How amazing our planet Earth is with all its natural diversity! Just think - in everyday life we are surrounded by more than 320 thousand species of plants. But these are only those described by the science of botany, which every day discovers more and more new species. All this wealth, which gives the planet oxygen, is scattered across the globe. And in this article, the most interesting and rare plants in the world are collected from all corners of the planet.
This wonderful plant belongs to the Lyubka family and is considered the rarest in the world. Now wild steppe orchids can be found only in five American states, as well as in the countries of the Midwest.
According to the Endangered Species Coalition, there are only 172 species of this orchid in the world, and four of them consist of only a thousand specimens.
The western prairie orchid is a wetland plant, and its habitats include prairie potholes and ancient glacial retreats dating back about 20,000 years.
The plant is endangered due to global warming, frequent fires, and the fact that it is simply trampled by livestock.
Rafflesia
The full name of this plant is Rafflesia Arnoldi, or Rafflesia arnoldii. This tropical plant is considered the most big flower in the world. In fact, the entire plant is a flower, since it does not have roots, stems and leaves in the usual sense. Rafflesia emits a pungent odor of decaying flesh, which is why the plant is called the corpse flower. But there's a reason - the smell of rotting meat attracts flies, which bathe in the finger and then carry it to another plant to cross-pollinate.
Interestingly, rafflesia often blooms along elephant trails, and the reason for this is the way its seeds are dispersed.
The plant bears fruit in balls of pollen, which elephants step on and carry the pollen from the ball further on their feet.
Amorphophallus titanica
Amorphophallus, or Amorphophallus titanum, has the largest height of any flower and the second largest flower in the entire world after Rafflesia. Like its giant sister, this plant emits a disgusting smell of rotting flesh to attract flies to help pollinate flowers. Like Rafflesia, Amorphophallus was common in Indonesia, but humans have virtually exterminated the species from its natural environment. Now this amazing plant is grown, as a rule, in greenhouse conditions in botanical gardens.
dragon tree
Dragon tree or Dracaena dracaena ( Dracaena draco), got its name from the red juice released from the plant, which in ancient times was considered the blood of a dragon. Legend says that once upon a time, bloodthirsty dragons lived on the earth, eating elephants. But one day a large elephant crushed the most powerful dragon, and from the blood of the slain mythical creature a dragon tree grew. Moreover, the leaves of this tree are so tough that they can be used to make brushes, and a person can fit in the hollow of a particularly old tree.
Interestingly, dragon dracaena does not form growth rings, so it is sometimes impossible to determine the age of the tree from a cut.
However, it is known that some trees of this species can live up to 7-9 thousand years.
In ancient times, "dragon juice" was used in medicinal purposes and for embalming, and in the Middle Ages it was popular among alchemists.
Dragonfly grows in tropical and subtropical zones of Africa, as well as on the islands of southeast Asia. The tree can also be found in the Canary Islands, but due to the collection of red resin it has become very rare.
African Hydnora
Both the bright color and the putrid odor of decomposition emanating from the plant serve to attract insects, which assist in pollination.
Moreover, the carrion beetles themselves often lay eggs inside the flower of the plant.
By the way, in the places where it grows, the fruit of Hydnora is actively used as food, and its rhizome is used to treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Selenicereus grandiflora
Selenicereus grandiflorus) is a truly luxurious and incredible plant. Another name for this exotic plant of the cactus family is the Queen of the Night, and for good reason. The fact is that the flowers of this cactus bloom only once a year, and flowering lasts one night. But this is such a beautiful and unique sight that the botanical gardens arrange a special night entrance for visitors who want to see with their own eyes how these wonderful fragrant flowers bloom.
Selenicereus lives in the West Indies, Mexico and the southeastern United States. Despite the fact that the process of growing this cactus is complicated (the shoots reach several meters in length), experienced gardeners and exotic lovers sometimes grow Selenicereus at home.
Pseudolithos) is another unusual plant that looks very exotic at home. In appearance, it looks more like a lumpy stone covered with dense snake scales. Even its name translated means “false stone”. The inflorescences grow in groups on the surface of this egg-shaped trunk.
