The most terrible plants of our planet. The scariest flowers
Every day we are used to seeing flowers that have become commonplace for us, but despite this they are insanely beautiful: daisies, tulips, roses, dandelions, violets, etc. Meanwhile, in different parts of our planet, flowers grow so unusual in their nature, appearance and adaptability that you just never cease to be amazed at the flora and fauna!
10. Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii)
Photo 10. Rafflesia9. Amorphophallus titanic (Amorphophallus)
Photo 9. Amorphophallus titanic Amorphophallus titanic - the largest tropical flower and very foul smelling. Its name "amorphophallus" in Greek means "shapeless phallus". This flower has one of the largest inflorescences in the world - it can reach a height of 2.5 m and a width of 1.5 m. Flowering lasts only 2 days. Initially, amorphophallus grew in Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. Subsequently, this flower was exterminated by foreigners. At present, this flower is very rare, it can be seen mainly in botanical gardens peace.
8. Wolffia (Wolffia angusta)
Photo 8. Wolfia Wolfia opposite, the smallest flowering plant on the ground. Their size ranges from 0.5 to 0.8 mm. These small flowers live on the surface of the waters. It was named after the German botanist and entomologist Johan F. Wolf.
7. Psychotria sublime (Psychotria elata)
Psychotria peppiga (Latin psychotria poeppigiana)
Photo 7. Psychotria sublime This flower rightfully bears the status of the most piquant flower in the world. It is popularly called "hot lips" for its bright red inflorescences. Psychotria is a tropical flower that loves moisture and warmth. Therefore, its homeland is the tropical forests of Central and South America.
6. Kalania Orchid (Caleana major)
Photo 6. Orchid Kalania This amazing orchid looks like a flying duck. That is why it is called “flying duck”. Nature endowed them with such an appearance in order to attract insects called sawflies. Them top part the flower resembles a female. Thus, flying to the flower, they carry pollen on themselves and pollinate the flower. The Kalania orchid is very small and reaches a height of only 50 cm, and the flower itself is 2 cm. There are 2-4 flowers on the stem. It grows in Eastern and Southern Australia, mainly under eucalyptus trees.
5 Sexy Orchid (Drakaea glyptodon)
Photo 5. Sexy orchid Another orchid that deserves the title of “unusual” is the “sexy” orchid. Its flower resembles the belly of a certain type of wasp. Moreover, she secretes pheromones like a female wasp. Flowering begins in the mating season wasps. Males flock to such flowers and try to mate with him. In this way, they transfer the pollen that has fallen on them from plant to plant. grow up sexy orchids in Australia.
3. Passiflora (Passiflora alata)
Photo 5. Passiflora Passiflora, or Passionflower, is a genus of the Passionflower family. There are about 500 species. The flower in diameter reaches 10 cm. It grows mainly in Latin America.
2. Sundew (Drosera)
Photo 2. Sundew Sundew is a carnivorous plant. Thanks to the secreted droplets of mucus, they catch insects, which they feed on. They grow in swamps, sandstones and mountains.
1. Nepenthes Attenborough (Nepenthes Attenboroughii)
Photo 1. Nepenthes Attenborough The first place is occupied by the Nepenthes Attenborough flower. unusual flower was discovered in 2000, on about. Palawan by three scientists Stuart McPherson, botanist Alistair Robinson and Filipino scientist Volker Heinrich, who went on an expedition here for this flower. They first heard about it from missionaries who had visited the island earlier. On Mount Victoria, scientists discovered huge "jugs" of these flowers. These turned out to be predatory flowers that “feed” on rodents. How these flowers were able to survive to our time is unknown. Now they are being studied in the MacPherson laboratory.
To us, in Russia, the nature of the forest seems rather harmless. Why be afraid? Some buttercups, yes cornflowers. The most dangerous can be nettle, but fly agaric. But in tropical forests where more plants from which you want to run away, but away. Inconspicuous, but terrible enemies are also mushrooms.
