澳洲科学家在桉树叶里找到了黄金

Money really does grow on trees - at least in Australia. #

Scientists have found gold in the leaves of eucalyptus¹ trees. #

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The particles are much too small to be seen with the naked eye but have been detected using a type of x-ray that is especially good at picking up trace amounts of metals and minerals. #

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However, gold hunters shouldn't start felling gum trees in the hope of becoming rich. #

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Study leader Mel Lintern told the Brisbane Times: 'If you had 500 eucalyptus trees growing over a gold deposit, they would only have enough gold in there to make a wedding ring.'

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The real value of the study is that nature's own version of gold leaf could provide mine companies with an inexpensive and environmentally friendly indicator² of where to drill test sites. #

The study by the Commonwealth³ Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation⁴ in Western Australia showed levels of the precious metal were highest in trees growing directly over gold seams, one of which was 115 feet down. #

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The researchers believe the gold was taken up by the trees' extensive roots from while scouring⁵ for water during times of drought. #

It was then transported through the tree to the leaves, where concentrations are higher than in the twigs⁶, trunk or surface soil. #

The researchers said: 'Gold is probably toxic⁷ to plants and is moved to extremities⁸, such as leaves in order to reduce deleterious biochemical reactions.'

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Writing in the journal Nature Communications, they said it was the first time that gold had been found naturally incorporated into a living thing. #

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