Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions

Flowers are created to delight with their beauty and refined scent, but there are flowers that you are unlikely to be able to give to someone. This refers to the largest flowers in the world - giant flowers. One can only surprise with these flowers - both their size and their unusual smell.

From this article you will learn the name of the largest flower blooming on our planet Earth.

Of all the flowering plants, for their enormous size, the two largest flowers in the world are distinguished: in width and weight - this is Rafflesia arnoldii and in height - this is Amorphophallus Titanium. We’ll get to know them more closely in the article.

This amazing flower, growing on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, got its name from the names of the scientists who discovered it - T.S. Raffles and D. Arnoldi. The local population also calls it “lotus flower” or “corpse lily.” So far, only twelve species of rafflesia are known to exist.

The process of flower appearance is very long: it takes a year and a half for a bud to swell from a seed, and then 9 months to mature into a bud, which blooms in only 3-4 days. The rafflesia flower itself is bright red with white growths, but for all its beauty it has the smell of rotting meat to attract a large number of insects.

At the end of flowering, rafflesia decomposes and turns into a shapeless black mass that sticks to the hooves of large animals, thus ensuring the transfer of seeds to a new place.

Local residents value this flower and believe that rafflesia has a positive effect on sexual function and helps restore a woman’s figure after childbirth.

This largest flower in the world was also discovered on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but after people arrived there it was almost completely exterminated, so you can admire its impressive size in botanical gardens around the world.

The plant itself grows from a huge tuber and is a short and thick stem, at the base of which there is a single matte green leaf with white transverse stripes, 10 cm thick, up to 3 m long and 1 m in diameter, and above it there are smaller leaves.

Before blooming, and this happens once every 5-8 years, the amorphophallus sheds this leaf and begins a dormant period (about 4 months). And then the flower itself appears, 2.5 - 3 meters high: a yellow spadix, consisting of female (in the lower part), male flowers (middle part) and neutral (at the end), wrapped in burgundy-green cape - blanket. During flowering, which lasts only two days, the upper part of the cob heats up to 40°C and begins to emit a “fragrance”: a mixture of the smells of rotten eggs, meat and fish, which is why locals also call it “corpse flower”. This amazing plant lives up to 40 years.

Growing this unusual flower in botanical gardens causes a great stir among tourists, since many people want, without visiting the tropics of Indonesia, to find out which flower is called the largest and smelliest in the whole world.

If you are unlikely to be able to have such giant flowers at home, then you may well be able to surprise your guests.

The second part of the article is about record-breaking plants. This time about record-breaking flowers, the smallest plants and several more nominations. The first part of the article -

The biggest flower

The largest flower in the plant world belongs to Titan arum. The dimensions of the flower are simply fantastic: 2.5 meters in height, up to 1.5 meters in diameter and weighing 100 kilograms! As they say, no one stood next to him. Read more about.

The largest inflorescence

It's hard to believe, but the largest inflorescence reaches 13 meters in height and has a diameter of 2.5 meters. This inflorescence belongs Pouyer Raymond. The miracle inflorescence consists of approximately 10,000 thousand small flowers of white or dark blue color. Also read the article about.

The smallest flower

The smallest flower belongs to the family orchids. The diameter of the petals reaches only 2.1 mm. The petals are so transparent that you can see through them! The orchid was recently discovered in the forests of Ecuador.

Longest roots

It boasts the longest roots South African ficus(wild fig). It grows in South Africa, near the Echo Caves. Its roots penetrate to a depth of 120 meters.

The largest leaves

The largest leaves belong to the palm tree Rafii Tedigera. With a trunk height of only 4-5 meters, the length of the leaves reaches more than 20 meters, and their width is 12 meters. A record-breaking tree grows in Brazil.

The smallest plant

The smallest plant on our planet is wolfia, from duckweeds. Its length reaches only 0.5 mm. This record-breaking plant is quite common on Earth and it grows on the surface of bodies of water: swamps and ponds.

Which plant blooms the longest?

Blooms the longest Kariota Burning or wine palm. The palm tree blooms only once in its entire life, but this flowering lasts for several years. After flowering, the fruit sets and the palm dies. Caryota stinging can be found in India and Burma.