Bloody tooth. This pretty fungus is more like some kind of dessert, or chewing gum, smelling of strawberries and decorated with berries. However, eating such a "delicacy" is highly discouraged, otherwise it will be the last thing you can taste in this life. The fungus, for its appearance, was also called strawberries with cream, tooth juice, bleeding or devil's tooth. This dangerous fungus known since 1812 and considered inedible ever since. Probably, in those days, some lover of experiments tasted this food, sacrificing his life and warning his descendants against this by his example. However, the fungus is distinguished not only by remarkable external qualities, it also has excellent antibacterial properties, in addition there are chemical substances capable of thinning the blood. Perhaps, over time, this particular fungus can take the place of penicillin. This medicine itself was once derived from a fungus of the species Penicillium notatum. So, if you don't have enough thrills and there is an indispensable desire to perpetuate your study of flora - lick this mushroom. Consider that the Darwin Award for the most stupid suicide is already in your pocket.
Doll eyes. This plant looks very much like something alien, but from earthly creations it resembles an Indian totem dug into the ground, on which human eyes are planted. So, probably, a certain serial killer decided to mark the burial place of all his many victims. Such an unusual plant is called "puppet eyes". Another name, which, however, does not reflect the essence well, is white raven. It grows in the mountains of eastern North America. Although the plant is not dangerous, its appearance can even scare a person. Spectacular fruits on red legs are born at the end of summer.
Stinking Octopus Horn and Anemone Sea Mushroom. When a person encounters these creations of the Almighty, the thought immediately comes about the sanity of the creator. True, there are cases in nature when disgusting-looking things turn out to be very tasty. However, this case is different. The mushroom with the loud name "Octopus stinking horn", in addition to its disgusting appearance, added to its qualities a terrible stench that cannot be expressed in words. But not far from this mushroom in Australia, the same smelly fellow grows - the sea anemone mushroom, it is also called a starfish. It has a characteristic smell, reeking of carrion. You should not be afraid of these mushrooms, they are not poisonous, but there is hardly anyone who wants to taste them - the aroma will scare away. People from it often even lose consciousness. Both of these mushrooms are pretty tricky. In order not to be destroyed by the soles of the vengeful Australians, at first they look unremarkable - like whitish toadstools. But it will take a little time and the mushrooms begin to bloom. In just a couple of months, a terrible monster is born. During this period, the cap is divided into 3-4 parts, forming something like petals. The piercing stench is naturally defense mechanism from gourmets who want to taste fungi. In addition, such a smell attracts flies, which act as natural and main carriers of spores.
Devil claw. This plant resembles the thorns of our burdock, which are often rendered on hair or clothing. However, there is a very significant difference between them. The burdock has thorns - small and even pretty lumps that you just want to take a closer look at. But the devil's claw got its name for a reason - it looks more like an evil cannibal spider, which strives to bite into living flesh. Another name for the plant is no less "talking" - the claw of the devil. Initially this scary plant found only in Arizona. The local indigenous population, the Indians, wove even outwardly terrible baskets from a claw, creating entire minefields that forced enemies to choose a different path. Today, claw plants have already occupied the entire northwestern part of the United States. It seems that such a misfortune will soon reach Russia, so the most fearful should already now stock up on weed control and build serious fences.
Chinese mouseflower. It is no coincidence that Batman chose a bat to intimidate the criminals of Gotham City. These creatures of darkness are really terrible - they have small evil eyes, thin paws and tenacious hooked claws, sharp teeth and a plump body, covered here and there with tufts of wool. The eerie image is completed by huge wings. Such a description would fit a creepy monster from another low-budget horror movie. Those who believe that these animals are actually cute and eat only plant foods may be disappointed when such a creature starts sucking their blood at night. The above is in many ways a deliberate exaggeration, because there are only a few species of bats in the world that feed on blood and attack animals mainly in their own weight category. However, many with a shudder watch the flight of such a winged mouse. But back to plants. Generous nature has created a terrible plant, trying to give it all distinctive features bat. For more intimidation, flagellate tentacles were also added. Such a plant, the Chinese muscle flower, can claim to be a childhood nightmare. However, it cannot be found in nature; it is grown exclusively in decorative purposes. We must pay tribute to the brave gardeners, because they literally cultivate nightmares, human efforts, fears, despair and pain. Such people have courage, since it will be difficult for a normal person to endure the presence on the site of a plant that seems to have just left the picture of a mentally ill artist. It was as if he was trying to draw a vase, but he was using human heads as nurturing nasty larvae.
