Searching for a female partner for the world’s ‘loneliest’ plant

A rare and endangered species of dioecious shrub, *Solanum conocarpum*, found only in a remote area of New Zealand, is facing extinction due to its unique reproductive requirements. The plant is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female. The only known female plant of this species died in 2019, leaving the only surviving male plant, nicknamed “Mr. Lonely”, with no chance of reproduction. Scientists are now on a mission to find a suitable female partner for Mr. Lonely, searching for surviving plants in the wild or attempting to create a female clone from the deceased plant’s tissue. This search is complicated by the plant’s rarity and the limited knowledge about its reproductive biology. Researchers are collecting pollen from Mr. Lonely and attempting to cross-pollinate it with the female clone, hoping to produce seeds and regenerate the species. The article discusses the challenges involved in finding a suitable partner for Mr. Lonely and the importance of conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of this unique plant species.

Summary

"The article highlights the challenges of preserving rare and endangered plant species, particularly those with unique reproductive requirements like the *Solanum conocarpum*. The search for a female partner for Mr. Lonely, the lone surviving male of the species, is a race against time to prevent its extinction, relying on both traditional fieldwork and innovative cloning techniques. The success of these efforts will depend on the researchers' ability to overcome the hurdles posed by the plant's rarity and limited reproductive knowledge."