Which plant is the most poisonous?

This way. Let's admire the flower. It is very popular on the Internet, but for the collection of “the very best” we just need it :-)

The tallest inflorescence is possessed by Amorphophallus Titanium (translated as “giant shapeless phallus”), also known as Titan Arum, "corpse flower" , "snake palm" or "voodoo lily" .

Its homeland is the monsoon forests of. Sumatra (Indonesia). Amorphophallus - dormouse plant; it spends a lot of time in the form of a huge tuber, up to half a meter in diameter and weighing up to 50 kilograms (the record tuber weighed 91 kg!). In the spring, a spotted stem-cutting appears from it, at the end of which a single beautiful, complexly dissected leaf develops. As the leaf grows, it becomes similar in size and appearance to a small tree with many leaves. For this reason it is called the snake palm.

However, in preparation for several days of flowering, the plant must shed its leaves and remain dormant for about 4 months to store energy. Amorphophallus blooms no more often than once every three years. Already in the first flowering cycle, the “gramophone” on a spotted stalk grows up to one and a half meters. With each subsequent time, the underground tuber gains more and more strength, and the flower grows taller. Under natural conditions, the largest flower ever found reached 3.3 meters in height and weighed 75 kilograms. The giant amorphophallus can even exceed the diameter of rafflesia.

Clickable 2000 px

Amorphophallus belongs to the aroid family, and its flower is not a separate inflorescence, but a whole complex structure. It consists of a tall calyx-petal and a pistil-cob. The petal is painted in green-pink tones; on top it is corrugated and purple-burgundy. The upper part of the cob is decorative, and flowers - female and male - are attached to the bottom. Below are the women's, above are the men's, the number of which can reach five thousand. Amorphophallus blooms for a short time, 2-3 days, and, like rafflesia, it smells of rotting meat. During pollination, the flower not only smells, but also heats up to about 40 degrees (according to scientists, a giant flower is even able to change the ambient temperature: during the experiment, from 11 p.m. to 3-4 a.m., the temperature in the room rose from 20 to 32°C, and then dropped again). When the flowering process is completed, the mantle very quickly wrinkles and falls off, and the upper part of the cob also falls off. Only the one on which the female flowers will produce red berries remains. When the berries have formed, the plant, having restored its energy supply, produces a new leaf.

The tropical giant was discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in 1878. And outside Indonesia, amorphophallus first bloomed 11 years later, in 1889, in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Great Britain, and created such a sensation that the police were required to control the crowd. Since then, botanists have been competing to see who can grow the tallest amorphophallus. In October 2005, an inflorescence appeared in the Stuttgart Botanical Garden (Germany), reaching a height of 2.94 m. The previous record was recorded in May 2003 in Bonn, when the flower grew to 2.74 m.

Clickable 2000 px

In the USA, amorphophallus became famous after it was shown in the animated series “The Simpsons”: the flower allegedly poisoned the entire city of Springfield with toxic fumes. When this rare flower bloomed in 2005 at the University of Madison (USA), people stood in long lines to look at it - after all, it is possible to observe the flowering of this plant in a botanical garden only two or three times during its 40-year life cycle. The director of the university garden did not leave the amorphophallus with a ruler and waited for it to be taller than its predecessor. Public interest in the flower was so high that the botanical garden set up a hotline with records of updated information on its condition. Souvenirs with the image of a flower were then sold for a total amount of 50 thousand dollars

But still, despite their uniqueness, hardly anyone would want to grow these plants at home or in the country. However, there are separate miniature species of amorphophalus that can be grown even on a windowsill. To muffle the unpleasant odor, the opened inflorescence is watered with boiled water.

Conditions of detention. Amorphophallus is relatively unpretentious. It grows well in both bright light and partial shade. Although it is better to protect it from direct sunlight. In the shade, the color of the leaf becomes more intense green, and the leaf bends towards the light source. Therefore, to avoid bending, it is better to keep it in a bright place. Before rain, early in the morning and when there is excess moisture in the soil, droplets of moisture appear at the tips of the leaves. It is better to keep it in a warm place, but it tolerates cool weather well.

