In general, people love plants. We like to walk in forests and give flowers to others as gifts. But there are some plants that would probably not be great gifts! The world is full of weird and wonderful plants that most of us are unlikely to see in our neighbourhoods.
This unusual flower is called the Chinese black bat flower. Can you guess why? These flowers are grown as decorative plants, and they are not toxic or dangerous to humans. They closely resemble bats, especially when they are closed and hanging down!
This bizarre plant is actually a fungus, like mushrooms. It has many names, but it is most commonly known as the bleeding tooth fungus. It's easy to decipher why. This strange organism is actually not toxic at all, but its gruesome appearance can be shocking to those who stumble upon it in the forest. Strangely, as the bleeding tooth fungus ages, it changes to become plain and brown. You would never know what it looked like in its youth!
If bloody fungi don't scare you, this creepy specimen might. This plant is commonly known as the doll's eye plant. The white spheres resembling eyeballs are actually berries. These berries, however, are highly toxic. The whole plant is very poisonous for humans, although most birds are immune to the doll's eye's poison. They regularly ingest the berries and help disperse the seeds.
This flower might not seem too strange until you get close enough to smell it. This flower, nicknamed the corpse flower, gives off a strong odour that is impossible to miss. Its distinctive smell gives this plant its nickname. It smells similar to a rotting animal corpse, and its scent can often be detected from very far away!
The rafflesia is a similar smelly relative of the corpse flower. It is found in many of the same places, and it too has been nicknamed the corpse flower at times. The rafflesia is the largest individual flower on the planet. Like its relative, the rafflesia gives off a strong odor of decaying flesh.
The welwitschia plant is another interesting organism. It looks complicated, but this plant consists only of two leaves and a stem with roots. That's it! Over time, it grows to be massive, but it remains that simple. It's estimated that the welwitschia can live for 400 to 1,500 years! This desert plant can even survive up to five years with no rain.
The next time you are thinking of buying a bouquet of flowers for your grandparents, consider the choices you have before you! It might not be a traditional bouquet...but it's one they won't forget any time soon!
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