Buddha hand. It is not clear who exactly decided that this plant resembles the hand of a deity. It looks more like tentacles from cartoons-hentai, which are about to wrap themselves around the next victim. The name was born from the fact that the Buddha, according to beliefs, can cunningly wrap and fold his fingers during prayer. At such a moment, his hands resemble monstrous tentacles. In fact, such vile processes are quite edible. This delicious citrus fruit is very popular in China and Japan. Regarding the first country, this fact is not surprising, it is enough just to recall the chains of restaurants that are more reminiscent of toilets. But why the restrained Japanese are fanatic at the hands of the Buddha is not clear. At its core, this plant is a lemon, just a strange kind. There is nothing in it besides the peel. Such a fruit, on the other hand, attracts eastern peoples not only with its original appearance, but also with its aromatic capabilities. So, in Japan, tea is brewed from this citrus, and in China it is even kept in the house as a talisman that can bring good luck and happiness, bestow longevity and drive away all evil spirits. The tentacles are used to make jam and marmalade, as well as perfumes reeking of violets. There are other names for Buddha's hand - Buddha's brush, cedrat, citron or Corsican lemon.
Venus flytrap. Perhaps, several million years ago, these monsters ate dinosaurs, being the real masters of the planet. However, evolution struggles with maximalism in every possible way. As a result, there was simply no place for the giants, they either died out or took on completely earthly dimensions. That is why today the flycatcher is a small plant whose diet includes only insects, slugs, caterpillars, and frogs. Inside the leaf-mouth there are many very sensitive hairs. As soon as an insect crawls onto a plant, it touches them. Those give signals to the inside of the leaf to initiate cell contraction. The mouth quickly closes. Soon inner part flycatcher leaf begins to secrete digestive fluid. The poor victim, who has lost his strength in trying to free himself, begins to slowly digest. This process can take a long time. So, it takes a whole week for a flycatcher to digest one slug. The Internet is full of videos of the flycatcher eating grasshoppers or frogs - an impressive sight.
Cedar-apple rotting mushroom. It turns out that there is something that can quickly turn a juicy and healthy apple into a rotting vile lump that becomes a haven for a whole brood of worms. Such a tool can be a cedar-apple rotting mushroom, or, for short, KYAGG. This fungal infection knows how to transform the fruits of apples and cedars beyond recognition. This abomination deserves to become the main character of any horror movie. After all, infected fruits turn into vile monsters in just a couple of months. The smallest spore of the fungus develops into a large ball, whose diameter is from 3.5 to 5 centimeters. When wet, this substance begins to exfoliate, letting out unpleasant tendrils. As a result, from pretty apples or pine nuts, something terrible is formed that lives its own life. Trying to taste such a dish, of course, is highly discouraged.
Chinese runic flower. The fruits of such a plant not only have impressive shapes, but also look like small potato men. These defenseless underground inhabitants are uprooted from the earth by the Chinese, who use the fruits to cure all diseases. Asians believe that this flower helps to cure dementia, impotence, cancer and even AIDS. To do this, the little men turn into life-giving powder. However, for this they are subjected to all sorts of tortures, including boiling, and skinning, and soaking in alcohol, and even dismemberment. Silent little men, perhaps someday, will rise up against such mockery and take revenge on people. By the way, the origin of such forms is quite artificial, and not mystical - the root is placed in a special plastic mold. The plant, growing, fills it, giving rise to bizarre little men.
