Rafflesia Arnoldii: An Unique Plant With Gigantic Blooms

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Rafflesia Arnoldii: An Unique Plant With Gigantic Blooms

There are countless ways that flowers catch our eyes, whether through their color, shape, or some other quality. But have you ever wondered what flower has the biggest bloom of all? If so, this article will end your curiosity.

The plant that holds the biggest bloom in the world is a species called Rafflesia arnoldii. The flowers that appear on this plant can grow to be nearly three and a half feet in diameter. That massive span also makes for a considerable total weight for this flower. In some cases, a Rafflesia arnoldii flower can weigh as much as 24 pounds at maturity. However, the size of this flower is far from its only remarkable quality.

Rafflesia arnoldii comes from rainforest regions on islands such as Borneo and Sumatra. Interestingly, this plant grows in a way that is unlike that of most plants you’re likely familiar with. In contrast to many of the most prominent plants in the world, Rafflesia arnoldii lacks leaves and roots. While those plant structures are what allow most plants to absorb light and nutrients, Rafflesia arnoldii finds a more unique way to survive.

This species belongs to a group of plants known as obligate parasites. Obligate parasites don’t have the ability to survive without the help of a host plant. Without the support of a host plant, an obligate parasite will have no means by which it can continue its life cycle and reproduce. The Rafflesia arnoldii plant has one specific group upon which it depends, which are vine species within the Tetrastigma genus. Tetrastigma vines live in the same region as Rafflesia arnoldii and supply the world’s largest flower with the moisture and fuel it needs to survive.

With no need for leaves, roots, or any other common plant structures, the Rafflesia arnoldii plant can dedicate nearly all of its biomass toward growing a single gigantic flower. When this plant finds a suitable host and growing conditions, it will begin the months-long process of flower development. This process begins with the emergence of the flower bud. That bud itself is also the largest flower bud in the world, with the largest specimen occurring in Sumatra in 1956, measuring about 17 inches in diameter.

After the long effort needed to create a Rafflesia arnoldii flower, that flower will typically last for no more than a few days. But during that short existence, this flower makes itself known in more ways than one. Not only is the Rafflesia arnoldii flower larger than any other, but it also gives off an incredibly unsavory scent that has led many to call this plant the corpse flower. But that stench has a purpose as it attracts flies and other pollinating insects. If those insects manage to visit both a male and a female Rafflesia arnoldii plant, fruit in the form of seed-filled berries will emerge, allowing the flower to reproduce successfully.

As you can now see, the Rafflesia arnoldii plant has many qualities that make it different from most other plants. Among those distinguishing traits is the fact that this plant creates the biggest bloom in the world. But as the information above shows, the growth habit and means of reproduction these plants rely on are quite interesting as well. As such, Rafflesia arnoldii has earned recognition as one of three official national flowers of Indonesia and continues to gain renown throughout the world for its enormous blooms.

The Most Poisonous Plants in the World

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The Most Poisonous Plants in the World

Upon first glance, most plants appear to pose little threat to our health. But the truth is that some can be incredibly dangerous. Read on to learn all about the most poisonous plants in the world.

While many of the plants we enjoy in nature and our gardens are harmless, others contain harmful poisons that can be fatal in worst-case scenarios. Poisonous plants come in many forms, each of which may contain a unique mix of toxic chemicals that can cause different symptoms to occur. The plants come from many parts of the world, posing a threat to those who touch or ingest them. Let’s consider a few of the most prominent examples of these notorious, poisonous plants.

castor oil plant

The castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, likely hails from tropical Africa and contains a protein called ricin. Ricin is well known as one of the most poisonous toxins in the world. Anyone who eats the seeds of the castor oil plant may experience anything from muscle tremors to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complications that are fatal more often than not. The only way to treat someone who has ingested castor oil plant seeds is to induce vomiting in the hope that the ricin poison hasn’t already spread through the body.

Oleander

But while the ricin content of the castor oil plant is quite alarming, the plant that most often carries the title of “most poisonous plant in the world” is the oleander or Nerium oleander. This plant has spectacular flowers and grows throughout the Mediterranean region. Oleander also contains several potent toxins but has a surprisingly low fatality rate for those who ingest it. The reason for this is that oleander also has a repulsive taste that prevents humans and animals from eating a lethal dose. However, in high enough quantities, oleander results in many physical problems, including bloody diarrhea, nausea, and death.

