Hydnora Africana: The Rare Underground Parasitic Plant
Amazing Facts : Hydnora Africana Flower – The Strange Plant That Smells Like Rotting Meat
A Strange Plant from Southern Africa
A peculiar plant named Hydnora Africana grows in the deserts and dry scrub of Southern Africa, one of the most unique plants in the world. It is unique in the fact that it has no leaves, no stems, and is not green, nor can it produce its own food. Instead, it is a rare family of plants that spends its life parasitically beneath the surface in search of Euphorbia roots to eat.
The Foul-Smelling Flower
The Stinking Flower Hydnora Africana normally remains below the surface of the soil, however, during the rainy season. During this season, these plants can be seen to capture the rain, and then sprout a big, thick fleshed flower that is quite the shock. The fleshy flower appears to have an outer section that has cracked bark, and the inner blossom has a unique orange colour that is very eye catching. The most shocking thing is that the flower, during this season, is able to capture a very foul stench that is equated to rotting meat.
That stench also serves a purpose in a rather clever ‘trick’ The flower then catches and holds beetles that are pollenated, only to later release them to which they then carry shed pollen to other flowers and assist in their pollination.
Fruit and Survival
Fruit and Survival Now, the animal can eat it offered by Hydnora Africana which is big and beneath the surface and has been digged by porcupines, baboons and jackals. As the animal eats it, the seeds secreted into their stomach help the plant to survive.
Uses and Interesting Facts
To our surprise, the fruit of Hydnora africana is edible by humans, as well. For many years, people living in rural areas have consumed it and used it in medicine, treating various afflictions of the stomach and skin.
This plant, is not endangered, despite having an unusual shape and odour. It is still classified as common within its distribution.
Why Hydnora Africana Fascinates Us
Nature is extravagant and imaginative in many forms. Hydnora africana is notoriously known for its unpleasant smelling flower and its unconventional method of flower fertilisation via a beetle. From its intriguing life underground to its foul-smelling flowers, to captivating beetles, Hydnora africana demonstrates nature’s creativity in her strange and wonderful ways. This plant serves as a crucial reminder that nature’s creativity is limitless, inventive and beyond our understanding.
References
