The strangest flowers in the world. The most unusual flowers in the world Message about unusual flowers

The world has the most diverse set of colors, the most diverse forms, shades and smells. But these flowers are different from the rest.

Rafflesia Arnold

No, this is not Photoshop, these are images of a real flower growing in the Mediterranean region, whose pistils resemble little men (male).
Oddly enough, the tubers of this flower are very valuable. The tubers of this flower are used to make a starchy additive called salepa, which is an ingredient in the popular confection known as Turkish Delight. Also from this flower receive remedies for diarrhea and an aphrodisiac.
Due to its massive use in various fields of activity, this flower is on the verge of extinction in wild nature.

Amorphophallus titanic

This flower is one of the largest flowers in the world. It is 3.5 meters long, during the flowering period, which happens once every tens of years, and lasts no more than 12 hours, it has a very specific stench that sometimes smells like: sweaty feet, human excrement, Limburger cheese or rotting fish.

Orchid - Egret

With over 27,000 species of orchids blooming across the globe, it's no wonder some of them rank among the most unique flowers in the world. One of these amazing flowers is the Japanese orchid, the petals of which, when opened, unfold in a fringe like wings, which bears a striking resemblance to a bird.
Despite the fact that in the wild this orchid is on the verge of extinction, mainly due to the fact that the swampy places where it grows are converted into rice fields, this flower is still a hot commodity due to its rare nature and unique forms.

Gidnora Africana

It's hard to imagine, but this plant, which resembles either a living stone or an alien, is actually a simple, well, or not quite simple, but at least an Earth flower.
This flower is very common in some Southern regions of Africa. This plant can live underground for up to one year before it emerges to the surface during the flowering period.
And despite bad smell and repulsive appearance, this flower can serve as food and even as a remedy for acne.

living stones

A very common and interesting flower that seems to sprout from a stone. Due to the fact that this flower grows in the arid climate of Africa, it evolved in such a way that it created a water bag, the internal structure of which resembles a sponge, and the outer shell is like a hard shell, resembling a stone in structure.
Due to the fact that they are not very whimsical about the use of water and resistant to high temperatures, they are one of the favorite plants of gardeners who do not wrap much in caring for them.

ginger hive

This flower, in addition to the common form, outwardly similar to a snake twisted into a ball, has a variety of shapes and shades.
As the flower's name suggests, it is related to ginger, and like its relative, it also has a pleasantly sweet fragrance when in bloom.
the flowers themselves are quite small, blooming between the bracts * their appearance often resembles a honeycomb.

* bracts - a modified leaf of a flower, which is formatted near the bud, creating for it a kind of supporting pot.

Hooker Lips (Hot Lips)

When the bud is closed, the flower resembles the lips of a girl.

Orchid - Flying duck

Another orchid with an amazing petal structure that looks like a small flying duck.

Orchid - Laughing Bumblebee

The bud of this orchid resembles a cute, always laughing little animal, resembling a bumblebee.

Monkey Orchid (another name is the child of Dracula and Monkey)

This is a very rare orchid, the bud of which resembles the muzzle of a monkey, and is highly valued by collectors. rare flowers around the world. Its early habitat was noted in the mountainous regions of Ecuador, Colombia and Peru at an altitude of thousands of meters above sea level.

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Our planet never ceases to amaze with the diversity of its flora. How many unusual plants gave the world mother nature! Beautiful and ugly, ordinary and bizarre, they adorn this world! Let's get to know them better.

Flying ducks hide under the eucalyptus trees of southern and eastern Australia. This is the name of the flowers of the delicate Kalania Orchid, which really look like tiny ducklings. The plant is not very tall 50-60 cm. The flowers are dark purple or brown. There can be 2 or 4 flowers on 1 Orchid stalk. The Flight of the Ducks runs from September to January.

A lover of the tropics, Tacca Chantrier is one of the most elegant plants. Her home is the mountain slopes, humid forests of Southeast Asia and West Africa. The plant is known under the name "black lily", "black butterfly", "bat", "devil's flower". Butterfly wings are maroon or black. They bloom from February to August, releasing from 5 to 25 long thin threads. They are the main decoration of the plant.

From elegance to spice! It is this word that is suitable to describe Psychotria, which lives in Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. This forest tree has lips that are also made up! But, in fact, this is not a flower, but an unusual bright red bract. It is a "house" for 5 small "snowflakes". Blue fruits appear from white flowers, resembling blueberries.

