Also have a look at some exotic plants!

Mimosa pudica

Mimosa pudica (from Latin: pudica "shy, bashful or shrinking"; also called sensitive plant, sleepy plant and the touch-me-not), is a creeping annual or perennial herb often grown for its curiosity value: the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, to protect them from predators, re-opening minutes later. The species is native to South America and Central America, but is now a pantropical weed. It grows mostly in shady areas, under trees or shrubs,

The whole plant of Mimosa pudica includes thorny stem and branches, flower head, dry flowers, seed pods, and folded and unfolded leafletsThe stem is erect in young plants, but becomes creeping or trailing with age. It can hang very low and become floppy. The stem is slender, branching, and sparsely to densely prickly, growing to a length of 1.5 m (5 ft). The leaves of the mimosa pudica are compound leaves.

Aristolochia grandiflora

This plant is almost perfectly in his strange splendor. With more cameras, instead of petals and veins, like the circulatory system. But do not get too close, and even the smell of dead mice can not erode a very long time. However, this plant is not a carnivore as Nepenthes attenboroughii,

so it attracts insects that pollinate it.

Hydnora africana

Hydnora africana is an achlorophyllous plant native to southern Africa that is parasitic on the roots of members of the Euphorbiaceae family. The plant grows underground, except for a fleshy flower that emerges above ground and emits an odor of feces to attract its natural pollinators, dung beetles,[citation needed] and carrion beetles.The flowers act as temporary traps, retaining the beetles that enter long enough for them to pick up pollen.

Hydnellum peckii

Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran and Korea . Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses.

Encephalartos woodii

Encephalartos woodi is a cycad in the genus Encephalartos, and is endemic to the oNgoye Forest of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is one of the rarest plants in the world, being extinct in the wild with all specimens being clones of the type. The specific and common name both honour John Medley Wood, curator of the Durban Botanic Garden and director of the Natal Government Herbarium of South Africa, who discovered the plant in 1895.

It is palm tree like, and can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). The trunk is about 30–50 centimetres (12–20 in) in diameter, thickest at the bottom, and topped by a crown of 50–150 leaves. The leaves are glossy and dark green, 150–250 centimetres (59–98 in) in length, and keeled with 70–150 leaflets, the leaflets falcate (sickle-shaped), 13–15 centimetres (5–6 in) long and 20–30 millimetres (0.8–1 in) broad.

Rare plants which can live many years!

Helicodiceros muscivorus

Helicodiceros muscivorus is an ornamental plant native to Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. The flowers of Helicodiceros muscivorus smell like rotting meat, attracting carrion-seeking blowflies which act as pollinators. One of a rare group of thermogenic plants, the dead horse arum can raise its temperature by thermogenesis. This helps to lure flies into the plant to contact its pollen.

Pine Methuselah

Pine Methuselah is the oldest tree in the world. Its age exceeds 4850 years. And she got the name after the biblical character who was the only long-lived all over the world.

This majestic tree is growing in the US, in the mountains White Mountains at an altitude of 3000 meters. Its exact location is known only to botanists, who are monitoring the pine. Such secrecy stems from the fact that protect against vandalism of the watchman. After all, tourists wanting to be photographed with him or tear on the memory piece of bark thousands. Many go to the mountains to find this mysterious tree, but all their attempts end in failure. Pine Methuselah is not a tree, a symbol of eternity, that looks like the dead, but in each of its branch hidden life. Tree of Life  the lonely tree in the world. Probably, like life itself, reminiscent loneliness among crowds of people. It is only on the sands of the vast desert of Bahrain, a hundred kilometers from any vegetation.

Puia Raimondi

Puia Raimondi is a plant that lives for 150 years, to gain vitality and die. Die forever, giving the world the unearthly beauty of its flowers.Growing from a round and a huge bowl, the plant reaches a height of 3 meters. Of a thin stalk develops powerful trunk resembling a tree. But a huge "bump" barbed-looking, looks like a huge flower, which for 100 years is slowly growing in height. Lived 150 years, and mustered vital energy, it gives the world a scattering of thousands of flowers and dies. Dies forever.

Sarv-e-Abarkooh 

It is ahuge cypress growing in Iran, as it seems, it is the oldest tree in Asia. Scientists estimate its age in 4000 - 4500 thousand years, which is about the time of completion of construction of Stonehenge. Recognized by the national plant property boasts a height of 25 meters and a girth of 11 meters.

General Sherman

Giant sequoia growing in California national park, is not only one of the oldest trees in the world, but also one of the highest. Its height is 83.8 meters, and the circumference at the base - 31 meters. Statistics loving Americans indicated installed near a tree plate from his trunk, you can build 40 houses, and if you put it next to the passenger train, the tree will probably longer. As for the age, it is estimated at 2300 - 2700 years.