Watering is carried out depending on the stage of plant growth. When a leaf cutting emerges from the ground, the plant begins to be watered with warm, settled water. It is necessary to water after the soil has completely dried out after the previous watering. As the leaf grows, the need for water increases. But the plant should not be over-watered. It tolerates complete drying of the soil normally due to the moisture reserves in the tuber. Responds well to spraying with soft or boiled water.

In the fall, after the leaf dies, watering is completely stopped and the pot is placed in a dark, cool place for the winter at a temperature of about 13°C. In spring, watering is resumed only with the appearance of a germinating cutting. Amorphophallus is very fond of fertilizing, which is given to it during the active growing season 2-3 times a month. It should be taken into account that the proportion of phosphorus in fertilizers should be approximately 3-4 times greater than the proportions of nitrogen and potassium. In summer it grows well outdoors in a semi-shaded place protected from the wind. Tubers can be planted in the garden for the summer. In the fall they are dug up and stored in dry soil or sand until spring.

Planting and propagation. The soil for amorphophallus is made up of humus, leaf and turf soil with the addition of peat and sand. All components are taken in approximately the same proportions. A good layer of drainage is required at the bottom of the pot; some soil is poured onto it and a tuber is placed. The planting depth is approximately equal to the diameter of the tuber, but it can be deeper so that the leaf stands stronger. The rest of the soil is poured on top. Every year the tuber produces babies, which are used for reproduction. To do this, in the fall after the leaf dies or at the end of winter before it appears, the tubers are removed from the soil and planted in different pots. If the babies are not taken out of the main pot, then they will grow there in the form of small “palms” under the large main leaf.

Yellowing or paleness of the leaf during the active growing season - due to too bright lighting, you need to move the plant to partial shade.

Yellowing in the fall is preparation for the dormant period; the leaf gradually dies. You should not pull it out of the soil to avoid damaging the tuber. After lodging, you can cut it at soil level and allow the remaining cuttings to gradually dry out.

Among the pests, aphids and spider mites can affect amorphophallus. But this happens extremely rarely.

One of the largest flowers in the world is called Rafflesia, it also has a less pleasant, but telling name - corpse lily. Whether it’s nature’s mockery, the largest flowers are deprived of the gift of fragrant fragrance to the delight of people. On the contrary, a terrible stench of rotting meat emanates from him. If there are gardens in hell, then it is rafflesia that blooms in them. Although, as you can see in the photo, the rafflesia flower is not without its attractiveness.

5 powerful bright petals with white specks look impressive. Dung flies probably think so too, although they certainly consider the smell to be the main advantage. Flies land on a flower studded with small thorns and, floundering, fall into the trap of the ring part. Reluctantly, they end up at the very stamens, where sticky pollen settles on their backs. The flies get out and pollinate other flowers.

Rafflesia does not have a normal root system and it is difficult for it to obtain the substances necessary for growth from the soil. A Rafflesia seed, who would have thought, is the size of a poppy seed. In some mysterious way, it penetrates under the bark on damaged stems or roots of vines, releases plant fibers that are woven into the structure of the vine, and feeds at the expense of its neighbor. This does not harm Liana. Rafflesia blooms for only 3-4 days.

The record holder at number two is a flower with the strange name “Amorphophallus titanica”. And this is truly a titan among flowers. The height of amorphophallus under good conditions reaches 3 meters, which is higher than human height. Plant width 1 meter. The flower looks quite original.

The biggest roses

And now about the pleasant things, about flowers with the most delicate aroma. Among roses there are also record holders for size. The largest roses are considered to be those whose buds reach 13-14 cm. Varieties of large roses include “Helen Robinson”, “Belvedere”, “Diamonds Forever” and some others.

Success largely depends on the skill of the gardener, because ordinary roses are beautiful, but large varieties require doubly attention. For how beautiful and majestic a bouquet of such roses is.

The largest bouquet of flowers

Unfortunately, the number of roses in the largest bouquet in the world is not known. But it was fifteen meters high, which ensured that in 2005 it was included in the Guinness Book of Records. The record holder was placed on the Qatar embankment in honor of the wedding of a local prince. Photos of the largest bouquet of flowers have not been preserved.