An equally interesting plant can be seen in the vastness of Malaya. It seems that a strong two-meter stem holds a large cone. The real name is Ginger Hive.
You can admire the beauty of unusual "cones" both in summer and in autumn. They bloom from July to November. During this period, the hive resembles a microphone into which small birds and insects bring out their trills.
The plant is also called sunny flower". The more the celestial body gives it its rays, the brighter it becomes.

The gigantic size of this plant allows him to be king among unusual colors planets. Amorphophallus titanic can reach 2.5 meters high and 1.5 wide.
It has an upright, very short stem, several small and one large leaf. The royal robe of the flower is maroon on the inside and light green on the outside. Amorphophallus resembles a candlestick, in which there is a large candle. For some, its forms are associated with callas. But, approaching closer to the plant, the opinion immediately dissipates. Its smell of rotten fish, because of which Amorphophallus is called the "corpse flower", is repellent! Although many insects like it. Despite the unpleasant aroma, the giant has several features:

• Blooms rarely.
• The flowering period is only 2 days.

The birthplace of a tropical plant was about. Sumatra (Indonesia). Now, it can be seen in the botanical gardens of the world.

During the flowering period, the plant resembles a three-headed cobra. It has a rough surface, a bright orange color on the inside and brown on the outside. Gidnora has no leaves. But one of the main features is an unpleasant smell that attracts beetles, which pollinate the flower.

Summer is a wonderful period for Rosyanka, or "solar dew". Small white and pink flowers cover the swamps and mountain slopes of almost the whole world. But their largest number is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand.

The bewitching dew drops that form on the thin red hairs of the plant create a very delicate picture of nature. But behind this beauty lies a real predator! "Cunning Flower" attracts insects with its cuteness, turning into a deadly trap for them. Dew Crystals is a sticky poison. It paralyzes the insect, after which the sundew leaf begins to curl up, slowly poisoning the prey. An interesting fact is that he only reacts to organic food. If a leaf or twig hits, nothing will happen.

And they say the truth: "Behind a beautiful appearance, a bad soul can be hidden." So you can say about one more representatives unusual world nature - about Rafflesia ...

A large flower resembling a head of cabbage has 5 round petals and a spherical center. Attention is drawn to its "cheerful" color. Bright brick petals with white spots look like Dalmatians. The absence of a root, stem and leaves is one of the features of a peculiar different colors. Rafflesia is no exception. You can meet her in such exotic corners of the planet as the Philippines, Fr. Java and about. Sumatra. The plant poses a threat to climbing vines.

The flowering period of Rafflesia is short and lasts only 5-7 days. After that, she loses her attractiveness. Where there was a bright flower, only a black mass remains, forming a large round fruit with small seeds inside. It is so hard that only a huge animal, such as an elephant, can crush it.

Due to the ability to absorb a large number of water (up to 7 l), Rafflesia was given another name - "bast flower". She also holds the title of "corpse lily", "stink flower", for her unpleasant perfume. The smell of spoiled meat is not the most attractive! But this is nothing compared to the terrible neighbor of Rafflesia - the Flower-jug ...

The very name of the plant speaks of its shape. But this feature did not help him get into the list of unusual colors.
Inhabitant of the Philippines and Fr. Sumatra, China and Malaysia, Madagascar and Indonesia, poses a great danger to living organisms. The flower is killing them! The deep inflorescence is filled with liquid, in which defenseless insects, lizards, birds, and mice drown.
Each flower is wonderful world with your riddles!

Every day we see many beautiful flowers that grow in the fields, in flower beds, in pots or indoors, and despite the fact that they are very beautiful, for us they are ordinary and everyday. In general, speaking of these representatives flora, we begin to list roses, carnations, daisies, tulips, daffodils, chrysanthemums, lilies and many others that you can buy in the store at any time of the year. Nevertheless, in different parts of our planet there are many flowers that, with their originality and unusual appearance (giant size, bright color, non-standard shape, etc.), can even lead to a state of shock. Yes, yes, this also happens. We bring to your attention the top 10 most in the world.

Rafflesia - corpse lily

Features of rafflesia

What is the originality of this plant? It turns out that it has neither roots nor green leaves, but the flower itself is very beautiful and colorful. It has five bright red, fleshy petals that look like thick pancakes, but instead of holes, they have growths like warts. From afar, Rafflesia resembles a giant fly agaric. After the flower is fully bloomed, it lives only 3-4 days, no more. He, unlike roses, violets, daffodils, lilies, etc., has not a pleasant, but simply disgusting smell, which resembles the stench of rotting meat. However, this helps him attract pollinators - dung flies. Because of this, it can reproduce.

