Answer: South Africa
Notes: Scientists are using remote sensing and AI to find a female Encephalartos woodii in Ngoye Forest, South Africa. This cycad, a "living fossil" from the Carboniferous period, has thick trunks and stiff leaves. Cycads, gymnosperms like conifers, reproduce via insect-pollinated cones. Despite their ancient lineage, cycads are highly endangered due to slow growth, habitat loss, and illegal trade. The search aims to preserve this rare species.