Senator

It is a majestic cypress, whose age is estimated at approximately three and a half thousand years, surrounded by palm trees growing in the Florida park giant trees. Height of 38 meters allows it to significantly rise above his fellows, and serve as a beacon for many tourists.

Cypress began to grow at about the same time when the first settlements in Fiji were Polynesians. A total of twelve meters from Senator tree grows another survivor. This Lady Liberty, towering above the ground on the twenty-seven meters, whose diameter is three meters, she has been living for more than two thousand years.

The biggest and unusual rare plants in the world

Camellia japonica

It is not so outlandish to look at, but unique. And all because it is - the rarest flower in the world! Red Camellia grows only in two places on Earth - in a greenhouse in the UK and in the garden in New Zealand. By the way, the birthplace of this flower - China, and brought him to the United Kingdom John Middlemist in 1854. So he turned out to be saved from extinction red camellia - then these flowers in China ruthlessly destroyed.

Rafflesia arnoldii

Rafflesia arnoldii is rare and fairly hard to locate. It is especially difficult to locate the flower in forests, as the buds take many months to develop and the flower lasts for just a few days. The flowers are unisexual and thus proximity of male and female flowers is vital for successful pollination. These factors make successful pollination a rare event.

When Rafflesia is ready to reproduce, a tiny bud forms outside the root or stem of its host and develops over a period of a year. The cabbage-like head that develops eventually opens to reveal the flower. The stigma or stamen are attached to a spiked disk inside the flower. A foul smell of rotting meat attracts flies and beetles to pollinate. To pollinate successfully, the flies and/or beetles must visit both the male and female plants, in that order. The fruit produced are round lots filled with smooth flesh including many thousands of hard-coated seeds that are eaten and spread by treeshrews.

Amorphophallus

Dimensions of this flower of the lily family are amazing! Petals of the huge leaves giant head. The flower has an unpleasant smell, but this unusual scent attracts insects that pollinate the flower.Plant lives about 40 years. During this time, Amorphophallus bloom a couple of times. Opened a wonderful flower Florentine scholar on the island of Sumatra in 1878.

Psychotria Elata

This is a tree plant called Psychotria Elata. In this poetic name flower obliged strange form bracts, which are clearly reminiscent of sensual female lips parted plump bright scarlet color. Psychotria elevated to  "Hot Lips", obviously, for the same reason. 

Psychotria sublime belongs to the family Rubiaceae and is a low tree. According to the researchers, formed as a result of evolution, it attracts native pollinators (butterflies and hummingbirds).

I must say that the bracts remain such an amazing shape resembling painted scarlet lipstick female lips, a short time, then they are replaced by white and yellow flowers that grow from the middle like "lips." Fruits of Psychotria sublime look is not so extravagant, fruit Psychotria is also painted a fairly bright, but already blue.

 Puya raimondii

This flower is the largest inflorescence in the world, and is one of the oldest in the world in Flora. Inflorescence can reach a height of 13m, and its average diameter of about 2.5 meters!

Externally similar to the inflorescence candle chestnut consists of separate flowers, the number of which 7.5 thousand to 11 thousand.! After flowering, aboveground part of plants otmiraet.Period sexual maturity comes at the age of 50-80 let. Puya bloom in 30 years, and 150 years of age.

Hydnora africana

Gidnora africana is a flower-parasite that lives in the deserts of Africa. It clings to the roots of other plants and feeds them. In general, under the earth, and only when necessary in the desert falls rainfall - it appears on the surface and dissolved. At the height of the flower reaches 15-20 cm. Gidnora pollinated using beetles, flies to her scent.

Passíflora alata

Passionfruit is a genus of the family Passifloraceae. There are about 500 species. Flower diameter up to 10 cm. It grows mainly in Latin America.

Drósera

Sundew is a carnivorous plant. Thanks to releases droplets of mucus they catch insects that feed. Grow in swamps, sands and mountains.

Rare water plants

Azolla caroliniana

Homeland - North America.

A plant as is common in tropical and subtropical areas. This fern forming a very beautiful, floating in the water green islands. The plant is very tender and requires careful handling. Common in the aquarium is relatively rare. Has a pronounced seasonal growth pattern with a period of dormancy in the winter.

The temperature of the aquarium water can vary quite widely. Plant feels good in lukewarm water at about 20 ° C, and in tropical aquarium at 28 ° C. If the temperature falls to 16 ° C and below, this leads to growth arrest, after a while leaves the plants begin to decay, and it is immersed in water. Preserved in the bottom mud disputes spring give life to new plants.

Water for azolla should be soft, with a neutral or slightly acid reaction. Rigidity is desirable not above 10 °, pH - less than 7.0.