Over time, the purple-brown flowers form into pods that burst when ripe. When the pod bursts, it releases from 30 to 80 seeds, each of which has small parachute hairs.
You can find pseudolithos in natural habitats in Somalia, Yemen and Oman.
Carnivorous plant nepenthes ( Nepenthes) looks like a green bush with multi-colored spotted pitchers (another name is pitcher plant). But attractive appearance These water lilies are deceptive and designed to attract insects on which the plant feeds. This amazing plant lives in Madagascar, Seychelles, New Guinea, Australia and the island of Borneo. Unlike the predatory Venus flytrap, Nepenthes is rarely bred at home - it is an exotic plant that requires meticulous care.
In the tropical forests of Asia, there is a plant of the Nepentaceae genus that can absorb not only insects, but also frogs and small rodents.
And if domestic nepenthes does not exceed 60 cm, then wild predatory nepenthes from tropical forests can grow up to 20 m.
Velvichia is amazing
Velvichia can survive without water for up to 5 years, feeding on atmospheric moisture.
The largest known Velvichia has a height of 1.4 m, and its age is approximately 1.5 thousand years.
Many plants in the modern world are under threat of extinction, which is largely “favored” by human activity. It was not for nothing that the Soviet literary critic Kornely Zelinsky said: “A person’s behavior in nature is also a mirror of his soul.” Let's take care of the house in which we live in order to preserve all this amazing diversity of our planet.
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"ShkolaLa" welcomes its young readers and their parents. In an effort to continue to help you with your studies, we have prepared new material for a project on the topic " Interesting plants peace."
Lives around us large number unique flowers and trees, blades of grass and shrubs that amaze with their size and beauty, properties and abilities.
Having collected facts about unusual representatives of the flora, we tried to make the top five most attractive, from our point of view, “green inhabitants” of the planet.
Lesson plan:
Fly Lover
Our top ten opens with a plant - the hero of various cartoons called the Venus flytrap. You can’t even call it a flower, since it is a real predator, because the flycatcher feeds far from organic substances from the soil, as we are used to reading about plants in a botany textbook.
The Venus flytrap has a variety of uninterested and curious spider bugs on its menu.
The thing is that the plant has traps, which consist of leaves, all together forming a flower rosette. They smell tempting, attracting attention. The trap leaves are only three to seven centimeters long, but so sensitive that as soon as an unlucky fly or naive spider touches their surface, two leaves slam shut like a box in less than a second!
An insect that gets into a flower is doomed to death. The edges of the trap grow together and turn into a digestive organ for 10 days. Moreover, the more the “dinner” resists inside, the more actively the Venus flytrap begins to digest it. During its short life, each such leaf is capable of eating about three insects.
The most unusual plant in the world takes up residence in its host with the help of a tiny seed. Scientists are amazed at how this seed manages to penetrate hard wood in order to form a bud after a year and a half, from which a bud appears nine months later.
Rafflesia is considered one of the very best due to one of the largest single flowers on Earth.
It reaches one meter in diameter and can weigh as much as 10 kilograms!
At the same time, such beauty smells completely uncolorful! Consisting of five fleshy petals in the form of red Bolshukha pancakes with white warts, Rafflesia emits the smell of rotting meat.
If we humans are repulsed by this, then for dung flies it is akin to expensive perfume. They happily flock to a specific smell, pollinating the plant. It’s a shame that you can only watch such beauty with your nose plugged for only a short time – rafflesia blooms only for three to four days
Bird frying pan
This is what the local residents of the coasts of the countries of Brazil and Bolivia call the world’s largest water lily, which is scientifically called Victoria Amazonian.
Green water lily saucers grow up to 2 - 2.5 meters in diameter and calmly hold a weight of up to 50 or even more kilograms.
In order not to drown under the weight of accumulated water, the smart water lily perforated its huge leaves with weirs - small holes through which excess water drains from the surface.
In an unusual plant and unusual flowers. They are located underwater and only come to the surface once a year during flowering, which lasts only two to three days. At the same time, modest creatures about 30 centimeters in size appear at night in their full glory, and at dawn they hide from prying eyes again under water.