Porcupine tomato. It seems like a harmless tomato can be scary? Meanwhile, this one and a half meter monster grows in Madagascar. Its leaves are covered with formidable orange spines. Probably, they are called upon to protect the unusually beautiful purple flowers that make up whole clusters. It is this charm that serves to lure gullible creatures. As soon as the victim approaches the flower, she immediately encounters a dangerous deadly thorn. However, the Porcupine tomato is not only prickly and poisonous. Its feature is extreme vitality - it is quite difficult to kill it. The plant tolerates almost any chemicals, calmly survives and extreme cold, and sultry heat, not to mention drought. Such a monster plant seems to be able to capture any personal plot. In addition, the tomato multiplies rapidly, small sprouts grow to their full size in just a few weeks. maximum dimensions. Each of the new weed fighters will fight to the last for their piece of land before they are finally uprooted. So, if the dacha was filled with Porcupine tomatoes, get ready for a long and hard war. And, just in case, consider the possibility of your defeat in it.
Have you watched tons of horror movies and think that nothing can scare you anymore? Then get ready to learn about the 12 most creepy plants that grow, perhaps right in the backyard of your cozy home.
Bloody Tooth / Hydnellum peckii
This cute fungus looks like chewed gum, oozing blood and smelling like strawberries. But do not try to eat it, because it will be the last "delicacy" that you will taste in your life.
The fungus has been known to mankind since 1812 and is considered inedible, i.e. once, in dark, dark times, there lived a genius who sacrificed his life for the glory of science in order to warn descendants from eating this “delicacy”.
In addition to its outstanding external qualities, this abomination has antibacterial properties and contains chemicals that thin the blood. What can I say, soon this fungus can become a replacement for penicillin (which, by the way, was derived from a fungus of the Penicillium notatum species).
If you do not have enough thrills and you intend to perpetuate your name in the annals of history by all means (you already have the Darwin Award and the title of the dumbest suicide on planet Earth, consider it in your pocket), then just lick this miracle of nature ...
Other names: Strawberries and cream, The red-juice tooth, Devil's tooth, Bleeding tooth fungus.
Doll's Eyes / Doll's Eye
At best, this “beauty” looks like an alien weed, and at worst, like a totem dug into the ground with human eyes planted on it, with which the serial killer marked the burial place of all his 666 victims.
This unusual plant is called "puppet eyes". There is also a less telling name for this horror - the black raven.
No features other than appearance, given plant does not possess, you can even taste it, then tell us about your feelings.
Stinkhorn Octopus / Octopus Stinkhorn
Sometimes, contemplating such creations, you begin to think about the sanity of the creator. Of course, there are times when disgusting things turn out to be quite pleasant in taste, smell ... but this is not the case: the mushroom, called the "stinking octopus horn", not only looks disgusting, but also stinks in such a way that it cannot be described in words .
In principle, this mushroom is not poisonous, but you can hardly taste it, because such an aroma emanates from it that when you try to stuff it into your mouth, you are very likely to simply lose consciousness.
Another name for the "stinking octopus horn" is Clathrus archeri.
Sea Anemone Mushroom
Side by side with the "stinking octopus horn" in Australia, its fellow stink grows - a sea anemone mushroom, fragrant with corpses.
Both mushrooms are cunning creatures, and in order not to end their mortal existence on the sole of a compassionate Australian's boot, at the first stages of their lives they pretend to be unremarkable whitish toadstools. After a while, these tricksters begin to blossom. The process of turning into a terrible monster takes just a couple of months: during this period, the mushroom cap is divided into 4-5 parts, forming peculiar petals. The stench is not only a defense mechanism against gourmets who want to taste new taste sensations, but also a bait for flies, which are the main carriers of these fungus spores.
Other names for the sea anemone: Aseroe rubra, starfish mushroom (Starfish fungus).
Devil's Claw / Devil's Claw
"Devil's claw" is something like the thorns of our burr, which, being launched by a well-aimed hand best friend, more than once entangled in your hair. The main difference between these two sticks lies in their appearance: if the burr spines are cute little lumps that just ask for your hands, then the devil's claw is more like an evil cannibal spider, which is just waiting to cling to your throat.
