Many times after digging up diamonds, geologists discovered: Wherever there is this tree, there may be treasure

This is the first plant that can help find diamonds.

The natural world always hides interesting things. As we all know, plants usually grow on soil, sand or water, but, the plants below grow in areas with diamonds.

Unique tree species

According to Science magazine , in 2015, while searching for diamonds, geologist Stephen E. Haggerty of Florida International University discovered a tree species that only grows on lands containing kimberlite. This is a type of volcanic rock found in the Earth's crust and is the current source of diamond mining.

Depicted image of the Pandanus candelabrum plant. (Photo: Pixta).

He noticed that on the surface of the places where he dug up diamonds, there was always the presence of a special tree. This discovery helped him quickly find other locations to continue mining diamonds. His findings were published in an issue of the journal Economic Geography.

That strange tree is the Pandanus palm (scientific name Pandanus candelabrum) that often grows in Liberia, West Africa. Pandanus candelabrum is a species of flowering plant in the family Pandanus. This species is known by P.Beauv. First scientific description in 1805.

Biological characteristics

The Pandanus candelabrum tree has a thorny bark and can grow from 1 to 20 meters tall. The Pandanus palm has leaves that look like palm leaves, so it is easy to distinguish from other plants in the forest. It commonly occurs in tropical climates and on some islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

The Pandanus palm has leaves that look like palm leaves, so it is easy to distinguish from other plants in the forest. (Photo: Shutter Stock)

The special thing about Pandanus candelabrum is that it often grows on soil containing diamonds . Under each of these special trees is a rich soil mixture containing many minerals. Besides the most notable element of diamonds, the land where the Pandanus palm can survive also contains remnants from volcanic eruptions, potassium, magnesium or phosphorus, which are minerals abundant in the soil. kimberlite. Furthermore, not all plants can fully absorb the "scrumptious" nutrients.

Researching further, Professor Haggerty said: "We still don't know the reason, but Pandanus candelabrum seems to only grow on diamond-rich mines." Additionally, the roots of Pandanus candelabrum are typical of swampy areas, but in Liberia, they appear to be typical of kimberlite mines.

The importance of discovery

According to Gizmodo , Pandanus candelabrum is the first tree species that can help find diamonds. This process is called geobotanical prospecting . Although, in the past, the method of searching for underground mineral signs using plants has been used for a long time.

The discovery of the Pandanus palm as well as the existence of this plant can help reduce the costs of diamond ore exploration. (Photo: Pixabay).

For example, copper can be found using poppies in the US, or the flowering shrub Haumaniastrum katangense in Africa. In Sweden, alpine heather has been used since the Middle Ages for prospecting for copper. Some other tree species have also evolved to survive in areas containing heavy metals and are signs to identify these heavy metals such as: U, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, Ba, Pb, Zn.

The discovery of the Pandanus palm as well as the existence of this plant can help reduce mining costs, and environmental damage during the process of diamond ore exploration is also reduced, especially in Western countries. and South Africa. This discovery not only helps develop the diamond mining industry, but also supports research on the temperature and pressure of the Earth's crust 150 million years ago, the period that created the Atlantic Ocean.

With a size that is not too large, the Pandanus palm is often obscured and causes many difficulties for diamond miners. (Photo: Pixabay)

However, Pandanus palm bushes often grow mixed with many ancient trees in tropical forests. With a size that is not too large, the Pandanus palm is often obscured and causes many difficulties for diamond miners.

Pandanus candelabrum is not only a unique plant, but also an example of the magic of nature. Hopefully research on this plant will continue to yield interesting discoveries and help us better understand the planet on which we live.