Wolfia - aquatic inhabitant

This unusual flower is the smallest of all flowering plants on Earth. It looks like a tiny bead. Its size does not exceed 0.8 mm. It lives on the surface of water bodies of North Africa, Asia and America, located in subtropical latitudes. It seems to some that these flowers are somehow related to the wolf family, due to their name. However, this is not the case at all. Wolfia is named after the German botanist J. Wolf. This plant in the world is not so much - only 17 species. All of them are "waterfowl" and feed on nutrients dissolved in the reservoir. Many people do not even suspect that these small green balls are flowers.

Amorphophallus (titanic)

This plant is a competitor of rafflesia and also claims the title. Just like the other giant, it has a disgusting "aroma" and spreads over many tens of meters. For the first time this unusual flower begins to bloom at the age of 5. It is also called the voodoo lily, the tongue of the devil, or the snake palm. As for the name "amorphophallus", it is translated from Greek as "shapeless phallus".

This flower grows in height and can reach more than two meters, but the width is about one and a half meters. For 40 years of its existence, it can bloom only 2-3 times, and this lasts only 2 days. In the wild, amorphophallus can be found mainly on the island of Sumatra. However, in many botanical gardens around the world you can also see this original flower. The only thing is that not every visitor to these gardens will be able to approach him at a close enough distance, because sometimes his smell can even cause vomiting.

Orchid Kalania

Like all orchids, this beautiful flower unusual and even a little funny, because in appearance it resembles a flying duck. It can mainly be found in Australia, on the so-called Green Continent. The locals called him the "flying duck" for his resemblance to one of the representatives of the feathered world. Studying this plant, scientists were again surprised by the wisdom of mother nature. Such an unusual form is needed by the Kalania orchid to attract sawflies - small flying insects. It turns out that male sawflies see this flower, which is only 2 cm in size, as a female and rush to her to mate, but instead are covered with its pollen, which is then transferred to other "ducks". As a result, pollination occurs.

Psychotria sublime

Another unusual flower is Poppig's psychotria or elata. This plant, perhaps, can be called the most original and most piquant in the world. For his appearance, he was nicknamed "hot sponges" by the people. Its bright red inflorescence is exactly like voluminous voluminous painted lips. This is a tropical plant. It loves warmth and moisture. The homeland of Psychotria sublime is America, and it can be found both in the central and southern regions of the New World. Most often it is found in such temperamental countries as Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, etc. If you create all the conditions, then this plant can be grown at home, and then it turns into indoor flower. Its unusual appearance will delight everyone who gets into the house and sees this miracle: a lot of red sponges among the green foliage of a plant growing in a tub. It belongs to the Marenov family. This family is one of the most widespread worldwide: more than 1700 species. "Hot lips", by the way, is not a shrub, but a dwarf tree. And you can grow this unusual flower with your own hands. However, in order to bring him from his homeland, you will need a special permit-certificate. Therefore, many are content with admiring only his photographs. By the way, today you can order a 3-D photo wallpaper with the image of this passionate flower and contemplate its image every day.

Passionflower

This one grows in Latin America. It has a very attractive look. But its main feature is that, when looking at it, it seems to us that it consists of two fused buds. However, this is just an optical illusion.

Sundew

This is quite a pretty, but unremarkable flower. However, it attracts various insects to itself, and all thanks to the special liquid it secretes during the flowering period.

sexy orchid

But this flower is very similar in shape to Kalanya. However, in addition to being reminiscent of female wasps, he also releases special pheromones that attract them to him.

gidnora africanus

mousetrap flower

Nepenthes Attenborough is perhaps the most unusual flower in the world, as it feeds on small rodents. The scientists who figured this out 14 years ago were really confused.

Conclusion

Our life becomes brighter and more interesting thanks to some unusual things that, although rare, leave an impression for a lifetime. These may include the above flowers.

On our planet there is a huge number of all kinds of plants, seeing which one can only be surprised at how nature could come up with something like this. An incredible number of species and subspecies of plants, many of which amaze with their qualities - from survival and adaptability, to colors and sizes. In this ranking of the most unusual plants, we will show the full scope of natural creativity.