Hemlock

Another famous example of a highly poisonous plant is Conium maculatum or hemlock. This plant has white flowers similar to that of Queen Anne’s lace and gains its notoriety by being the plant that killed the prominent Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates was sentenced to drink poison hemlock after receiving a guilty verdict for impiety. When one ingests this plant, the toxins within it will affect the nervous system. Eventually, this causes the lungs to cease their function, resulting in death.

Rosary peas

Known scientifically as Abrus precatorius, is another plant that poses a significant risk to human life. This plant contains a toxin known as abrin, which is actually significantly more deadly than ricin. With less than three milligrams of ingested abrin, an adult will die. The entire rosary pea plant is full of abrin, but the berries contain the most. Oddly, these black and red berries are commonly used in jewelry making, which is dangerous as these berries give off their poison any time their skin is damaged.

Deadly nightshade

Our final example of a highly poisonous plant is the deadly nightshade, or Atropa belladonna, which is a perennial species growing throughout Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. The foliage and fruits of the deadly nightshade are both poisonous and can cause a wide range of effects. What is perhaps most concerning about this plant poison is that its effects are somewhat unpredictable. Symptoms can include hallucinations and seizures. Again, this poison is somewhat famous as it was featured in the Shakespearian play Macbeth and plays a role in one of the most memorable scenes.

By now, you can see that plants can be shockingly potent when it comes to their poison content. Knowing about a few of these most poisonous plants should motivate you to know how to identify them and avoid them. If you don’t, you risk falling victim to the toxic effect of poisonous plants such as the ones described above.

The Big Debate Over the World’s Fastest-Growing Plants

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The Big Debate Over the World’s Fastest-Growing Plants

Many plant species can grow incredibly fast, but a few have significantly quicker growth rates than the rest. However, knowing which plant is the fastest-growing is more difficult than you might think and depends on how you classify growth.

Of all the plant species, only a handful make a competitive case in the race for fastest-growing plant in the world. However, while this distinction may appear easy to determine, deciding which plant grows the fastest is a more nuanced task than you would expect. The main issue in this debate is whether you classify growth speed by how much a plant can add to its height or if you place more value on increasing sheer biomass.

For example, if you think the honor of fastest-growing plant should belong to the plant that can increase its height the quickest, then bamboo would be the winner. There are numerous species of bamboo plants, and several of them can grow nearly three feet in one day. Amazingly, these plants can register a speed of growth of around .00002/mph. While that speed seems inconsequential in most other contexts, seeing a plant with a growth rate that is reasonably measurable in miles per hour is a testament to the speed with which bamboo grows.

However, if you believe that the plant that can increase its biomass most quickly is the fastest-growing, then bamboo does not earn the top spot. Instead, by the biomass metric, a plant known as duckweed is likely the fastest-growing plant. Duckweed plants, which include 11 species in the Wolffia genus, are tiny aquatic plants that grow on the surface of the water. These plants are not only small but are also incredibly simple as they each consist of a single stem and leaf with no roots or any other physical features. When a group of duckweed plants grows in ideal conditions, it can double its mass in just 16 hours. That astounding growth rate has yet to be matched by any other plant species on Earth.

Many other plants deserve mention among the fastest-growing plants in the world. One such plant is the kudzu plant, which is a vine species that can grow about one foot in a single day. Other plants, such as annual and perennial flowers, herbs, and vegetables, are known to grow incredibly fast from seed. While these plants don’t come close to matching the size of a fast-growing vine or a bamboo plant, they do achieve their mature sizes at an impressive rate.

While the fastest-growing plants in the world are worthy of praise for their growth rates, they can often cause a lot of damage to ecosystems as well. Many of the fastest-growing plant species are also highly invasive and will wreak havoc when they expand beyond their natural growing ranges. These rapid growth rates and a common ability to adapt to generally poor growing conditions allow invasive plants to easily outcompete beneficial native species, which can have a dramatic effect on local food chains.

Still, knowing the topic of fast-growing plants is a fascinating one and is a worthy area of study. Just remember that deciding on which plant species are the fastest comes down to whether you measure an increase in height or an overall growth in biomass. In the former case, bamboo plants prove to be the fastest, while duckweed is the plant variety that can increase its mass most quickly.

Indirect sunlight outdoor

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Indirect sunlight indoor

_COMMON_NAME_ is most suitable for growing in the indirect sun. It needs bright light but should avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Otherwise, it may cause burns. Indirect sunlight refers to no direct sun exposure, but it is bright all day. It is generally a position away from a window indoors or a position under a big tree in the yard where sunlight is blocked.