On the first night you can see white flowers on the water, the next night the Amazonian Victoria flower blooms pink tint, and on the last day it flaunts crimson or purple
Candy shop
What child doesn’t dream of a mountain of sweets?! Is it possible that candy grows on trees? It turns out that it happens! Moreover, you can see the sweet tree not only in other countries, but even in Russia! You can easily find it in Crimea and the Caucasus. It grows in China, Korea and Japan.
Back in the 17th century, the candy tree, the correct name of which is sweet beef, was grown in apothecary gardens, as it was a source of many valuable substances for medicine and health. The candy tree was known in Tibet and India and was rightfully considered a remedy for thousands of diseases. Magic caramels brought strength and vigor to the Greeks and Romans.
The fabulous plant is covered with elongated fruits, the taste of which is somewhat reminiscent of caramel barberry.
Moreover, you can eat those same caramels without leaving the tree itself from its branches. Confitures and jams, syrups and juices are made from the sweet fruits of govenii.
Except useful properties and delicious bright red caramels, govenia also has external beauty. With the onset of spring warmth, it blooms with golden flowers, from which a magical aroma emanates. The tree is no less beautiful in the fall - it is covered with purple and yellow leaves.
Modest girl
Who among you has not seen on the March holiday of March 8 a flower with bright yellow lumps, which we call mimosa. And we don’t even think that it has nothing to do with the mimosa genus, because in fact it is a branch of silver acacia.
But among hundreds of species of real mimosas there is a shy representative.
Why is it called that? It is no coincidence that the plant received this name. It really shrinks in shame as soon as you touch its feathery petals. Mimosa shyly folds them out of awkwardness, lowering the branches.
If for some time, about five to ten minutes, no irritants appear around the flower, the mimosa, as if emboldened, blooms its leaves again. Hide the petals from the wrong hands on long time the plant cannot, therefore, with urgent irritation from energy depletion, the flower may die.
Impatiens mimosa can be seen in tropical Brazil, where it is treated as a weed, and in Central America. It also exists in other warm countries. Today mimosa pudica can be grown and how houseplant, which will delight you with pink or purple flowers throughout the summer, forming an inflorescence like a ball.
This is the unusual five we have today!
Of course, there are many other unique plants in nature, which there is not enough space to describe in this article. Perhaps we will return to this topic and continue our list. After all, there are still on the planet:
And on the ShkolaLa blog you will find:
And many more interesting TOPs)
That's all for today!
Until new interesting meetings!
Evgenia Klimkovich.
Did you know that the tallest trees are over 100 meters tall? Have you heard anything about plants that can “kill” and “eat” animals? In this article you will learn many surprising, interesting and even shocking things about the life of plants.
1. Velvichia is amazing (Welwitschia mirabilis).
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This desert dwarf tree can be up to 2000 years old. From the short stump-like trunk of the plant, two huge leaves extend in both directions, which, as they grow, tear longitudinally into ribbons, and the tips dry out. These giant leaves are as old as the tree. The leaves continually grow from the base and the tips die back. In some cases, the length of the leaves can reach 8 meters and the width 1.8 meters.
The genus Amorphophallus, as well as the genus Rafflesia, is famous for its “subtle aroma” of decaying flesh. The smell coming from the flower is terrible. Few people are able to admire the amorphophallus without a gas mask. The flower of most representatives of this genus is huge in size (Especially the species shown in the photo Amorphophallus titanum) and can reach a height of 2.5 meters with a diameter of 1.5 meters. In many eastern countries, the tubers of this plant are used in the preparation of various culinary dishes and medicines.
(Opuntia bigelovii)
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Opuntia Bigelow is probably one of the most amazing species of the Opuntia genus of the Cactus family. The photo above was taken in California national park Joshua-Tree. In the photograph, the entire desert landscape to the horizon is covered with amazing fluffy cacti, up to two meters high. In the rays of the setting sun the landscape looks fantastic. The person here has the impression that he, as part of a space expedition, landed on another planet covered with unknown life forms.
5. Carnegia gianta (Carnegiea gigantea)
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Carnegia gianta (Saguaro) is another amazing plant of the Cactus family. The most amazing feature of this cactus is its gigantic size. The height of individual plants is about 14 meters, and the diameter is more than 3 meters! Moreover, the age of individual cacti reaches 150 years.