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Romanesco is one of the cultivars of cabbage, belonging to the same varietal group as cauliflower. According to some reports, it is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli. This type of cabbage has long been grown in the vicinity of Rome. According to some reports, it was first mentioned in historical documents in Italy in the sixteenth century. The vegetable appeared on international markets in the 90s of the XX century. Compared to cauliflower and broccoli, Romanesco is more delicate in texture and has a milder creamy nutty flavor without a bitter note.

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Euphorbia obesum is a perennial succulent plant in the Euphorbiaceae family that resembles a stone or a green-brown soccer ball in appearance, without spines or leaves, but sometimes forms "branches" or suckers in strange-looking sets of spheres. It can grow up to 20-30 cm in height and up to 9-10 cm in diameter. Euphorbia obese is a bisexual plant, it has male flowers on one plant, and female flowers on the other. For fruit set cross pollination, which is usually performed.

The fruit looks like a slightly triangular three-nut, up to 7 mm in diameter, containing one seed in each nest. When ripe, it explodes and scatters small, round, speckled-gray seeds 2 mm in diameter, the pedicels fall off after scattering the seeds. They grow at an altitude of 300-900 meters above sea level in a small area of ​​​​Kendreu, in the Great Karoo, in rocky and hilly terrain in full sun or partial shade. Plants are very well hidden among the stones, their color blends with environment so good that sometimes it's hard to see them.

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Takka is a plant of the Takkov family, growing in a wide variety of environmental conditions and numbering 10 species. They settle in open and heavily shaded areas, in savannas, in thickets of bushes and in rain forests. Young parts of plants, as a rule, are pubescent with tiny hairs that disappear as they grow older. Plant sizes are usually small, from 40 to 100 centimeters, but some species sometimes reach a height of 3 meters. Although takka is becoming more widespread as indoor plant, it should be borne in mind that it is not easy to successfully keep tacca in rooms due to the special demands of the plant on the conditions of detention. The Tacca family is represented by one genus Tacca, numbering about 10 plant species.

- Takka pinnatifida grows in tropical Asia, Australia, and in the tropics of Africa. Leaves up to 40-60 cm wide, from 70 cm long to 3 meters long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color covered is light green.

- Tacca Chantrier grows in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. evergreen tropical, herbaceous plant reaching 90-120 cm in height. The flowers are edged with maroon, almost black, wing-span-like bracts. bat or butterflies with long, threadlike antennae.

- Whole-leaved takka grows in India. The leaves are wide, glossy, up to 35 cm wide, up to 70 cm long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color is white, purple strokes are scattered over the white tone. The flowers are black, purple or dark purple, located under the bedspreads.

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Venus flytrap is a species of carnivorous plants from the monotypic genus Dionea of ​​the Rosyankovye family. It is a small herbaceous plant with a rosette of 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem. Leaves are three to seven centimeters in size, depending on the time of year, long trap leaves usually form after flowering. Feeds on insects and spiders. It grows in a humid temperate climate on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It is a species cultivated in ornamental horticulture. Can be grown as a houseplant. Grows in soils with a lack of nitrogen, such as swamps. Lack of nitrogen is the reason for the appearance of traps: insects serve as a source of nitrogen necessary for protein synthesis. The Venus flytrap belongs to a small group of plants capable of fast movements.

After the prey is trapped and the edges of the sheets close, forming a "stomach" in which the digestion process takes place. Digestion is catalyzed by enzymes that are secreted by glands in the lobes. Digestion takes approximately 10 days, after which only an empty chitinous shell remains of the prey. After that, the trap opens and is ready to capture new prey. During the life of the trap, an average of three insects fall into it.

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The dragon tree is a plant of the genus Dracaena that grows in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and on the islands of Southeast Asia. Grown as an ornamental plant. An old Indian legend tells that a long time ago in the Arabian Sea on the island of Socotra, there lived a bloodthirsty dragon who attacked elephants and drank their blood. But one day, one old and strong elephant fell on the dragon and crushed it. Their blood mixed and wetted the ground around. At this place, trees have grown, called dracaena, which means “female dragon”. The indigenous population of the Canary Islands considered the tree sacred, and its resin was used for medicinal purposes. The resin was found in prehistoric burial caves and was used for embalming at that time.

On its thick branches grow bunches of very sharp leaves. Thick branched trunk up to 20 meters high, diameter at the base up to 4 m, has a secondary growth in thickness. Each branch of branching ends with a dense bunch of densely arranged grayish-green, leathery, linear-xiphoid leaves 45-60 centimeters long and 2-4 centimeters wide in the middle of the plate, somewhat tapering towards the base and pointed towards the apex, with prominent veins. The flowers are large, bisexual, with a corolla-shaped dividing perianth, in bunches of 4-8 pieces. Some trees live up to 7-9 thousand years.

