The world of plants is fascinating and incredible. There are very beautiful species, others with beneficial properties, and others that are poisonous and very dangerous for us human beings. However, this world offers many interesting and curious things, for this reason we want to share with you, our readers, some of the rarest plants in the world.
Although the rare, as the beautiful is quite relative, and depends on the eyes that see it, there are plants that produce very strange visual sensations. On this planet, we can find hundreds of species that can cause even fear. Pay close attention and know the plants that we bring you on this occasion.
Giant hoop (Amorphophallus titanum)
In the rainforests of Sumatra lives the plant that produces the largest composite flower in the world: the Amorphophallus titanum, called a giant hoop or corpse flower. The latter refers to the unpleasant smell that it gives off once opened. But, what is difficult for us to bear, flies find it irresistible.
Baobab (Adansonia grandidieri)
Image - Wikimedia / Bernard Gagnon
There are many types of baobabBut Adansonia grandidieri, the Madagascar baobab is considered the largest: specimens 40 meters high have been found. It has a cylindrical trunk with a diameter of up to 3 meters, and a slightly branched and flattened crown. Said trunk is so thick for a reason: it serves to store water and thus survive the dry season.
Edge bar (Kali Salsola)
Image - Wikimedia / ImperfectTommy / Edmond Meinfelder
The edge barley is an annual cycle plant that we will find in sandy soils of Asia, North Africa and Europe. At first glance it can pass for a common plant: it is up to 1 meter high, and has highly branched, thorny stems. It also produces pink or greenish-white flowers of about 5 millimeters. But when things dry, things change: a 'ball' is formed that the wind carries from one place to another. It is thus a rolling plant or stepper.
Sundew (Sundew capensis)
Image - Wikimedia / Rosťa Kracík
La Sundew capensis it is a carnivorous plant native to the Cape (Africa). Its leaves are sticky traps for insects, which get trapped due to the mucilage they have at the end of fine and short "hairs" called trichomes. But it also produces small but pretty pink flowers.
Rot flower (rafflesia arnoldii)
Image - Wikimedia / Henrik Ishihara Globaljuggler
La rafflesia It is a parasitic plant found in the rain forests of Indonesia. It has a certain ornamental value: the flower is fleshy, reddish in color and has a diameter that can reach almost one meter. But it not only grows on the roots of trees to "steal" nutrients, but also we talk about it being a plant whose smell is, well, horrible. But, this yes, it is the largest flower in the world.
Bat flower (tacca chantrieri)
Image - Wikimedia / geoff mckay
La bat flower or cat whiskers gets its names from the strange flower, which is dark purple and of good size. The plant is native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia. It can measure up to 1 meter tall, and in cultivation it needs a warm climate with high humidity.
african hydnora
Image - Flickr / Derek Keats
One of the plants that instead of curiosity can cause you fear is the african hydnora, a parasitic flower that attacks plant roots by feeding on their nutrients. In addition to its terrifying appearance, it gives off a rotten smell that attracts different kinds of beetles, which it uses as pollinators.
Duckweed (Wolffia arrhiza)
Image - Wikimedia / Christian Fischer
We have seen the largest flower, and now we will see the smallest plant in the world, the so-called duckweed, which lives in hot regions. It is an aquatic plant that measures between 0,8 and 1,3 millimeters, and is characterized by having only 3 tiny leaves, and a very small inflorescence.
Sensitive mimosa (Mimosa pudica)
It is one of the rarest herbs in the world. The sensitive mimosa It is native to the tropical regions of America and Africa, and its leaves fold as soon as an insect lands on them. This movement is known as nictinastia, and it is an unusual survival strategy.
Doll eyeActaea pachypoda)
Image - Wikimedia / Meneerke bloem
La Actaea pachypoda It is a species of flowering plant that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is native to North America. The main and curious characteristic of this plant are its fruits that are shaped similar to the eyeball, which is why it is also called "Doll's Eye". It is strange to think that such a plant can produce these fruits, because otherwise it is very common, since it has leaves made up of two pairs of pinnae or serrated leaflets, and produces clusters of white flowers in spring.
Rose of Jericho (Hierochuntic Anastatica)
La jericho rose It is a plant that lives mainly in Arabia. It is capable of withstanding long periods of drought, folded in on itself, and then sprouts again as soon as the rains fall. It is an herb that native tribes have used as a weather diviner, since when it is about to rain the plant opens rather quickly, and in dry weather it remains completely closed and dry.
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
It is the most famous carnivorous plant. The venus flytrap It has mouth-shaped traps with sharp teeth, and three very short hairs that are sensitive to the touch that, as soon as an insect touches them, activates the mechanism to close the trap, trapping it. Then the enzymes begin to digest it. Like the sensitive mimosa, this closing movement is visible to the human eye, so it attracts a lot of attention.
Welwitschia mirabilis
Image - Wikimedia / Hans Hillewaert
La Welwitschia mirabilis it is an endemic plant of Namibia. The most curious thing is that it only has two leaves, which grow very slowly. Although it is multiplied by seeds, its cultivation is complicated since in them it is common to find fungi of the species Aspergillus niger which can cause a slight rot after germination. But once the seedling succeeds, it is capable of living for 2000 years.
As you can see, there are many rare plants in the world. We hope you liked the ones we have shown here.