July 16, 2022
By Shreesha Ghosh
Scientific name: Amorphophallus titanum Found in Indonesia, the Corpse Flower is a strange plant with a weird odour that is similar to the smell of a decomposing mammal, so the name fits perfectly. This plant also has the world’s largest flower, which surely is a bizarre combination!
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Scientific name: Drakaea glyptodon The hammer orchid, also known as the King-in-his-Carriage, is an endangered species found in damp, sandy soil and swampy areas in western Australia. The plant produces a pheromone scent — a chemical that alters the behaviour of a creature of the same species.
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Scientific name: Hydnellum Peckii This plant is native to North America and Europe. Its weirdest feature is that it looks like a bleeding surface. This plant belongs to hydnoid species that produce spores on the surface of the vertical spines or tooth. Its common names are- strawberry and cream, bleeding tooth fungus, and red-juice tooth.
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Scientific name: Actaea pachypoda Native to North American forests, the white baneberries are round with a small black dot on them. It is a poisonous flowering plant and truly resembles a doll’s eyes. In addition to its visual appeal, the plant produces white berries with deep purple "pupils" that give them the appearance.
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Scientific name: Nepenthes attenboroughii It is one of the weirdest carnivorous plants. As the name suggests, it is capable of digesting rats. Scientists found the plant on Mount Victoria in the Philippines in 2007 and named it after the renowned nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.
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Scientific name: Dionaea muscipula This plant is famous for eating insects and arachnids, hence the fitting name. It is native to subtropical wetlands on the East coast of the United States in North & South Carolina. The plant has special lobes that lure insects with a flowery smell and closes immediately as an insect sits on it.
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Scientific name: Darlingtonia californica The California Pitcher Plant is native to Northern California and Oregon. The name cobra lily is attributed to the fact that it resembles a cobra. The curled leaves of the plant rise up like a snake ready to strike, complete with a forked tongue coming out of its mouth.
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Scientific name: Helicodiceros muscivorus Found in Corsica and other Mediterranean islands, the plant smells like rotting meat. Its pungent scent is intended to draw in insects who are trapped the first night after the plant flowers. It is thermogenic and can produce heat that accentuates the rotting meat smell.
Image source: Wikipedia