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The genus Gidnora includes 5 species growing in the tropical regions of Africa, Arabia and Madagascar, it is not very common, so just walking in the desert, you will not find it. This plant is more like a mushroom until its unusual flower opens. In fact, the flower is named after the hydnor mushroom, which means mushroom in Greek. Hydnoraceae flowers are rather large, solitary, almost sessile, bisexual, petalless. And what we usually see on the surface of the soil is what we call a flower.

These features of color and structure, as well as the putrid smell of flowers, serve to attract beetles that feed on carrion. Beetles, climbing into flowers, crawl into them, especially in their lower part, where the reproductive organs are located, contributing to their pollination. Often, female beetles not only find food in flowers, but also lay eggs there.

The inhabitants of Africa - willingly use the fruits of hydnora for food, like some animals. In Madagascar, the hydnora fruit is considered one of the best local fruits. Thus, the peddlers of hydnora seeds are the most and humans. In Madagascar, the flowers and roots of Hydnora are used by locals to treat heart disease.

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Baobab is a species of trees from the genus Adansonia of the Malvaceae family, characteristic of the dry savannahs of tropical Africa. The lifespan of baobabs is controversial - they do not have growth rings, which can be used to reliably calculate age. Radiocarbon dating has shown more than 5,500 years for a tree 4.5 meters in diameter, although baobabs are more conservatively estimated to live for about 1,000 years.

In winter and during the dry period, the tree begins to consume moisture reserves, decreasing in volume, sheds foliage. Baobab blossoms from October to December. Baobab flowers are large - up to 20 cm in diameter, white with five petals and purple stamens, on hanging pedicels. They open in the late afternoon and live only one night, attracting the scent of bats that pollinate them. In the morning, the flowers wither, acquiring an unpleasant putrefactive odor, and fall off.

Next, oblong edible fruits develop, which resemble cucumbers or melons, covered with a thick, hairy peel. Inside the fruits are filled with sour mealy pulp with black seeds. The baobab dies in a peculiar way: it seems to crumble and gradually settle, leaving behind only a pile of fiber. However, baobabs are extremely tenacious. They quickly restore the stripped bark; continue to bloom and bear fruit. A cut down or fallen tree is able to take on new roots.

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Victoria amazonica is a large herbaceous tropical plant of the Water Lily family, the largest water lily in the world and one of the most popular greenhouse plants in the world. Victoria amazonica was named after Queen Victoria of England. Victoria Amazonian is common in the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia, it is also found in the rivers of Guyana that flow into the Caribbean Sea.

Huge water lily leaves reach 2.5 meters and, with a uniformly distributed load, can withstand weight up to 50 kilograms. The tuberous rhizome is usually deeply recessed into the muddy bottom. The upper surface is green with a waxy layer that repels excess water and also has small holes to remove water. The lower part is purplish red with a mesh of ribs studded with spikes to protect against herbivorous fish, air bubbles accumulate between the ribs to help the leaf float. In one season, each tuber can produce up to 50 leaves, which, growing, cover a large surface of the reservoir, covering sunlight and thereby limiting the growth of other plants.

Victoria Amazonian flowers are under water and bloom only once a year for 2-3 days. Flowers bloom only at night, and with the onset of dawn they fall under water. During flowering, flowers placed above the water, in the open state, have a diameter of 20-30 centimeters. On the first day, the color of the petals is white, on the second they are pinkish, on the third they turn purple or dark crimson. In the wild, the plant can live up to 5 years.

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Sequoia is a monotypic genus of woody plants of the Cypress family. Growing on the Pacific Coast North America. Individual specimens of sequoia reach a height of more than 110 meters - these are the tallest trees on Earth. The maximum age is more than three and a half thousand years. This tree is better known as the "mahogany", while plants of the related species sequoiadendron are known as "giant sequoias".

Their diameter at the level of the human chest is about 10 meters. Most a big tree in the world "General Sherman". Its height is 83.8 meters. In 2002, the volume of wood was 1487 m³. It is believed that he is 2300-2700 years old. The tallest tree in the world is Hyperion, its height is 115 meters.

