Where there are many flowers, the heart of the blessed gods amuses there ...
Sappho
The largest plant in the world, or to be more precise, the flower is taller than human growth, stinks like a dead decaying animal, and its color is dark red, like a rotting body. Amorphophallus Titanum, which grows in Indonesia, got its name from the locals "cadaverous flower". This flower is a phenomenon, and it is naturally pollinated by insects looking for carrion. The smell of a plant is comparable to something in between the smell coming from a corpse and a rotten fish. Therefore, you can only admire it with a handkerchief.
These plants live in the wild, however, recently they can be found in botanical gardens around the world. The last high-profile case of this flower happened in Washington, DC, due to the fact that it bloomed. Because of this, a hotline was even installed in the botanical garden, by calling which one could find out the latest information about the progress of the flower. This was done due to the high public interest in the flower.
Ripe Amorphophallus Titanum appears once every three years from a tuber that is stored underground. In order for this decorated giant inflorescence to be born, a lot of effort is needed for the flower. When the plant blooms, only one leaf appears, which can be compared in size to a small tree with many leaves. After that, the plant sheds its leaf and plunges into a dormant state for 4 months in order to store energy.
The height of an adult flower is usually 1 m 82 cm. But there are exceptions to any rule. So in Bonn in 2003, an inflorescence was registered with a height of 2 m 74 cm.The last record was in Holland in 1932, 2 m 67 cm.
The scientist set up an experiment, as a result of which it was found that the flower changes the temperature of the environment. During the experiment, the temperature in the room rose from 20 ° C to 32 ° C.
Flower weight can reach 100 kg. The pistil of the flower reaches from one and a half to three meters in height, and has a yellow color. The pistil frames a purple corolla. It blooms only 72 hours and once every 5-10 years. Some argue that this flower is the carrier of the strongest charge of sexual energy.
Perhaps, flowers for everyone are associated with femininity, delicate sweet aroma and summer. But Mother Nature, hand in hand with evolution, has created something that is exactly the opposite of our ideas about the world of flowers. And that rotten smelly flower that you haven't watered for a month after leaving on vacation will seem to you a heavenly creation with a wonderful aroma, in comparison with the winners of our selection.
First, the plants discussed below give off an unpleasant smell of decay, decay, or excrement. The target "audience" for these flowers are flies, dung beetles and other insects with a perverse sense of beauty.
Secondly, this smell is just a bait, and not at all a weapon that everyone who heard it thought of, because some of the plants are predators. Some of the "exhibits" below are also the largest on the planet.
A fleshy and succulent plant that resembles a cactus. It has no stems, but the flowers are covered with villi, spots and look like an inhabitant of the deep sea. This is probably why his other names are star cactus, starfish, big toad flower, etc. In Stapelia gigantea, flowers reach about 40 cm in diameter, and the more they exude a stench - the smell of decaying flesh is so popular with flies, larvae and beetles that they slide right into the center of the plant, where the reproductive organs are located.
This plant is native to South Africa, but many grow this smelly flower in their stone gardens or as a landscape decoration.
The fleshy crown hydnora grows from the sandy land in the deserts of South Africa.
While spreading around itself the suffocating smell of death, it, meanwhile, attracts small pollinators. The beetle crawls into the very epicenter of the "aroma" through the cracks between the petals, pollinates the plant, looks for food or lays eggs.
Meanwhile, the plant itself feeds on roots that go deep into the ground, clinging to other people's roots. The ground part of this plant can be conventionally called a flower, in fact, it is a calyx with a rough outer surface of sandy color. Inside, the surface of the gidnora is more delicate and changes color from white to blood-red, which also attracts various insects, but mostly scavengers. Also, this smelly flower is very similar to the worm from the movie Tremors.
The lily's pale and hard integumentary tissues are covered with dark, dense hairs, which resembles the peeling hair on a dead animal. The flower exudes a rotting smell, which attracts corpse flies and meat flies.