The plant requires a very bright light. Artificial lighting can be used such as fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps LB. Power fluorescent lamps must be at least 2-2.5 W per 1 dm2 of surface area of water. Daylength should be not less than 12 hours. Under favorable conditions, azolla, fast growing, tightens the entire surface of the aquarium, shading other plants, so it should be an excess of periodically removed from the aquarium.

The withering away of azolla in winter due, as a rule, with a decrease in light, so when very bright light and a sufficiently high temperature to maintain the water plant fails.

Winter azolla retain another way. The plant should be removed from the tank and place in a bowl with a damp moss. You can use an ordinary bog sphagnum moss. Winter temperature should not exceed 12 ° C. At the end of March - April, the plant should be moved to the aquarium.

Utricularia

This is undoubtedly the most interesting plant our waters. In ditches and swamps, in shallow ponds and lakes places pemphigus - one of the most common plants. Its very easy to find and observe during flowering, so high in the air as she raises her notable bright yellow flowers bilabiate. But outside the flowering time it is necessary to search very carefully: it's all in the water.

Those who first met with the plant, there is not a little surprised when wanting to remove the flowering plant from the water, says that he was reaching some sort of a network of thin dark filaments. It seems at first glance that the plant was hooked for a something else, but now it turns out that it is not: a network that is directly connected to the peduncle. This strange network and is actually the plant itself; it - stem and leaves him, ie, whole plant because the roots have bladderworts not.

Pistia

Large velvety blue-green leaves of lettuce water collected in the outlet, stem shortened, and thick roots whitish hue sink to a depth of about 25 to 30 cm. Over time, the roots become blue or black.

Obovate leaves the wide portion 10 to reach 12 cm, and the length of the sheet may be 15 - 25 cm. The upper part of the sheet through the villae short not gray wet. On pale green underside of the leaves are clearly visible protruding veins. The plant is in good conditions grows to 30-40 cm in diameter and 15 cm in height. Begin to bloom specimens from 10 cm in height - a small inflorescence spadix surrounded by a light fluffy blanket and placed on top of the cob small white flowers.

Although in vivo Piste think weed is a plant in the aquarium is decorative.

Salvínia

Occurs in well-warmed waters Black Earth region.

Leaves on a horizontal stem Salvinia located whorls of three. Two rounded leaves of each whorl float on the surface of the water; third, underwater, is cut into several narrow "the threads." Underwater leaves are green and brownish, covered with fine hairs. Outwardly, they look like roots.

Real roots of this fern is not. Underwater leaves "work" for them: suck water from nutrients. The upper, floating leaves carry out photosynthesis. They are green, 5-15 mm long, dotted with small warts on top, bottom - brown hairs. Ferns, including Salvinia - spore plants. They have no flowers, and, consequently, of the fruit.

Trápa nátans

Сurrently known 30 species. Rogulnik - Annual and can not tolerate autumn frosts. It blooms only in the hot summer in northern Europe rarely set fruit. Today, the plant has become extremely rare. It is protected in several reserves and is listed in the Red Book.

Victoria amazonica

The species has very large leaves, up to 3 m in diameter, that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m in length. The species was once called Victoria regiaafter Queen Victoria, but the name was superseded. V. amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbow lakes and bayous. It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 40 cm in diameter, and are pollinated by beetles.

   

Wolffia

Flowers Wolffia are the smallest in the world and do not exceed the size of a match head. Wolffia grows in Northern and Western Amerike.Rastenie consists of a stalk, like a ball with a diameter of 0.3 to 2 millimeters. Wolffia balls float freely in the water, consuming its dissolved nutrients. Roots and leaves no Wolff. Flowering is very rare.

Ten the most unusual houseplants

If the words houseplants you come to mind only ficus and geranium, which means you have not read about the most unusual houseplants. Read the information below about growing pot plants, which are rarely found in our apartments. These beauties certainly surprise and intrigue your guests. And grow them, in fact, is not so difficult!

 

Tillandsia Cyanea

This guest tropical bromeliad family. Very original spicate inflorescence, one of his appearance eliminates the extra delights, and in the fall on the side edges of the purple blossoms appear delicate lilac-purple flowers. It grows very slowly. The growth temperature in winter 18 ° C, at other times of up to 25 ° C. Light partial shade, moderate watering and periodic spraying. Humidity should be maintained constantly, this is one of the basic conditions for growing. This task can easily cope humidifier.When planting requires good drainage, and the mixture for planting must include peat moss with shredded bark and leaf soil with charcoal. On the other landing mixture can not grow or not grow at all.

Euphorbia tirucalli

This tree-like plant of the family Euphorbiaceae. Evergreen succulent plant with fancy curved bare branches, flowers small greenish-yellow flowers. Like all Euphorbiaceae, is the owner of the poisonous juice, may result in minor burns or allergic reaction.

