10 Interesting Facts About Plants That Might Surprise You

Plants surround us all our lives. From early childhood, we have been watching how flowers grow and bloom, trees are covered with green leaves, in autumn we collect bouquets of leaves, and in summer we grow cucumbers and herbs in the garden.

Plants are a separate biological kingdom, very rich and diverse. It includes at least 320 thousand species. A separate article could be written about each of them, because. All of them are unique, have their own, inimitable properties.

But, even if you know a lot about this kingdom, 10 interesting facts about plants may surprise you.

10 Victoria Regia leaf up to two meters in diameter

Victoria Regia or Victoria Amazonian – an aquatic plant, is the largest water lily in the world. Distributed in Brazil, on the Amazon River, as well as in Bolivia.

This plant has wide floating leaves that are round in shape, the edges of the leaf are often bent upwards. They are huge sheet diameter can exceed 2m. The leaves are reinforced with hollow ribs, they can withstand heavy weights up to 30 kg, in some cases up to 50 kg. The undersides of these huge leaves are purple or red-brown. They are needed to protect the water lily from aquatic animals and fish.

Flowers are hidden under water, appear on the surface only once a year. Flowering is short, you can only admire them for 2-3 days. They open up one by one. They exude a surprisingly pleasant aroma. In the open state, their diameter, compared with the leaf, is small, only 20-30 cm.

9. Eucalyptus bark is constantly renewing

Eucalyptus trees are among the tallest trees that can reach up to 100m in height. It stretches 5-15 cm per year. The bark prevents the tree from growing, so it sheds it annually, it falls off the trunks in pieces or in whole layers.

According to the structure of the bark, eucalyptus trees are divided into several groups. There are smooth-barked trees, in which the bark is smooth, falls off in pieces and ribbons. There are also fibrobark with a thick layer of brown bark, which is preserved on large branches and trunk, and others.

Of particular interest is the rainbow eucalyptus, stretching up to 24 m. It has a bark of different colors, its color is constantly changing, which is why it got its name. The young bark is green, then turns blue, purple, orange and even burgundy.

8. Rafflesia Arnoldi – the largest flower

This parasitic plant can be seen on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Rafflesia Arnoldi – these are single flowers, considered the largest on the planet. Diameter – 60-100 cm, and they weigh up to 8 kg. He has no leaves, stem, roots, because. it receives nutrition from the host organism.

It was named after the English naturalist Joseph Arnold. The flower was discovered by a local guide who worked with him in the forest, on the southwestern part of the island of Sumatra.

Other names –Lotus flower” or “corpse lily“. It is red in color with a brown tint, with a special odor similar to that of rotten meat to attract insects. The bud matures for several months, and blooms for several days. The fruits are like berries, they have a lot of seeds.

7. Bamboo is the tallest grass in the world

The genus “bamboo” includes more than 140 species, which mainly grow in the humid tropics. It is considered the fastest growing plant on the planet. In one day, it can stretch up to 1 m, but on average it grows up to 40 cm.

One of its largest species is common bamboo, with bright yellow stems and green leaves. But Dendrocalamus species is considered the longest; it stretches for 40-50 m.

Shoots of young bamboo are soft, then harden, the core is bright yellow. During the period of rapid growth, its sprouts can even break through a stone.

6. Methuselah pine is one of the oldest trees on Earth

One of the most ancient trees is the spiny pine, which was named Methuselah.. The seed from which it grew sprouted in 2831 BC, i.e. his age is 4849 years.

It was discovered by botanist Edmund Shulman in 1953. It grows in California, in the Inyo National Forest, near the White Mountains. Its exact location is hidden so that the tree does not suffer from vandals.

For a long time, this pine was the oldest non-colonial tree, until in 2012 a pine of the same species was discovered, which is 5069 years old.

5. The Piranji cashew tree covers almost 2 hectares of land

In Brazil, near the city of Natal, an unusual tree grows, which looks more like a forest. It covers an area 80 times larger than an ordinary cashew tree and produces about 80 fruits a year.

The Piranji cashew tree was planted in 1888 by an ordinary fisherman.. But there was some kind of genetic mutation in it, because of which the branches of the tree, as soon as they touch the ground, take root and begin to grow. Now it is the most famous landmark in the country.

4. Baobab – the thickest tree in the world

In the dry savannas of tropical Africa, the thickest trees on the planet grow, the trunk diameter of which reaches 10 m, for all its representatives it is at least 8 m.

Despite such an impressive size, the height of the baobabs is not so big, about 20 m. The unusual thickness of this tree is used by local residents. In Zimbabwe, a station was made in a hollow baobab, in which there were several dozen seats. In Boswana it was turned into a prison, in Kenya – a hotel. And in one of the oldest baobabs, which is at least 6 thousand years old, a bar was made, a favorite place for foreign tourists.

3. Crazy cucumber throws seeds 10 m

Crazy Cucumber is a herbaceous plant that is known for its ability to throw out seeds. Grows in the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Mediterranean, prefers roadsides, garbage places, vegetable gardens (weed), seashore. Its stem stretches for 50-150 cm.

Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary cucumber. The fruits are green, juicy, oblong in shape, which grow up to 4-6 cm, their width is 1,5-2,6 cm. They are blunt at both ends, prickly, they contain many seeds. The seeds are one centimeter long, long, brown, smooth and small. As the seeds mature, the tissue that surrounds them turns into a slimy mass.

A lot of pressure is formed inside the cucumber, it breaks away from the stalk, and the seeds with mucus fly outward, over great distances, more than 6 m. It takes place in August or September.

2. Posidonia oceanic – a marine record holder, its length is about 8 km

One of the largest plants in the world is Posidonia oceanic.. In 2006, a specimen was found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, the length of which was 8 km. It grows along the Mediterranean coast. Named after the ruler of the seas, Poseidon. It prefers to grow in colonies, forming whole meadows at a depth of 30-50 m.

It would be wrong to call Posidonium an algae, this is a real plant, because. it has root, stems, flowers, seeds. It is necessary for the underwater world, because. saturates the water with oxygen and becomes a home for underwater inhabitants. Leaves and shoots are often washed ashore by the sea. The locals use them as a packing material.

1. Hyperion – the tallest tree

The tallest living tree on the planet – Hyperion. Its height is 115 m, diameter is 61 m. This is the name of one of the representatives of the evergreen sequoia that grows in California, in the Redwood National Park. It was discovered in 4,84 in a remote part of the park by two naturalists, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor.

The exact location of the tree is hidden, otherwise a stream of tourists will go to it, and this will disrupt the ecosystem.

It is assumed that Hyperion is at least 700-800 years old. It could have grown even higher, but woodpeckers damaged its trunk at the very top, which is why in the near future the tree may not be a champion, it may be overtaken by others.