On the first day of flowering, stigmas of pistils open, i.e. female stigmas, flies bathe in nectar, lay offspring. The next day, the stigmas of the pistils close, the stamens open, the sticky bodies of insects are soiled in male pollen, the smell of which prompts the insects to flee, that is, to another stinking flower. This is how cross-pollination occurs.
On cloudy days, when there are practically no insects, Helicodiceros is able to raise the temperature so that its smell spreads much further, attracting other flies. It grows in the northwestern part of the Mediterranean region.
The largest smelly flower in the world, also known as the Voodoo lily.
Grows in flat areas, preferring the tropics and subtropics of southern and western Africa, China, Madagascar, India, Nepal, etc.
It blooms once every 10 years, perhaps accumulating all the strength just for this flowering. At the age of five, a bud begins to form, a cob-shaped inflorescence of maroon color appears on the surface of the stem, which consists of male and female flowers, covered with a dense hood on top. The ear is about 70 cm high. Some sources claim that Amorphophallus titanum is able to grow up to 4 meters in height. Outside there are male flowers, and below, hidden, are female.
The polite English call the aroma emanating from the plants "bad fish", but in reality it is simply impossible to describe it in words. However, it is this scent that is needed to attract the insects necessary for pollination. At this time, the ear itself warms up to 40 C from the inside, this is also necessary to attract pollinators and not only. Usually, the solemn bloom of a giant takes place in front of a crowd of tourists coming from all over the world. The life expectancy of Amorphophallus is about 40 years, but it blooms only 3-4 times in its life.
Pale yellow flowers that grow mainly around water bodies and lakes. This smelly flower smells like a frightened skunk. This quality is responsible for attracting pollinating insects. Another famous name for this flower is skunk cabbage.
Lysichiton is also able to raise the temperature to survive in frost, so that the snow melts around the flower.
Habitat - marshland, river banks and water bodies of North America. North American Indians used this flower for food, boiling it several times, because when fresh, the plant causes acute pain in the stomach. They also used it to treat various ailments.
Habitat: China, Japan, North America and Russia - in the Far East. Prefers wet and damp places, flooded meadows, river banks and swamps.
The appearance of the simlocarpus is very exotic, especially against the background of barely melted snow. It is a burgundy, dense and leathery hood with a pointed end that hangs over a round yellow ear. It is characterized by a pungent odor, which can be described as carrion with garlic, so attractive to pollinating insects.
A climbing plant with dense greenery, oval leaves and a smelly flower. Large-flowered Aristolochia has flowers about 20 cm in diameter and 50-60 cm long, exudes a strong smell of carrion, which insects really like. The flowers themselves are "with a secret": when the fly decides to get out of the flower, having eaten nectar, the villi covering the surface of the cup prevent them from getting out. The insect flounders for a long time until it pollinates aristocholia. The villi wither under the influence of pollen, and the fly moves on. The flowers themselves look very impressive against the background of dark green foliage - the correct heart-shaped shape and maroon color with white veins, therefore, the plant often serves as a decoration for the landscape.
Blooming tree plant. During flowering, it exudes the smell of organic decomposition. Pollinated by flies attracted by the smell.
The radius of the scent varies depending on the species. Sarpantus flowers in Palanga stink of long-dead animals, have a dark crimson color and a harmless appearance.
The smelly flower of this plant exudes such an unpleasant odor that among the ancient Romans he was the god of manure, and the name of a whole species of plants with an unpleasant smell is dedicated to him. Stinky Sterculia (Sterculia foetida) blooms only in its natural environment, spreading the smell of excrement. Flowers appear first, attracted by the smell of pollinators, and only then leaves appear.
This is a mushroom that would be suitable as a backdrop for movies with aliens.
Before the blades open, it looks like a large egg with a non-uniform tuberous surface, off-white in color with brown and pink spots at the base. Later, when its blades (3-8 pcs.) Open, it takes the form of a red star-shaped flower, the petals of which look like slippery tentacles. Inside, the plant is spongy, lumpy, covered with brown mucus. It emits a cadaveric smell that attracts insects that spread its spores.