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Nepenthes is the only genus of plants of the monotypic family Nepentaceae, which includes about 120 species. Most species grow in tropical Asia, especially on the island of Kalimantan. Named after the herb of oblivion from ancient Greek mythology- nepenfa. Species of the genus are mostly shrub or semi-shrub lianas growing in humid habitats. Their long thin herbaceous or slightly lignified stems climb the trunks and large branches of neighboring trees to tens of meters in height, carrying their narrow terminal racemose or paniculate inflorescences to sunlight.

At different types Nepenthes pitchers vary in size, shape and color. Their length varies from 2.5 to 30 centimeters, and in some species it can reach up to 50 cm. Most often, the jugs are painted in bright colors: red, matte white with a spotted pattern, or light green with spots. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, actinomorphic and petalless, with four imbricate sepals. The fruit is in the form of a leathery box, divided internal partitions into separate chambers, in each of which seeds with a fleshy endosperm and a straight cylindrical small embryo are attached to the column.

It is curious that large nepenthes, in addition to eating insects, also use the droppings of tupaya animals, which climb onto the plant like on a toilet bowl to feast on sweet nectar. In this way, the plant forms a symbiotic relationship with the animal, using its droppings as fertilizer.

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This fungus, belonging to Agaricus mushrooms, looks like chewed chewing gum, oozing blood and smelling of strawberries. However, you should not eat it, because it is one of the most poisonous mushrooms on earth, and even just licking it can be guaranteed to get serious poisoning. The mushroom gained fame in 1812, and then it was recognized as inedible. The surface of the fruit bodies is white, velvety, with small depressions, becoming beige or brown with age. On the surface of young specimens, drops of a poisonous blood-red liquid protrude through the pores. The word “tooth” in the title is not just that. The fungus has sharp formations along the edges that appear with age.

In addition to its external qualities, this mushroom has good antibacterial properties and contains chemicals that thin the blood. It is possible that soon this mushroom will become a replacement for penicillin. main feature of this fungus is that it can feed on both soil juices and insects, which are lured by the red liquid of the fungus. The diameter of the cap of a bloody tooth is 5-10 centimeters, the length of the stem is 2-3 centimeters. The bloody tooth grows in the coniferous forests of Australia, Europe and North America.

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The top three among the most unusual plants in the world is closed by a large tropical plant of the genus Amorphophallus of the aroid family, discovered in 1878 in Sumatra. One of the most famous species of the genus, it has one of the largest inflorescences in the world. The aerial part of this plant is a short and thick stem, at the base there is a single large leaf, above - smaller ones. Leaf length up to 3 meters, and up to 1 meter in diameter. Petiole length 2-5 meters, thickness 10 cm. Matte green, with white transverse stripes. The underground part of the plant is a giant tuber weighing up to 50 kilograms.

The aroma of the flower resembles a mixture of rotten eggs and rotten fish, and in appearance the flower resembles a decomposing piece of meat. It is this smell that attracts pollinating insects to the plant in the wild. Flowering continues for two weeks. Interestingly, the cob is heated up to 40 ° C. The tuber during this time is greatly depleted due to the overexpenditure of nutrients. Therefore, he needs another rest period of up to 4 weeks in order to accumulate strength for leaf development. If there are few nutrients, then the tuber “sleeps” after flowering until next spring. The life expectancy of this plant is 40 years, but during this time it blooms only three or four times.

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Velvichia is amazing - a relic tree - is one species, one genus, one family, one order of the Velvichievs. Velvichia grows in southern Angola and Namibia. The plant is rarely found further than a hundred kilometers from the coast, this roughly corresponds to the limit reached by fogs, which are the main source of moisture for Welwitschia. Its appearance cannot be called grass, bush or tree. The scientific world learned about Velvichia in the 19th century.

From afar, it seems that Velvichia has many long leaves, but in fact there are only two of them, and they grow throughout its plant life, adding 8-15 centimeters per year. AT scientific papers a giant was described with a leaf length of more than 6 meters and a width of about 2. And its life expectancy is so long that it is hard to believe. Although Velvichia is considered a tree, it does not have annual rings, as on tree trunks. Scientists have determined the age of the largest Velvichii by radiocarbon dating - it turned out that some specimens are about 2000 years old!

Instead of a social plant life, Velvichia prefers a lonely existence, that is, it does not grow in a group. The flowers of Velvichia look like small cones, and in each female bump only one seed, and each seed is provided with wide wings. As for pollination, the opinions of botanists differ here. Some believe that pollination is carried out by insects, while others are more inclined to the action of the wind. Velvichia is protected by the Namibian Conservation Act. The collection of its seeds is prohibited without special permission. The entire territory where Velvichia grows has been turned into a National Park.

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