Cycads(苏铁)grow in warm places. They are tall and green all year round. Their leaves grow on the top and flowers seldom come out. Some have bright orange fruits. They usually need hundreds of years to grow into adult plants.
Cycads are facing problems now. In South Africa, the situation of cycads is getting terrible, but this has drawn little attention from the public. "In fact, there are 38 kinds of cycads in South Africa. Among them, 2 kinds have disappeared since 2003 and 25 kinds are in great danger," said a gardener. "Do you know what the loneliest plant is in the world? It is Wood's Cyead. Someone found it in a forest in 1895. It is the only one of its kind."
So what causes cycads to be in danger? Surprisingly, the danger is from the people who love them most. These slow-growing adult cycads even sell for tens of thousands of dollars each. As time goes by, they have become a symbol(象征)of wealth and position(地位)in society. This makes cyead lovers want to own more. Cyead lovers buy and plant them in their private gardens. As a result, nearly all these cyeads die because the living conditions have changed.
Recently, South African government has taken some actions to protect cycads from being stolen traded. At the same time, people around the world should also work together to protect the plants.