Once upon a time, these demonic contraptions were "found" only in Arizona, where Native Americans (Indians) wove terrifying-looking baskets from them and laid out entire "minefields" with them, which the enemies preferred to bypass.
Today, "demonic claws" have already completely occupied the entire northwestern United States. Perhaps soon this abomination will reach Russia, so if you don’t want to fall victim to the “devil’s claw”, then start stocking up on Roundup and building barrier barricades now.
Other names: Devil's Claw / Devil's Claw.
Chinese mouse flower / Chinese Black Batflowers
Still, it is no coincidence that Batman chose a bat as a symbol of intimidation of the criminal population of Gotham. For these creatures of darkness are terrible: small evil eyes, thin paws with huge hooked nails, sharp teeth, a plump body unevenly covered with hair, and huge wings - what a description of a creepy monster from another low-budget, but no less scary movie horror? And if you are one of those who consider them cute fruit-eating animals, then you will surely change your mind when one of these creatures clings to your face and sucks all your blood to the drop ... But, unfortunately, it will be too late for you.
Of course, all of the above is a joke, and in the world there are only a few types of blood-eating bats that attack only animals in their weight category, but you must admit that it is simply impossible to look at a rat flying through the sky without a shudder.
Let's take a closer look at this vile plant.
Here's another photo taken from a different angle.
Mother Nature did her best in an attempt to create the most terrible and at the same time disgusting plant, endowing it with all hallmarks bat and adding for fidelity a bundle of flagellate tentacles. This product of children's nightmares was called "Chinese mouseflower".
The flower is grown exclusively as ornamental plant courageous gardeners who literally cultivate nightmares fertilized by human pain, fear and despair. In reality, these people either have balls of steel or no balls of steel, for no normal person can bear being in their garden with a plant that looks like it just came out of a painting by a mentally ill artist trying to paint a vase, and uses human heads as incubators for rearing their larvae.
Well, how do you like it? Isn't it true that this abomination looks like bats hanging upside down, which are just waiting for darkness to spread their wings and soar into the sky ... I apologize, in the last photo there is no plant, but a real bat, but, you see , the similarity is obvious and there is hardly a person in the world who, having stumbled upon a muscle flower in the predawn hour, will be able to distinguish it from a living being.
Buddha's Hand
I don’t know what crazy genius decided that this thing looks like a Buddha’s hand, for me it’s something more like hentai tentacles that are about to seize another busty beauty. In fact, the vile tentacles turn out to be quite edible, one might even say tasty, citrus fruit, which is incredibly popular in China and Japan. If you remember the network of toilet-like restaurants, it is easy to understand why the Chinese are crazy about eating this curiosity, but I did not expect this from the stiff Japanese.
In fact, the hand of the Buddha is a strange-looking lemon, in which there is often nothing but the peel. Fructine attracts Eastern peoples not only with its unusual appearance, but also with its aromatic properties: in Japan, tea is brewed from it, and in China they are kept at home as a talisman that brings good luck and happiness to the house, drives away all evil spirits and bestows longevity. They also make jam, marmalade and perfumes smelling of violets from these lemon tentacles.
And a little more serious: it is traditionally believed that the Buddha can cleverly wrap, fold and turn his fingers during prayer, and at such moments his hands are very similar to these monstrous lemons. As you wish, but if this is true, then if I had the opportunity to meet the Buddha or the good-natured Freddy Krueger in a dark alley, I would most likely choose the latter.
Other names: citron, cedrat, Corsican lemon, Buddha's brush.
Venus Flytrap / Dionaea muscipula
I dare to suggest that just a couple of million years ago, these monsters ate dinosaurs and were the rightful owners of the planet. But evolution is the enemy of maximalism, and all giants have either died out or, in order to survive, have acquired more earthly dimensions, so today the flycatcher is a small plant that feeds exclusively on insects, caterpillars, slugs and frogs.
