While These May Look Like Regular Moss-covered Rocks To You, They’re Not - They’re Actually A Species

While these may look like regular moss-covered rocks to you, they’re not - they’re actually a species of flowering plant called Azorella yareta, also known as Yareta. In order to survive the cold, windy, high-altitude conditions of the Andes, they live in tightly-packed colonies so dense that they are capable of supporting the weight of an adult human. They can also live to be thousands of years old - in fact, one of the oldest known plants on Earth is a 3,000-year-old Yareta plant.

Because it is so dry and dense, it was traditionally used as a source of kindling, similar to peat moss. As a result of this, and the fact that it grows so slowly, Yareta is now a protected species in order to prevent its extinction in South America.

(Photo | Source)

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