(Nepenthes)
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Most plants from this genus can be called, without exaggeration, “predators” that receive the necessary missing nutrients, “digesting” captured insects. The plant has modified leaves that are shaped like jugs. The inner surface of the jug is lined with cells that secrete nectar, which serves to attract insects, as well as “hair cells” that make the release of an insect caught in the net impossible. The surface of the “neck” of the jug is very slippery, so there is practically no chance for an insect walking along the neck not to slip down. The insect falls into the water (in some species the jug can contain up to 2 liters of water) and drowns. Next, enzymes are produced that completely “digest” the insect. Sometimes not only insects are trapped, but even mice, rats, birds.
The Venus flytrap is an even more amazing “killer plant” that takes more active measures to kill its prey. The modified “jaw” leaves of this plant encroach on the life of not only insects, but also the life of .
You can “enjoy” the rest of the amazing “combat feats” of the Venus flytrap in the video.
(Ficus benghalensis)
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At first glance, it may seem that the photo above depicts a forest. In fact, it is one single tree. Ficus Bengal forms powerful branches to support which shoots grow, which, falling down to the ground, take root, forming powerful columns-trunks.
9. Sequoia evergreen (Sequoia sempervirens)
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Sequoia evergreen is the tallest tree on our planet. Our temperate forests are mere grass compared to the forest of these mighty giants. The height of many trees exceeds 110 meters, and their age is more than 3500 years! Previously, houses were hollowed out in the trunks of sequoia trees and even tunnels were cut through which they passed highways. In windy weather, many visitors to the forest of giants feel uneasy from the noisy “grinding” and swaying of the mighty sequoia trunks. Grows in California.
(Puya raimondii)
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Puya Raymonda of the Bromeliad family, native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, has the largest inflorescence with a diameter of 2.5 meters and a height of about 12 meters, consisting of approximately 10,000 simple flowers. It is a pity that this amazing plant blooms only when it reaches 150 years of age, and then dies.
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At least once in our lives, we have all encountered strange or unusual plants. In general, acquaintance with such representatives of the plant world begins in childhood, when we see a cactus and do not understand what it is. We are told that it is a plant. But there are no leaves, no stem, nothing that a child considers to belong to a normal plant. Here are some of the unusual plants that look more like they came from other planets.
Welwitschia is amazing (Welwitschia mirabilis).
This desert dwarf tree can live up to 2000 years. The trunk of the plant is short and stump-like, with a pair of leaves extending from it in two directions. As they grow, they tear into longitudinal ribbons, and their ends dry out. These giant leaves are as old as the tree itself. Despite the dying off of the tips, the leaves constantly grow from the base at a rate of 8-15 cm per year. Sometimes the leaves can reach 8 meters in length and 1.8 meters in width. Velvichia grows in the south of Angola, in the rocky desert. Usually the plant can be found no more than a hundred kilometers from the coast - it vitally needs fogs that provide moisture. The plant itself is extremely ascetic; turban-twisted leaves help precious water get to the roots.
Rafflesia.
Amorphophallus.
This genus, like Rafflesia, is famous for its aroma of decaying flesh. The flower has a terrible smell; few people can stand next to it without special protective equipment. Most representatives of the genus have a huge flower, for example, in some plants of the Amorphophallus titanum species it can reach a height of 2.5 meters with a diameter of 1.5 meters. This, by the way, is one of the largest inflorescences in the world. Amorphophallus grows in the tropics and subtropics, on flat places. Interestingly, in many Eastern countries, plant tubers are widely used in cooking. Thus, in China, Amorphophallus has been cultivated for 1500 years as a dietary product that lowers cholesterol. IN Japanese cuisine The tubers are used in making soups and added to stews.
Opuntia bigelovii.
This is one of the most amazing species of the Opuntia genus of the Cactus family. Usually in the area where this species grows, you can see a large number of fluffy two-meter cacti. When the sun goes down it looks fantastic. A person who is here may get the impression that he has visited another planet as part of a space expedition, and there are unknown life forms around. Prickly pear is valuable for its fruits; it is also used as a hedge and as animal feed.
