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In the plant kingdom, there are definitely some species that most people would acknowledge are highly strange.
1 – Wolffia angusta
World’s Smallest Flowering Plant
Wolffia angusta: the world’s smallest flower. A dozen plants would easily fit on the head of a pin and two plants in full bloom will fit inside a small printed letter “o.”Source
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2 – Amorphophallus
The Corpse Flower – Worst smelling flower
By far one of the hardest flowers to grow outside of its natural habitat, the Amorphophallus hails from the rainforests os Sumatra.
The reason for it`s name it smells like a rotting corpse. Amorphophallus: means, literally, “shapeless male genetalia.” Source
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3 – Rafflesia arnoldii
The biggest flower in the world
Rafflesia arnoldii a very rare flower that can be found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It has the world’s largest bloom, that can grow up to 3 feet across and may weigh up to 15 pounds, has no visible leaves, roots or stem.
Rafflesia arnoldii is actually a parasite that attaches to a host plant for water and nutrients and while in bloom emits an odor similar to rotten meat. This is how it attracts insects that pollinate the plant. Source
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4 – Welwitschia mirabilis
The weirdest terrestrial organism
The plant Welwitschia mirabilis gets my vote for the weirdest terrestrial organism. Science fiction has never come up with any Martian to rival this plant. It has a low trunk and two leaves that sprawl on the Namib gravel for the entire life of the plant, which can span many hundreds of years.
Its estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years. If this weren’t enough, Welwitschia is a gymnosperm related to Mormon Tea (Ephedra) and produces seeds in cones, not from flowers. An individual Welwitschia plant produces either male or female cones, but never both.Source
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5 – Hydnora africana
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Fake?
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