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One of my favourite houseplants is this Sago palm. Except it isn't a palm, but a cycad (Cycas revulata). One of the few common, non-endagered cycads, it is a native of Southern Japan.

The cycads are a fascinating group - with origins going back to the early Permian (possibly even the Carboniferous), they have survived 3 mass extinction events, including the massive late Permian event, as well as the dinosaur-killing Jurassic event, and the event at the end of the Cretaceous.

Now they are truly endangered again - through climate change, but especially because of human greed. Driven to near-extinction because of poaching. With the exception of a few species, like the sago palm, they are all protected and are not destined for the houseplant market.