Another mushroom, the smell of which can be confused with rotten meat. Popularly referred to as a starfish mushroom. Literally translated "disgusting red". The rotten smell attracts insects that carry its spores. Widespread in Australia.
It is hard to believe that the world's largest flower is a plant taller than a human being, fetid like a decaying dead animal, and having a deep red rotting body. But the Indonesian Amorphophallus Titanum, or "cadaverous flower" as the locals call it, is a reality, a phenomenon naturally pollinated by carrion-seeking insects.
These plants live not only in the wild, but many have bloomed in the last few years in botanical gardens around the world. The last of them, causing a lot of noise, first blossomed in public in Washington. The public interest in the life of the flower is so high that the Botanical Garden has established a hotline with records of updated information on the progress of the flower.
A mature "cadaveric" flower appears from a huge tuber stored underground once every three years. The plant takes a lot of effort to produce this gigantic, painted inflorescence. When young, the plant has a single leaf that can grow to the size and appearance of a small tree with many leaves. However, in preparation for a few days of flowering, the plant must shed its leaf and remain dormant for more than 4 months to gain energy.
An adult flower of eight is usually 1.82 m tall. However, in May 2003 an inflorescence appeared in Bonn, reaching a height of 2.74 m. The previous record was set in 1932, when the flower in Holland reached 2.67 m. In height.
According to scientists, this giant flower also changes the temperature of the environment. The experiment was performed at night. From 20 degrees, the temperature in the room rose to 32 ° C. The temperature rise occurred from 23:00 to 3-4 in the morning, when the temperature dropped again to 20 degrees.
Italian botanists first recorded data on a plant of this class in 1878. The first such flower cultivated in captivity was cultivated in the English Royal Botanic Gardens in 1889, creating such a sensation in society that the police were required to control the crowd.
In recent years, the humid forests of Sumatra have suffered from civilization and pollution, and it is not known how many flowers of this species have died. Indonesian experts believe the flowers are in danger. One fact alone reassures: such a huge interest in this unusual plant makes scientists grow it in artificial conditions.
The plant got its name due to the stench emanating from it, which is compared to something in between the smell emanating from a corpse and a rotten fish. Therefore, they are recommended to admire them exclusively with a handkerchief.
A flower can weigh up to 100 kilograms. It has a prominent yellow pistil with a height of one and a half to three meters, which frames a purple corolla.
It blooms only 72 hours and once every 5-10 years. Despite the fact that it smells disgusting, some argue that the "cadaveric flower" is the carrier of the strongest charge of sexual energy.
Titan Arum was opened in 1878 on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the inhabitants of which gave it such an unflattering name, ITAR-TASS reports. Only a few botanical gardens in the world could grow it artificially. The odor emanating from the flower attracts dead-eating beetles and flyflies, which pollinate it.
Barsukov_Andrey
Largest flower
Wednesday, 03 August 2016 08:22 (link)In the Belgian Botanical Garden, located in the city of Maise, the largest flower in the world has grown and blossomed. This plant is called Titan Arum, or as the people say “cadaveric flower”.
The plant acquired such a strange name for its disgusting smell, resembling the smell of not just rotten fish, but a rotten corpse. The flower weighs 18 kilograms, and it is almost 2 meters high.
Botanical gardeners said people only have 72 hours to look at the giant flower. It has a yellow pistil, about three meters high. Those wishing to watch should take a handkerchief or any other fabric with them so that they can cover their nose.
Biologists said the flower can act as an aphrodisiac.
It was first discovered in 1878 in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. The locals gave it this name because of the unpleasant smell.
itast
The largest flower on the planet bloomed in Belgium
Friday, July 29, 2016 10:17 PM (link)Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum), or "cadaveric flower", which has one of the largest inflorescences in the world, bloomed in the botanical garden of the Belgian city of Meise. The blossoming flower reaches 1.9 meters in height, and its weight is about 18 kilograms.
