Spring has arrived and the change in the seasons is very evident in nature. There will be no more short and cloudy days, instead there will be sun, heat and flowers everywhere. To celebrate the enormous biodiversity, and perhaps to promote its protection, we present a series of photos of the 7 flowers that we consider the most exotic on the planet:
Rafflesia Arnoldii: It can weigh almost 7 kilos and measure up to one meter. This flower is the largest single flower in the world and grows only in the jungle of Borneo. Its large petals are a burnt orange color with white pustules. As if its size and color were not striking enough, it also emits a fetid odor that has made it known locally as «the corpse flower». Due to disruptions by tourists and deforestation it is believed that the proliferation of the flower has been threatened.
Mimosa Pudica: it is a herb that does not stand out for its appearance but for its shy behavior. When you touch it, shake it or bring a hot object close to it, the plant closes as if it did not want to be touched. Scientists believe that the phenomenon is due to the fact that the leaves of the plant have a kind of bag with fluid, by stimulating the plant in some way, water and ions from the leaves pass into the bag, losing its rigidity.
Simplocarpus foetidus: This fetid plant native to North America smells like a skunk and is capable of heating itself, an attribute generally associated with warm-blooded animals. Scientists think that it raises its body temperature to attract pollinating animals. The plant grows downwards and when it dies it turns into a black slime that is absorbed by the earth.
African Hydnora: Hidden in the desert region of southern Africa it is easy to mistake this parasitic plant for the head of a snake, this is because only part of the plant is on the surface, while the rest is a web of roots It is connected to the Euphobira. After flowering and being pollinated, the flower develops into an edible fruit.
Amorphophallus titanum: This enormous plant reaches a height that exceeds 3 meters, and a diameter of more than one meter. This flower grows only in West Sumatra and can take up to 6 years to bloom. The interesting thing about this flower is that it is much more than it appears, since inside there are many small flowers waiting to be pollinated.
Tacca Chantrieri: Also known as the Black Bat Flower (because it looks like a bat), it is a striking purple and black flower. It has whiskers that can reach 70 centimeters in length and only grows in southeast Asia on porous soil in humid climates.
Dracunculus Vulgaris: This flower of European origin can measure more than one meter and develops from an inflorescence. Unfortunately, despite being very beautiful with characteristically beautiful purple petals, the flower smells like rotten meat and is highly poisonous.
[Sierra]
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