The tree with the biggest flowers

The inflorescence of Puya Raymonda, a rare and amazing plant, can compete in size with both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus. 11 thousand small flowers make up an inflorescence reaching a height of 13 meters. The girth of the tree with the largest flowers is about 2-3 meters.

Puya Raymonda is found only in Peru and Bolivia, and it blooms only once in its life - when it reaches the age mark of 50-80 years. This is such late beauty.

Record-breaking baby among flowers

And for comparison, we present you with a photo of the smallest flower in the world.

Baby Wolffia is smaller than the eye of a needle. Roots and leaves are missing. Wolfia grows on the surface of reservoirs. It blooms extremely rarely, and even among botanists, finding it in nature is considered an event.

The world of flowers is diverse and beautiful. It attracts with aromas and captivates with colors, makes you admire the shapes and be surprised at the diversity. In the flower kingdom, you can be touched by tiny creatures and marvel at real giants. Be surprised with us: learn about the largest and most unusual flowers on the planet.

In the tropical forests of Indonesia you can find a giant dark red flower with five petals, exuding the smell of carrion that is disgusting to the human sense of smell. This is Rafflesia arnoldii, named after two explorers and naturalists, Stamford Raffles and Joseph Arnold.

Local residents call rafflesia “corpse lily” and “lotus flower”, firmly believing in its miraculous properties (a positive effect on the potency of men and the restoration of the female figure after childbirth).

Rafflesia Arnoldi

The weight of the flower is 6-7 kg, the diameter reaches 1 m, the thickness of the petals is 3 cm and 46 cm long, but the seeds are very tiny, they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

Attention! There are larger flowers found around the world than Rafflesia arnoldii, but they are technically made up of many smaller flowers. Thus, R. Arnoldi has the status of the largest single flower in the world.

The process of revealing a flower to the world takes a long time. Over the course of one and a half years, the bud from the seed swells, then another 9 months ripen the bud, which looks like a head of cabbage. Finally, a large, fleshy flower blooms, spreading the aroma of rotten meat around, attracting numerous flies for pollination.

Flowering lasts no more than 3-4 days. The giant dies and turns into a shapeless black mass that sticks to the hooves of large animals, thereby allowing the transfer of seeds.

Currently, the strange flower is on the verge of extinction, because... its habitat is being depleted. Ecologists have tried to artificially recreate the usual habitat for Rafflesia Arnoldi, but these attempts have not yet been successful.

Champion among the titans - Amorphophallus titanica

The next representative of the not most fragrant large flowers in the world is Amorphophallus titanum, whose homeland is considered to be Sumatra. In addition to the scientific name, it also has everyday names - Titan arum, voodoo lily, devil's tongue, corpse flower. Currently, it can be seen in botanical gardens around the world, but in its historical homeland the giant has been almost completely exterminated.

The main features of amorphophallus are:

Attention! The world's largest inflorescence (3.10 m) was recorded in New Hampshire in 2010. And the shortest interval between flowering (11 months) was in the ecological-botanical garden of Germany in 2015.

"Ugly ducklings" in the kingdom of fragrances

Since it so happens that the largest flowers in the world are also the most foul-smelling, it would not be amiss to mention their relatives by “aroma”.

The ten most smelly plants include:

1. Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is a species of orchid native to New Guinea. It is the largest of its kind.

   Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis

   African Hydnora

2. Dracunculus vulgaris. Herbaceous plant up to 2 m tall. The inflorescence is from 25 to 125 cm long when opened, “fragrant” with excrement and carrion.
3. Skunk cabbage or Lysichiton americana. Grows in swamps and wet forests. The leaf bends around the inflorescence, as if wrapping it. During flowering, it emits a disgusting odor that remains even after the plant has dried out.
4. Lily helicodiceros muscivorus. During the flowering period, a huge inflorescence (up to 45 cm) appears with a fetid odor spreading over a large area. The second name of this “flower” is the dead horse lily.

   Lily Helicodiceros muscivorus Stapelia gigantea

5. Aristolochia gigantea. Rounding out the stinking top 10 is a Brazilian red flower that flaunts on a vine.

When purchasing or going to admire exotic flowers, be on your guard - not every beautiful flower will delight you with an exquisite aroma.

Amazing plants: video