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"Cadaveric flower" bloomed in front of the Capitol in Washington
So far there are no such conditions in Russia, says the botanist. And we don't need it.
The Americans witnessed an unusual phenomenon: one of the largest and most fetid flowers in the world, Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanic), bloomed near the Washington Capitol. However, before you approach the flower, you should get a protective mask or gas mask.
Crowds of Americans are ready to give a lot of money to see how this huge flower, about two and a half meters high, blooms. But perhaps the blooming plant is best watched through an online broadcast - Titan Arum is known for its terrible smell, which has been compared to rotting fish and meat, and rotten eggs. That is why the plant has another name - "cadaveric flower". Journalists have previously noted that in order to approach the Titan Arum during the flowering period, the workers of the New York Botanical Garden had to wear gas masks. But visitors to the greenhouse are not provided with any protective equipment.
The specific "aroma" helps to attract insects participating in the pollination process. Moreover, the smell appears precisely during the flowering period, since the temperature of the upper part of the plant begins to approach the temperature of the human body. Titan Arum blooms for two days, and on Monday it will start to exude the stench with the greatest force. Outwardly, the flower is quite beautiful: the pistil of the flower resembles an ear of corn, which is surrounded by petals - yellow on the outside and burgundy - on the inside.
The "Washington" Titan Arum was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Nature in 2005, and then transplanted from a greenhouse to the Botanical Gardens on Capitol Hill.
The natural habitat of the Titan Arum is the rainforests of Sumatra. It is noted that Titan Arum was first discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in 1878. The cultivation history of the flower dates back to 1889, when the flower was placed in the greenhouse of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Now Titan Arum is one of the rare plants, but it can be found in the botanical gardens of the world: Indonesia, Germany, Italy, France, USA, Belgium. In Russia, Titan Arum does not grow, because, as the specialists of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden of Peter the Great explained to RG, it is a very expensive and whimsical plant that requires special maintenance and care. There are no such conditions in Russia yet.
This resin grows only on the high cliffs of Gibraltar and has long been considered a completely extinct species. But in 1994, one specimen of this plant was accidentally discovered by a climber. Now the seeds of this plant are in the seed bank of the millennium, and the resin itself is grown in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens and in the Royal Botanic Gardens of London.
Parrot beak
A very rare plant, this flower, like two drops of water, looks like a parrot's beak, which is why it got its name. Many consider him gone, although there are some enthusiasts who think differently. The homeland of this plant is the Canary Islands. Their only pollinators were sunbirds, which have long since disappeared.
Chocolate space
The homeland of this flower is Mexico, for 100 years it has been considered extinct from the wild. In our time, you can find only a sterile species of this plant, which was bred in 1902. Its flowers are 3-4 cm in diameter and smell of vanilla in summer.
Cochio
Kokyo is one of the rarest types of flowers that bloom on a particular type of Hawaiian tree. These trees were discovered in 1860 and already in 1950 they were declared extinct. However, 20 years later, one tree of this species was found, which, unfortunately, died during a natural disaster - fires in 1978. Nevertheless, one of the branches of the tree was saved and even grafted into other Hawaiian trees.
Cadupul flower
This flower is considered very rare due to the fact that it blooms very rarely, although it is quite easy to grow. It grows on the islands of Sri Lanka, but blooms only at midnight and dies immediately after flowering. There is a belief that when a flower blooms, Nagas (semi-mythical characters) descend from heaven to earth to present this flower to Buddha.
Ghost orchid
The ghost orchid is a very interesting and rare plant. For 20 years it was considered extinct, but more recently it reappeared. Due to their rare nature, their natural reproduction is considered almost impossible. Ghost orchids do not feed like all plants, i.e. not at all from the process of photosynthesis, since they have no leaves. The roots of the plant are nourished by a special type of mushroom that attaches to the roots.