How it works: inside the mouth-leaf there are many tiny sensitive hairs. The victim crawling onto the leaf irritates these hairs, which in turn give a signal to reduce the cells of the inner part of the leaf, and the "mouth" begins to close. After some time, the inside of the leaf begins to secrete digestive fluid, and the victim, exhausted from unsuccessful attempts to get out, begins to slowly digest (this process takes quite a long time - for example, it will take about a week for a flycatcher to digest a slug).
Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus
What turns a juicy healthy apple into a rotting lump of vile horror that harbors a whole brood of worms? If your answer is “cedar-apple rotting mushroom” (abbr. KYAGG), then most likely you were smart and just read this cunning interweaving of letters that adorns the beginning of this story!
KYAGG is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. Even now you can make horror films about this abomination: infected fruits literally turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months.
Here's how it happens: from a tiny spore of a fungus, an impressive spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter, when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming vile antennae.
As a result, pine nuts and apples turn into small evil Cthulhu.
Rafflesia / Rafflesia
In the photo, kids tasting the incomparable aromas of rafflesia, who could just as well stick their “bright” heads into the point of a public village toilet.
This unusual plant there is no stem and roots, and its main part is a giant flower with five fleshy petals.
The rafflesia seedling is gradually introduced into the roots of the host plant with the help of suction cups (haustoria). Those parts of the seedling that for some reason were outside the "body" of the host simply die off. Presumably, Rafflesia seeds are awakened to germination by exposure to excretions from potential host plants. These same substances also orient the direction of seedling growth.
Chinese runic flower / Chinese Fleeceflower
The fruits of the "runic flower" have frightening shapes that make them look like little potato people.
The Chinese are uprooting these tiny underground inhabitants from the earth in order to use their naked defenseless bodies as a panacea for all diseases, including impotence, cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc. etc…
Before turning into a life-giving powder, the little men are subjected to all sorts of tortures, including boiling, skinning, soaking in moonshine and dismemberment.
Mark my words, soon the potatoes will get tired of the Chinese oppression and will rise up against all mankind. So think twice before you decide to restore your "mojo" with the help of the "runic flower".
Porcupine tomato / Porcupine Tomato
Reference: porcupine - tree porcupine.
Porcupine tomato - a one and a half meter monster growing in Madagascar, the leaves of which are covered with terrifying-looking thorns orange color. This spiky wonder-yuda has incredibly beautiful purple flowers, collected in clusters, with which it lures its victims to itself: and now you are already bending down to pick one of them, and find yourself impaled on "deadly" spikes.
In addition to being thorny and poisonous, the Porcupine tomato is almost impossible to kill: it does not care about most chemicals and can survive severe cold and even severe drought. As you already understood, this creation of nature is a monstrous weed that has set the goal of its existence to capture your personal plot. Behind a short time one can spawn a whole army of Porcupine tomatoes, which in a few weeks will turn into 1.5-meter giants, each of which will fight to the last and shed more than one liter of your blood before being uprooted from the ground.
So if your garden is filled with Porcupine tomatoes, do not try to engage in an open battle with them, but simply take your feet.
penis plants
And finally, penis-shaped plants, which are crazy popular in the vastness of the United States of America.
Do you want to buy a member? Then you're on Amazon. By googling, you will certainly be able to find arthropods, arthropods, penis-shaped cacti ... and so on ad infinitum.
After contemplating these selective horrors, a picture of a garden where all this is grown immediately begins to emerge in my head ... Oh my God, now I know what the ideal nightmare of a Russian peasant should look like!
We are used to the fact that plants are always beautiful and delight us with their appearance. The flowers have a pleasant smell, have a refined shape, their petals are tender and pleasant to the touch. But there are also plants that will tremble or stupor, or cause disgust in a person.
1. Bloody tooth. Also known as Devil's Tooth, Strawberry Cream and Tooth Juice. It contains substances that thin the blood. So we do not recommend eating it. Since 1812, it has been known that the mushroom is poisoned. Most likely, someone decided to try it, and now we know that after such a delicacy a lethal outcome is guaranteed.
