 million years ago. Interestingly, the plant itself was discovered only 20 years ago.

Magnolia. One of ancient plants on Earth, which can boast of its with the most beautiful flowers. Scientists believe that this species is at least 150 million years old. Magnolias are very whimsical. There are about 120 species in total, of which only 25 species tolerate frost and can be grown in temperate climates.

Actinidia. Plants known to us for their fruits are kiwi. This plant is approximately 65 million years old. It appeared on Earth at the same time as chestnuts, plane trees and ficus trees.

Plants play an important role on the planet. It's no secret that trees are the lungs of the planet, and flowers are the best decoration of parks and the globe. The first plants existed long before the appearance of man himself - geologists still find their fossilized remains today. But which modern plants can be considered the most ancient? And have those rare ancient specimens survived to this day?

1 The oldest plant in the world - Old Tikko

He is 9550 years old. This is Norway spruce, officially recognized as the oldest clonal tree on earth. It grows in the Swedish national park in the province of Dalarna.

Brazil boasts the oldest non-coniferous tree. This is the Patriarch of the forest, which is already more than 3000 years old. Unfortunately, the Patriarch grows in the very center of the deforestation zone, which means it risks being destroyed every day.

In 1968, the Suga Jamon tree was discovered in Japan on the island of Yakushima. Its age is estimated to range from 2,500 to 7,200 years. It is impossible to determine the exact date because the interior of the wood has completely rotted away - this often happens with old plants. The plant belongs to the species “Cryptomeria japonica”. Its circumference is 16.2 m, height - 25.3 m.

In Italy, the Cormac Tree grows - this is the oldest tree, which is also called the European olive. It is about 3,000 years old and “lives” in Sardinia. Well, if you think about it, it is not surprising that the oldest olive tree is located in Italy.

Hundred horse chestnut is a tree of the “sowing chestnut” species. It got its name because of the legend according to which one hundred knights were once able to shelter from the rain under its crown. Its representatives today are also in Russia - in the south of the Krasnodar Territory. The main plant, which is more than 3,000 years old, grows in Sicily. According to official data from the Guinness Book of Records, this tree is the thickest: its circumference is almost 60 meters.

Fitzroya cypress is the oldest representative of the Fitzroy genus. Now he is on the verge of extinction. Under natural conditions, these trees grow in South America and Patagonia. The Sochi climate is also well suited for them. The oldest representative, 58 m high and 2.4 meters in diameter, can be seen in the Argentine National Park. Its age is more than 2600 years.

Sri Maha Bodia from the ficus genus is a sacred tree of Buddhists. They believe that it was under him that Buddha achieved enlightenment. The height of the tree does not exceed 30 meters, and its age is more than 2,300 years.

Plants are an important and ancient link in the history of our planet. The first plants witnessed significant climate changes; they existed long before the appearance of man himself.
Plants are unique; they carry many functions to support life on Earth:

accumulate huge reserves of valuable organic matter and chemical energy,
release oxygen, protect against ultraviolet radiation,
reduce the amount carbon dioxide,
take part in the cycle of mineral and organic substances,
plants directly influence climate and temperature,
vegetation participates in soil formation, prevents erosion,
maintain water regime.

The primary source of oxygen on our planet is blue-green algae. These are bacteria that, along with higher plants, have the ability to photosynthesize; they outlived all their ancestors and existed when no one else existed. They are found everywhere: in fresh water bodies, in salty seas, on land, and feel great even in the most extreme conditions.

The most ancient foliage plants on earth, Selaginella is recognized, the history of which dates back about hundreds of millions of years. The "carpet fern" reproduces by spores and is the only representative of the club mosses, an ancient group of plants common before our era. These plants are up to 10 cm in height and resemble ferns and mosses in appearance. Widespread received in home floriculture for its interesting appearance.

Ginkgo is a relict plant, many call it a “living fossil.” This oldest species gymnosperms has been preserved since the Ice Age. IN natural environment habitat, these trees grow up to 40 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 4 m. The life period is about 2000 thousand years. This plant has unique healing properties: the leaves contain many biologically active compounds (acids, vitamins, oils, minerals). They actively influence the human body and have a healing effect.

The oldest living plant on Earth is the “old Tikko” tree. According to scientists, the age of the tree is more than 9550 thousand years. “Old Tikko” is a common spruce, it has the status of the oldest now existing tree. A spruce tree grows in the province of Dalarna in Fulufjellet National Park, Sweden. Scientists have determined that the tree was preserved thanks to the process of “cloning”, with an old root system, the tree trunk is only 600 years old.

Another ancient spruce grows in Härjedalen, Sweden and is called “Old Rasmus”. The age of this plant is about 9500 thousand years.

The oldest non-coniferous tree is considered to be the “Patriarch of the Forest”, which grows in Brazil. Its approximate age is about 3000 thousand years. Now it is under protection, because... grows in an area of active felling.

The oldest ficus grows in Sri Lanka. Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was planted in 288 BC. For all Buddhists of the world, this tree is sacred and is a place of pilgrimage, because. the tree is believed to have been grown from a cutting planted by the Buddha.

The oldest olive "tree of Cormac" grows on the island of Sardinia in Italy. The age of this plant is about 3000 years.

A plant that has been listed in the Guinness Book for its trunk circumference of more than 60 meters, the “Hundred Horse Chestnut” is 3,000 years old. It grows in Sicily.

Fitzroya cypress is an ancient representative of the Fitzroy genus, whose age is 2600 thousand years. Previously, this species was distributed in the territory South America and Patagonia. The current representative of the genus grows on the territory of the Argentine National Park. The tree is 55 meters high and has a trunk diameter of 2.5 meters. Its age is 2600 thousand years.

The most tall plant is a General Sherman tree, 85 meters high, living in a California national park. Its age is more than 2,500 years, and its mass is about 2,000 thousand tons.

Unfortunately, many ancient plants have not survived to the present day; many did not survive due to natural causes. Some of them were cut down for safety reasons, and many were poached.
But thanks to the surviving centenarians, we can learn the history of the development of the Earth, trace how living conditions on our planet changed.