Yellow and purple lady's slippers
Previously widespread throughout Europe, the species of this flower is currently a rare species of orchid. In 1917, several copies were found on a golf course in Great Britain. They are very expensive and the price for one of its offshoots reaches $ 5,000. The initial development of these shoes is similar to the development of ghost orchids: at first, the sprout that has grown through the seed needs a special mushroom with which it feeds. And only after a while, the plant begins to grow its own leaves.
Yutan Poluo
A unique find and discovery of a Chinese farmer. This happened when he was cleaning steel pipes. Yutan Poluo is a flower that does not need soil and grows on any hard surface. For a very long time, there was such an opinion that it grows only in Buddhist temples on gold-covered Buddha statues.
Corpse flower
The scent of this flower is as disgusting as the rare species of this Sumatran flower. The height of the flowers of this plant reaches up to 2 meters. This is a very vulnerable flower, its growth depends entirely on the special vine that feeds the plant. The pollinators of this plant are flies and beetles, attracted by the smell of rotting flesh.
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The cadaverous flower, also called the cadaveric lily and rafflesia, got its name from the exuded smell, or rather the stench. The genus itself includes 12 species of "relatives", among which the most famous is the Arnoldii lily (Arnoldii).
A corpse flower is not able to synthesize the organic substances it needs, therefore, like a vampire, it draws juices from others. Rafflesia chose a vine of the genus Tetrastigma (grape) as a donor. The seeds of a cadaveric lily, hitting a liana, germinate and, releasing suckers-seedlings, literally dig into the host plant.
The cadaveric flower grows slowly: the bark of the lianas, under which the seed develops, swells only after a year and a half, as a result, a bud is formed that ripens for another nine months (future bud). Then, sitting right on the bare ground, a huge color blooms. Rafflesia, which resembles decomposing meat in color and smell, attracts many flies (they also pollinate it). The ovary develops for another seven months. The fruit contains up to 4,000,000 seeds.
The cadaverous flower multiplies thanks to the help of large animals (usually elephants), which, crushing the fruit while walking, carry the seeds. However, only a few will germinate and continue such a long cycle.
The world learned about rafflesia thanks to officer Stamford Raffles and botanist Joseph Arnold, who discovered it on about. Sumatra. When the cadaverous flower bloomed, it was measured and the first description was made, giving a rather beautiful name that it bears to this day. By the way, the locals (Indonesians) called it "bunga patma", which means "lotus flower" in their language. Agree, it's also a beautiful name.
At the disposal of botanists, there were practically no indications of any group to which, in theory, the amazing rafflesia belonged. The flower itself was the only organ that survived, but it was also so hypertrophied, so specialized (meaning a specific and unique way of pollination) and modified that it turned out to be impossible to determine the place of the cadaveric lily in the plant world. Only molecular phylogenetics (DNA nucleotide sequence) could help here. But even here a number of difficulties arose. It turned out that a gene exchange (horizontal) takes place between the cadaveric flower and its host plant, so the analysis of genes gave very conflicting results. We decided to dwell on the fact that rafflesia belongs to Malpighiales - a huge group of dicotyledons, including many families. However, the taxonomic position of this strange plant haunted American botanists and molecular biologists. They decided to undertake a large-scale study. Long and difficult work led to the conclusion: Rafflesiaceae belong to the Euphorbia family. However, the structure itself denied this relationship. And euphorbia flowers are small. The authors of the study agreed: the diameter of the flower has grown several dozen times! Just imagine - the weight of a corpse lily can reach 75 kg at a height of more than three meters! The plant's uniqueness has attracted the attention of botanical gardens around the world. Of course, it is rather difficult to create conditions for the growth and reproduction of Amorphophallus (another name), but some botanists are still making progress. For example, such a cadaverous flower bloomed in Belgium in the city of Meise. According to the employees of the botanical garden, its length is slightly less than two and a half meters, and its approximate weight is 50 kg.