An “alien plant” that does not belong to any known species has been discovered in the United States.

Scientists have discovered a fossil of an “alien plant” in Utah that does not belong to any known plant family, either living or extinct.

According to LiveScience, paleontologists first discovered fossilized leaf specimens in the Utah mining ghost town of Rainbow in 1969 and named it Othniophyton elongatum, which translates to “alien plant.” At the time, they believed that the 47-million-year-old fossil leaves belonged to the ginseng family.

However, a new analysis published in the journal Annals of Botany shows that the leaves, fruits and flowers attached to the fossil stem are not at all similar to the leaves, fruits and flowers of other plants in the ginseng family.

“This…