Hypocyrta Glabra

Air plant likes moist soil for plants, too, should be moist, but not worth pereuvlazhnyat, besides winter reduce watering. Loves a sunny place, preferably in direct sunlight throughout the day. The room temperature should be moderate, but in the winter loves reduced - 12-15 ° C.

Lachenalia aloides

It will give its owner elegant bloom in the middle of winter - high-colored stems appear elongated clusters of flowers-tubules yellow with greenish, reddish, pink or purple hues. After bud requires rest. To do this, reduce watering 2-3 weeks after flowering, and then completely stop them. In September, the bulbs need to be transplanted into a new earth (the tip of the bulb is below ground level) and once watered when the shoots appear, you can continue watering. The plant likes moisture, so it is sometimes necessary to spray. Lachenalia prefers sun, especially on the windowsill, where half a day to direct sunlight, but the heating does not accept. Thrives and blooms at 7-15 ° C. Closed balcony with low positive temperatures in winter going for it at the time. Plant height of 35-45 cm.

Calatea Insignis

Prized for decorative sheets, they can be from white to dark-green color with unusual stains and patterns, and Calathea saffron is grown also for the beauty of flowers. The plant loves the care and constant care. It needs to be protected from drafts, direct sunlight (light partial shade or scattered light) and place in a warm room in winter and organize high humidity (constant watering until the winter, the winter cut). Transplant should be 1 every 2 years, dividing the plant.

Here represented its more common forms:

Mako Calathea

Its broad leaves resemble a paper texture. On top of the leaf pattern on the back of a sheet of purple.

Calathea decorated 

There are pink stripes, gradually whiten on the top of the leaves and  the inner side of a sheet of purple.

Calathea striped 

There are about 30 cm long dark streaks on its leaves.

Calathea roseopicta

It has oval leaves with a central pink stripe.

Calathea lubbers

It has lush green oval leaves with bright green and yellow spots.

Calathea saffron

Flowers of this species for a long time pleasing to the eye, they are located on the straight stalks. Framed by lush dark green leaves. On the inner side of a sheet of greenish-purple hue.

Kohleria eriantha

Once it was extremely popular, now it is not often seen, and it is in vain! This plant got its spread as ampelnoe, so it is best to choose for her pots or pot on the stand, but with the expectation of a long time. After transplantation of the land from the leaves is extremely difficult washed away, leaving dark streaks. Bush plants compact enough, he succulent leaves with hairs beautiful and colorful flowers with spots (red, orange, pink).

Kohler has a straight, unbranched shoots. In the indoor version of the plant is represented by hybrid forms. Can blossom about 2 months, tender, fluffy patterned flowers. Belongs to the family Gesneriaceae, requires rest in the winter, so the upper stems are cut and nodules are given time to gain strength and grow at temperatures not exceeding 14 ° C, but not below 12 ° C. In the spring of each nodule plant can be obtained. Loves the scattered light and high humidity, but should be sprayed around the plant, otherwise there will be spots on the leaves, as in burns. For the same reason, you should avoid direct sunlight.

Сolumnea microphylla

Hanging basket plant with long, curly shoots sometimes. Brittle stems of a length of 1.5 m. In winter, watering is reduced. Likes humidity, but should be sprayed around the plant to avoid suffering leaves. The flowers are bright, "eared". Loves warm and diffused sunlight.

Stapelia Variegata

Is a small succulent with spotted or striped unusual flower, smelling of rotten meat, which thus attracts flies for pollination. The plant does not tolerate transplanting, if the roots are damaged, immediately say goodbye to him. The rest is very unpretentious. Temperature for development can be 12-14 ° C. Photophilous in the spraying is not needed.

Vrieziya

Has several varieties with large bright bright racemose inflorescence. Can be transplanted with roots and offshoots in a couple of months. Transplant is necessary when the pot has become close to the plant. When flowering is over, be sure to remove the motherboard socket to allow the plant to recover and form a new outlet. Indoor develops at normal room temperature but not like in the winter decrease below 15 ° C. Place the flower choose light, but diffuse solar luchami.Pochva plants should be kept moist in the middle of the rosette of leaves should always be water. Every few months, the water should be updated.

Dionaea muscipula

Its popular name "Dione mousetrap." Its inflorescence is about 15 cm. It can not spray the leaves, and in a period of growth needs good soil moisture, water profusely. The pot is better positioned on a pallet with rain or melt water. It grows well in full sun with light shading from the midday sun. Normal room temperature in winter is not lower than 15 ° C. The plant is sometimes fed dead flies, then plant some time to digest food with closed doors petals itself and this can also attract flies smell, and then absorb them.