2. Common tarragon (or Dracunculus) grows in Southern Europe in olive groves and other orchards. His appearance, of course, is frightening, especially the long purple tube in the inflorescence. It seems to be nothing terrible, but the problem is that this flower smells of excrement and carrion. Definitely not the best the best choice plants for your garden.
4. Rafflesia can be compared only to the most big flower in the world - Titan Arum. Its wild stench also attracts flies, and visitors to botanical gardens who venture to grow them. To their disappointment, Titan Arum blooms only once every 5-10 years. Therefore, the news about when the most disgusting flower in the world blooms (and it blooms for only two days) excites the public.
5. african hydnora and in appearance looks like a claw of a mutant cancer, and grows underground (comes to the surface after precipitation), and smells of rot, and feeds on insects. It seems that a person will be able to digest in case of a shortage of flies. However, for jackals, porcupines and baboons, this nasty flower is a favorite treat. Gidnora is also in great demand among local residents.
6. Velvichia- dinosaur plant, grows in Namib desert and is a tree. Lives 1200-1300 years, and the most old pattern reached the age of 1500 years. Its leaves are dotted with stomata, which are able to collect moisture from fogs. Thanks to this, she survives in harsh conditions. In appearance, Velvichia looks like tentacles, but at least it doesn’t stink.
7. Kirkazon giant looks like a huge piece of meat, and smells the same. Some species of this family, although they do not have large sizes, but they look intimidating (for example, in the form of a mouth with teeth).
8. doll eyes looks like an alien plant. Its other name is white crow. Grows in the mountains of North America. It is highly toxic, causing convulsions, vomiting and hallucinations. Apparently, since we know about it, someone has already tried it.
9. Fragrant Martinia has other names that are more suitable for its appearance - the devil's claw, the claw of the devil or the forest spider. At first, this horror was found only in Arizona. The Indians wove scary baskets from it and left them in the fields, thus scaring off enemies. Now, these claws grow throughout the northwestern United States. It seems that this misfortune can really take over the world. Despite its frightening appearance, it is used in medicine as effective remedy for arthritis and rheumatism.
10. Porcupine tomato It has nothing to do with tomatoes at all. This plant is very insidious. Blossoming quite pretty purple flowers, it attracts gullible insects, which later become victims of sharp orange thorns on tomato leaves. In addition, it is also poisonous, and it is difficult to get rid of it. A tomato will calmly endure any poison that you pour on it. Such an invader in the garden is highly undesirable, especially given the fact that it reproduces as quickly as it eats its victims.
11. Yellow tentacles Buddha hands very popular in China, as there it is used as a talisman against evil spirits. In fact, unlike previous monsters, citrus, although it looks like an octopus, is very tasty and has a pleasant smell. In Japan, they even make tea from it.
12. Chinese mouseflower truly is the most terrible flower on Earth. It has both wings, like those of bats, and tentacles, like a real monster. It seems that Hollywood directors took his image when creating the Alien vs. Predator films. But even this black flower has its admirers who cultivate it in their garden for the “joy” of their neighbors.
True, for some people such non-standard plants may, on the contrary, seem fantastically beautiful precisely because of their unusual appearance. Many even grow them at home and appreciate them for their exoticism... 1. Amorphophallus giant (Amorphophallus titanum) growing in natural conditions, is the largest and most foul-smelling flower in the world. The height of its leaf reaches 3-5 meters, and the weight of the tuber reaches 25-35 kg. The petiole of the leaf resembles a trunk, and the huge leaf blade resembles the crown of a palm tree. The leaf is complexly dissected, the length of each segment can reach up to 2 meters. The maximum recorded dimensions are: petiole 5 meters high, tuber 0.5 meters in diameter and weighing 40 kg. Of course, the plant reaches its maximum size not in a couple of seasons, but over several years. And only after the accumulation of a sufficient amount nutrients in the tuber, the amorphophallus is ready to bloom. 
It blooms every three years (according to various sources, every 5-10 years) with a huge flower for several days. The leaf at this time does not grow from the tuber, one flower appears. The height of the flower with each subsequent flowering increases and reaches about 2 meters (a record is registered - 2.6 m), and its weight can reach up to 100 kg. 