Carnegiea gigantea.
This is another one of the amazing plants of the Cactus family. The most amazing thing about it is its size. Native to Arizona, Mexico and California, Carnegia can reach a height of as much as 14 meters, with a diameter of up to 3 meters. Some cacti live up to one and a half centuries.
Nepenthes.
Almost all plants of this genus can be safely called predators, since they obtain the necessary nutrients by digesting captured insects. Most of the species grow in the tropics of Asia, mainly on the island of Kalimantan. The plant's leaves resemble the shape of a water lily. To attract insects, there are special cells on the inner surface of the jug that secrete alluring nectar; there are also hair cells that serve to hold the caught prey. The trap is very sophisticated - the surface on the neck of the jug is very slippery, so the victims slide down, where they fall into the water and drown. Some species contain up to 2 liters of water in a water lily. To process insects, the plant produces enzymes, sometimes even mice, rats and small birds get caught in the trap.
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula).
This killer plant is even more amazing because it takes much more active action to capture prey. The leaves of the plant are like jaws that slam shut, capturing not only insects, but even snails and frogs. Digestion of food takes about 10 days; on average, during the life of a plant, 3 insects enter its jaws. The flycatcher grows in the temperate zone, on the Atlantic coast of the United States.
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Ficus benghalensis.
Many people in photographs see not just one plant, but a whole forest of them, although this is wrong. The fact is that this ficus is characterized by a special form of life - the banyan. Ficus forms powerful branches from which shoots or “aerial” roots grow down. Most of them dry out without ever reaching the ground, but the more successful ones take root, forming new column-trunks. This plant grows in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The tree can eventually grow so large that it takes up several hectares.
Evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens).
This tree, growing in California, is famous for being the tallest tree on Earth. Compared to it, our temperate forests are just grass. This is not surprising, because some are up to 3,500 years old and exceed 110 meters in height. The diameter of the largest sequoia was more than 11 meters. Some of the most notable trees even have proper names, once upon a time, houses were hollowed out in the trunks of such trees and tunnels were cut for roads. When a strong wind blows, being in a forest with redwood trees can become unpleasant - not everyone can withstand the swaying of gigantic trunks and the noisy grinding noise they make.
Puya Raymondii.
This plant grows in the Peruvian and Bolivian Alps. It is known for having the most large inflorescence, which reaches a height of 12 meters and a diameter of up to 2.5 meters. It consists of 10 thousand simple flowers. Puya blooms only once in its life, reaching its 150th anniversary, after which the plant dies.
Ongaonga (Urtica ferox) or New Zealand nettle tree.
This plant has a tree-like trunk, and its spines are unusually dangerous. They contain formic acid and histamine. The nettle tree can reach 5 meters in height; the slightest touch to it results in a painful burn. There are known cases of horses, dogs and at least one person dying from tree poison. Interestingly, the plant is the main food of the larvae of the Red Admiral butterfly.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) - relict plant, which grows in China. The species originated 16 million years ago, making this plant the oldest of those growing on the planet. Another name for ginkgo is “silver apricot”. In shape they are trees with falling leaves; the height of plants can reach 30 meters. Some trees can live up to 2500 years. Prepared from ginkgo leaves medicines. Recently, it has become fashionable to use compounds from the leaves, although their medical effect is far from obvious.
Cedar-apple rotting mushroom(CEDAR-APPLE RUST FUNGUS). Cedar-apple rotting fungus is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. You can make horror films about this abomination: infected fruits turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months. Here's how it happens: from a tiny fungal spore, an impressively sized spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter; when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming disgusting tendrils.
Bloody tooth(HYDNELLUM PECKII). This cute fungus looks like chewed bubble gum, oozing blood and smelling like strawberries. But don’t even think about eating it, because this will be the last “delicacy” you will taste in your life.
The smallest flower in the world has petals that are no more than 2.1 mm in diameter and are so transparent that you can see through them. This flower is orchid(belongs to the genus Platystele), discovered in the roots of an orchid of another species by the famous American botanist Lou Jost.
