15 strange plants, where it is hard to believe the existence of

Plants appear to us as something green and boring. But it is not nothing but a pure prejudice - the plants on this list are ready to compete in the diversity and uniqueness of the animal world, they only need to be given a chance.

15. Iridescent trees

Imagine a walk through the woods from the 60-meter trees of all colors of the rainbow. Do you think this is possible only in a fairy tale movie? And here and there - Eucalyptus deglupta, or eucalyptus rainbow actually exists and is found in the forests of the Philippines. These trees are growing so fast that the bark peels off with their bands, revealing a bright green layer, which is in process of aging will change color to yellow, orange, red, purple and brown.

14. boll snapdragons

snapdragon was used extensively by botanists as a model in many genetic studies. For example, Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin used the Snapdragon for studying heredity. A distinctive feature of the plant - its seed pods, each of which looks like a screaming skull.

13. jabuticaba

jabuticaba - a fruit tree with a unique formation of the fruit. Unlike most trees, whose fruits grow on branches, jabuticaba forms its black fruit directly on the trunk. It looks like they ooze from the bark. Although fruits jabuticaba popular in Brazil, due to the short shelf life, they rarely get to other places. The fruit can be eaten fresh, as well as in the form of jam, wine or liquor.

12. Rigor lily

Rafflesia Arnold or, as it is popularly called, cadaveric lily is the largest flower in the world. And one of the smelliest. This plant-parasite no leaves or roots, so that it survives at the expense of the host plant. Flower sprouting from the host's crust and may reach a meter in diameter. Petals not just look like rotting flesh, but also smell the same.

11. Amorphophallus titanum

This flower is the highest in the world - it can reach a height of three meters. Yellow spadix in the middle contains a small white flowers. As soon as they are ready to distribute the pollen spadix begins to generate heat, which helps to extend the fetid odor, resembling the smell of decomposing corpses. As in the case of cadaveric lily smell attracts flies, which are involved in pollination.

10. Elephant yam

elephant foot yam, or elephant yam - a close relative of Amorphophallus titanum. Previously, the only way to distinguish between different types of this group was to sniff them and find out what kind of stench they exude. Tubers, which gave the plant the name "yam" is the third most popular source of carbohydrates in Indonesia after rice and maize. And the word "Amorphophallus" in the name refers to the shape of a flower - it literally means "shapeless penis".

9. Actaea Pachypoda

Actaea Pachypoda also has a cheerful name "doll eyes." It is obvious that creepy "eye" poisonous. Just a handful of these berries can cause instant death. Of course, only a desperate brave man may dare to eat the berries, which look at it ...

8. Bitter cucumber

Momordica charantia, or bitter cucumber - herbaceous vine growing around the world. Its fruits, empty inside, have a warty surface. Usually, they eat when they are still green, because as yellowing of ripening fruit is becoming increasingly bitter. However, when fully ripe fruit is revealed inside you can find a sweet bright red heart.

7. A naked man

Orchis italica, which is also called orchid "Naked man", can be found almost everywhere in the Mediterranean region. They are very popular among orchid lovers, because ... well, at least because the petals look like naked men that are incomprehensible. The plant has about 40 varieties, so you can choose a naked man almost any color and size.

6. Predatory kuvshinochniki

Animals eat plants. It is the natural order of things. However, some plants go against the system and kick back. Kuvshinochniki trap insects, spiders, and even small mammals and reptiles, and then drown them. Their modified leaves retain liquid which contains digestive enzymes and chemicals. Once the victim enters the pitcher, it slides down the slippery waxed walls, which do not allow it to get out. After unsuccessful attempts to get the victim is immersed in the liquid, sinks, and the plant digests it to provide themselves with nutrients that are not found in the soil.

5. Flowering stones

You will, of course, well aware that the flowering stones do not exist in nature. But it is their amazing and resemble plants of the genus Lithops. They can be found in rocky and sandy deserts of South Africa. Plants adapted to outwardly resemble the surrounding rocks. This form enables them to survive in regions with low rainfall, since a small surface area retards evaporation. Lithops - popular house plants, and often they are sold specifically as "living stones".

4. Gidnora African

to grow their own leaves - it's so primitive and boring. African gidnora above it. It is parasitic on other plants and for the most part hidden under the ground, leaving only the surface of the flower. flower bulb protruding from the ground, when it comes to reproduction time, and opens, displaying the red flesh. First flower ajar just a little, enough to bee could fly. After that, he keeps his bees in captivity a few days and let go only when they are fully covered with pollen.

3. Sequoia albino

Ask your child to draw a tree, and you get a brown trunk and green leaves. Everyone knows that trees are green. All except sequoia albino. These trees are unable to produce chlorophyll, but without chlorophyll, they can not absorb sunlight and produce its own nutrients. a property shared between the roots of a tree to others it would be a death sentence, but redwoods. When albino redwood grows, it must be attached to the root system of another tree to retrieve food.

2. Red tumbleweed

Bass broomcorn grows in Eurasia, but somehow reached and the United States, where she earned the nickname "The Mexican fire weed" or more prosaically "goryaschik bush." Usually tumbleweeds after the death turn yellow or brown, but Basso acquires a bright red color. Entire fields Bass can be found in Japan, where their black seeds are called "land eggs".

1. The plant-Kiss

psychotria sublime known by the unflattering name of "shlyuhiny sponge." One look at a flower is enough to understand where there is the name. The plant is found in the jungles of Central America, but in spite of the seductive look, it is slowly becoming endangered because of habitat loss. Such lips would look great on a rival Batman, Poison Ivy. Especially when you consider that the flower produces a hallucinogenic substance. Oddly themselves "sponge" - it is not the flower of the plant. Flower protrudes from "mouth", all covered with yellow viscous mucus. As they say, beauty is on the surface ...