The living world of our planet is striking in its beauty and diversity. The appearance and characteristics of some plants amaze even the most advanced scientists. Looking at them, you are convinced that nature is capable of performing miracles. Our rating has collected the most unusual plants in the world.
Rafflesia Arnoldi
Rafflesia Arnoldi – the largest flower on the planet. Its size reaches 90 cm, and its weight is 10 kg. Huge bright red petals with white outgrowths make the plant extraordinarily beautiful. However, you will not be able to admire this flower up close because of the smell of rotting meat that it emits, thereby attracting flocks of flies for pollination. Arnoldi's rafflesia has no roots or leaves. Flower seeds attach to the vine and parasitize on it. This natural wonder grows on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Because of its smell, Rafflesia is also called cadaver lily.
Hirantodendron
For its unique appearance, this plant is called the hand of the devil. The bright red elongated petals are very similar to a hand with claws. Due to the similarity with the five-fingered brush, the Aztecs used it in their magical rituals. Hirantodendron is a tree up to 30 m high and a trunk diameter up to 200 cm. Its fruits have an earthy taste and have been used to treat many diseases. A bouquet of inflorescences of Hirantodendron is a great Halloween gift.
The Aztecs called this plant mapilchuchitl
Dragon tree
This plant can be seen in Africa and Asia. Botanists claim that it can live up to 9000 years, but it is difficult to test this hypothesis, since the tree does not have tree rings. The main feature of the dragon tree is the red resin, similar to blood, which is released if the bark of the plant is damaged. Because of this, the aborigines considered the tree sacred. An unusual colored resin was used for embalming.
Since 1991, Dracaena draco is the official plant symbol of the island of Tenerife.
Venus flytrap
This amazingly beautiful plant with an unusual name grows on the Atlantic coast of the United States and is a real predator. The flower, shaped like a jaw, releases nectar that attracts insects with its scent. The fly sits down on the bud and sticks to it. Leaves instantly react to prey and close, leaving the victim with no hope of salvation. It takes 10 days for the insect to completely digest. After that, the leaves open again in anticipation of the next portion of food. This process can be observed with one's own eyes. Today, the Venus flytrap has become a fashionable ornamental plant. It can be grown on a windowsill.
The scientific species name (muscipula) is translated from Latin as "mousetrap" - probably by mistake of a botanist
Baobab
The baobab, or Adansonia palmate, is a huge tree that grows in the dry savannas of tropical Africa. It is distinguished by a particularly thick trunk, which contains all the reserves of nutrients necessary for the plant. It is called the symbol of the savannah. Local residents weave nets from the bark of a plant, make medicines, make shampoo. During the rainy season, due to moisture and fungal infection, part of the trunk collapses and the tree becomes hollow. Inside the baobab, which has lived for thousands of years, up to 40 people can hide. In October, the baobab blooms, but its flowers last only one night.
The baobab is considered the national tree of the people of Madagascar.He is also depicted on the coats of arms of Senegal and the Central African Republic.
Lithops
Lithops is a Greek name that translates as "having the appearance of a stone." The plant grows in dry, hot areas and feels good on the windowsill. Lithops are unpretentious and can decorate the interior of any apartment. The plant is a pair of leaves separated by a slit. They look like stones in appearance. They live for one year, after which they are replaced by a new pair. Lithops bloom in comfortable conditions. This usually occurs no earlier than the third year of the plant's life.
Each year, a pair of leaves is replaced by a new one. The slot in the new pair is approximately perpendicular to the slot in the old pair.
Victoria amazon
Victoria Amazonian is the largest water lily in the world. The plant is named after Queen Victoria. The homeland of the water lily is the Amazon basin in Brazil and Bolivia. However, today it can often be seen in greenhouses. The diameter of the water lily leaves reaches 2.5 m. They can easily support a weight of up to 50 kg, provided the load is evenly distributed. Victoria Amazonian blooms only two days a year. Large flowers of extraordinary beauty, which change color from white-pink to crimson, can be seen only at night. During the day, they sink into the water.
The deeper the reservoir, the larger the leaves grow.
Amorphophallus titanic
Initially, Amorphophallus titanic grew only in the forests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but people who came there practically exterminated it. Now this rare flower is bred mainly in greenhouse conditions in the botanical gardens of the world. The smell of the plant resembles rotten meat or fish. Looking at this beautiful plant, it is impossible to imagine that it emits such a terrible "aroma". The flower is one of the largest on the planet. Its width and height exceeds 2 meters, and the plant lives for 40 years, and during this time it blooms only 3-4 times.
Tubers of plants of the genus Amorphophallus are edible
Velvichia is amazing
Scientists discovered this plant in the 19th century. Its unusual appearance does not allow us to call it a grass, a bush, or a tree. Velvichia grows in the south of Angola and Namibia at a short distance from water bodies. The plant receives moisture thanks to mists. Velvichia does not attract by its beauty. It is interesting for its uniqueness. The plant consists of two huge leaves that do not fall off throughout their life - only the edges of the plant dry out. And the life expectancy of this miracle of nature, according to scientists, is 2 thousand years.
Velvichia is depicted on the coat of arms of Namibia, and in this country the collection of its seeds is possible only with the permission of the state.
Nepentes
Nepentes, or pitcher, grows in tropical regions of Asia. Most often you can find him on the island of Kalimantan. The peculiarity of this vine is its brightly colored, jug-shaped leaves. With their color and aroma, they attract insects and small rodents, becoming a trap for them. The prey ends up at the bottom of a leaf filled with a liquid similar to gastric juice. The victim cannot get out of here. It takes a Nepenthes several days to digest such food.
The scientific name of the genus comes from the herb of oblivion from ancient Greek mythology - nepenthus
There are still many amazing things on planet Earth. This is just a part of the wonders that the flora can boast of. Some of the most unusual plants can only be seen in pictures, but many of them are in famous greenhouses in the world.
