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World’s Most Unusual Plant Life
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Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u • • Let's Connect • -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ • -- / epicadamwildlife • -- / epicwildlife • -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife • World’s Most Unusual Plant Life! • From giant, alien-looking flowers … to the meanest tree ever … Here are 15 examples of the world's most unusual plant life! • • #16 The Baseball Plant • Endemic to a small region of South Africa, most specimens have a 6-inch (15 cm) diameter with eight ridges and a series of small protuberances. You might have to use your imagination to see the resemblance to a baseball. But its unique shape has made it overharvested by plant collectors. That, along with its slow growth and low seed count, have caused a severe decline of populations in the wild. The good news is that the plant is being widely cultivated in botanical gardens around the world. • • • #15 Giant Hogweed • It’s also known as the Giant Cow Parsnip, and in certain parts of the world, it’s regarded as an invasive plant species. It’s definitely one of the scarier stationary plants around, reaching heights of 20 feet (6 m) with a stem that can measure 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. It’s rightly considered a noxious weed due to its sap, which is phototoxic. It causes redness, itching, and blisters on the skin upon exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet rays. Burns can result in wounds that require hospitalization. And the resulting scars could take several years to heal! It is native to Central Asia, but was introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the 19th century. From there it has spread across Europe, the US, and Canada • • • • #14 Waterwheel Plant • Its common name is a reference to the appearance of its traps. They’re arranged in concentric rings around a free-floating stem in the center. Botanists tell us that the structures are similar to the Venus Flytrap, and are used to capture small aquatic invertebrates. As soon as prey approaches close enough, two lobes enclose the victim in a snap-trap. Closing at a rate of 20 milliseconds, it’s about five times faster than a Venus Flytrap. The Waterwheel plant is an aquatic and rootless species that’s widely distributed from Europe to Australia. And a lot of that distribution is due to the plant’s location. They’re often found near the migratory routes of birds. When they stick to bird’s feet, the Waterwheels are transported to aquatic destinations along those routes. • • • • #13 Hydnora africana (Hide-nora_af-rih-kah-nah) • Native to southern Africa, this plant grows mostly underground. The only part that sprouts above ground is a fleshy flower that emerges after heavy rainfalls. That structure is known for a couple of things. One thing is the vivid reddish-orange coloration. The other is a repellent funk it emits to attract pollinators like carrion beetles and dung beetles. The insects are trapped by the flower for several days before being released to spread their pollen. These plants are also unique because they have no chlorophyll and don’t photosynthesize. Botanists say they’re parasites that feed off of host plants for their nutrients. • • • • • • • • • #12 New South Wales Waratah • As its name suggests, this plant is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. In fact, it serves as the floral emblem of that state. The species is renowned for its striking shape and vivid red coloration. Those flowerheads bloom in the springtime and are prominently featured in architecture and advertising. The waratah is a large shrub standing more than 13 feet high (4 m) with one or more stems. Its seed pods have their own singular look, and can extend about 6 inches long (15 cm). The plant figures prominently in the folklore of indigenous Australians, and the name Waratah was derived from a Aboriginal term. • • • • • • • #11 The Pelican Flower • Instead of petals, the peculiar Pelican flower has large, inflated chambers with colorful patterns of veins. With leaves nearly 10 inches wide (25 cm), and heart-shaped flowers some 8 inches (20 cm), it’s one of the largest such plants in the world. They’re native to tropical forests of Central America and the Caribbean. Along with its distinctive look, the flower exudes a distinctive, foul aroma that’s been compared to rotten meat. The smell is used for attracting pollinators like breeding flies. • • • • #10 Carnivorous Pitcher Plants • Their jug-like appearance is a clue to the name of this vegetation. Pitcher plants secrete a nectar along their rim, which serves to attract prey like insects and the occasional amphibian. The creatures are lured into the mouth of the bell-shaped pitcher. Once trapped, they eventually drown in
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