2. Fusiform flowertail (Pseudocolus fusiformis), a spindle-shaped fruiting body of 3-8 pinkish-red lobes, fused at the top. On the inner surface there is an olive or almost black spore-bearing layer. The fungus has a strong unpleasant odor. Lives on soil or rotting wood in deciduous forests (Crimea, Transcaucasia, south of Primorsky Krai; Europe, Japan, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Java, Hawaii). In "opened" form
3. Raulia extraordinary (Raoulia eximia), the English name sounds like "vegetable sheep", which very accurately describes the appearance of the plant. Its small pubescent leaves are located very close to each other. Such a bush 1.5 m high really resembles a lamb. Growing in New Zealand. In home gardens
4. Amazing Velvichia (Welwitschia mirabilis) Grows in the deserts of South West Africa. Its low trunk is almost completely hidden in the ground, where it accumulates priceless moisture. There are only two leaves on the surface... But they are the main attraction. Thin and wide, they serve photosynthesis. Their length can reach several meters. They grow all their lives - and Velvichia live for several centuries. There are even specimens whose age exceeds 1000 years! Outwardly, the leaves look like wide green ribbons. If several velvichias grow side by side, then it can be very problematic to determine which tape belongs to which plant. 5. Pachypodium namaquanum (Pachypodium namaquanum) The English name of the plant is translated as "elephant's trunk". This succulent has fleshy, collected in a large funnel, pointed towards the end of the leaves. The homeland of the pachypodium is Namibia, where the plant has to survive in this way in the heat, accumulating moisture in the leaf plates. 
6. Nepenthes The jug-shaped flower is designed in such a way as to be able to catch insects. The victim is attracted by the sweet juice that is on the surface of the jug. However, as soon as an insect sits on a flower, it is trapped. In a matter of moments, it rolls down on a slippery surface and finds itself inside - where Nepentes secretes special digestive enzymes. With its help, after 5-8 hours, only chitin remains from the victim. True, there are non-penthes that digest it too. Pitchers of some varieties reach 50 cm, so it is not surprising that frogs and even birds fall into a dangerous trap. Nepenthes can also be found in indoor gardens. 
7. Curly Bovia (Bowiea volubilis) Native to South Africa. Fleeing the drought most The plant spends years underground. And only during winter rains thin sts appear :), which rely on neighboring plants. In warm climates, bovia is grown in gardens. 
8. Cruciform collection (Colletia paradoxa) Grows in southern South America. The branches of the plant are prickly, arranged crosswise, the leaves are small and quickly fall off, and the collection blooms in March-April with inconspicuous light flowers. At one time, people transplanted it into gardens so actively because of its unusual appearance that now the collection is on the verge of extinction. 
9. Utah Cyphostemma (Cyphostemma juttae) The strangely shaped leaves that accumulate water are designed to prevent the plant from dying in its native Namibia, where the climate is very dry and hot. The height of the cyphostemma reaches 2 m. light color leaves, reflecting the sun's rays and giving the plant the opportunity not to overheat. By the way, small forms of this plant are grown in indoor floriculture. 10. Giant Kirkazon (Aristolochia gigantea) Grows in a wide variety of climates. Kirkazon is significant primarily for its colors. by all possible ways flowers imitate .. rotting meat. This is facilitated by the corresponding smell and color: brown-purple or greenish-yellow limb of the petals, dotted with light or purple and red-brown spots and veins. All this is aimed at attracting flies, beetles and other insects that feed on carrion. At the beginning of flowering, when the stigmas ripen, the pharynx of the flower with a convenient landing site in the form of a wide tongue or axis-perch is wide open and insects freely crawl inside the flower tube. Its inner surface is covered with hard, obliquely directed hairs. Having reached the swollen bottom of the flower, the insects are trapped, the way back is blocked by bristling hairs. In anxiety, running in search of a way out, they inevitably touch the stigma, shaking off the pollen they brought on it. 