The largest plant on the planet. Record-breaking plants

Rafflesia(Rafflesia; Indonesian bunga patma - lotus flower), the corpse lily is the brightest symbol and rarity of the flora of Indonesia, and at the same time the largest (up to 9 kg in weight and up to a meter in diameter) flower in the world.

Amorphophallus(Latin Amorphophallus - from ancient Greek ἄμορφος, “shapeless”, and ancient Greek φαλλός, “phallus”) - a genus of the family Araceae

The smallest flower in the world has petals that are no more than 2.1 mm in diameter and are so transparent that you can see through them. This flower is orchid(belongs to the genus Platystele), discovered in the roots of an orchid of another species by the famous American botanist Lou Jost.

The smallest plant is Wolffia flower. It consists of a tiny leaf and root immersed in water. Wolfia blooms so rarely that many botanists chase its flower all their lives, but they never manage to find it... After all, the whole flower is the size of a pinhead.

The noisiest tree is the so-called cannon tree, growing in Guiana. Its fruits are round balls up to 18 cm in diameter. They hang from the trunk on thick loops. The wind blows, and the balls begin to hit the barrel and each other with a cannon roar.

The hardest tree is Schmidt birch. A bullet will not pierce it, and the sharpest ax will become dull without causing harm to the tree. Schmidt's birch grows only in Russia, in Primorye, in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve.

This amazing water lily has been named after the most famous English queen for more than a century and a half. Nothing surprising. Victoria regia is the queen of flora, the world's largest aquatic plant. It is also called “Amazonian Victoria”, as it can be found on the warm rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin

Carnegia gigantea (Saguaro) another amazing plant cactus family . The height of individual plants is about 14 meters, and the diameter is more than 3 meters! Moreover, the age of individual cacti reaches 150 years.

Nepenthes (Nepenthes). Most plants from this genus can be called, without exaggeration, “predators”, which obtain the necessary missing nutrients by “digesting” captured insects. The surface of the “neck” of the jug is very slippery, so there is practically no chance for an insect walking along the neck not to slip down. The insect falls into the water (in some species the jug can contain up to 2 liters of water) and drowns. Next, enzymes are produced that completely “digest” the insect. Sometimes not only insects are trapped, but even mice , rats, birds.

At first glance, it may seem that the photo above depicts a forest. In fact, it is one single tree. Ficus bengal forms powerful branches to support which shoots grow, which, when released down to the ground, take root, forming powerful columns-trunks.

Puya Raymonda The Bromeliad family, native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, has the largest inflorescence with a diameter of 2.5 meters and a height of about 12 meters, consisting of approximately 10,000 simple flowers. It is a pity that this amazing plant blooms only when it reaches 150 years of age, and then dies.

Raulia eximia, the English name sounds like “vegetable sheep,” which very accurately describes the appearance of the plant. This 1.5 m tall bush really resembles a lamb. Grows in New Zealand.

Pachypodium namaquanum The plant's English name translates to "elephant's trunk." This succulent has fleshy leaves, collected in a large funnel, pointed at the end. The homeland of pachypodium is Namibia, where the plant thus has to survive in the heat by accumulating moisture in the leaf blades.

Cross-shaped collection (Colletia paradoxa)

Giant Kirkazon (Aristolochia gigantea). Grows in a wide variety of climatic conditions. Kirkazon is significant primarily for its flowers. In every possible way, flowers imitate... rotting meat. This is facilitated by both the corresponding smell and color.

Desmodium gyrans. Modern botanists call it either Desmodium gyrans, or, more correctly, Codariocalyx Motorius. This plant surprises everyone with the movement of its leaves - the plant seems to be dancing, especially if there is a lot of sun.

Euphorbia obesa very similar to a ball . This plant is native to South Africa and has become famous for its original shape. This plant is also known for its rarity - the fact is that Euphorbia obesa is endemic, that is, it grows strictly in a certain region, not found anywhere else.

New Zealand nettle tree. The most dangerous stinging plant is the New Zealand nettle tree. It can kill a dog and even a horse, etc. crawling under their skin with a mixture of strong poisons. The fine, stinging hairs on the leaves contain histamine and formic acid.

Common arum (Dracunculus vulgaris)- plant up to 90 cm tall, leaves reach 20 cm in length.
The leaf petioles and fleshy stems are spotted with brown, giving them the appearance of snake skin. An inflorescence appears at the top of each stem at the beginning of summer. The blanket with a wavy edge reaches a length of 45 cm. On the outside it is pale green, on the inside it is purple-crimson. The dark purple cob is the same length as the spathe.

Amorphophallus(from Latin its name translates as “shapeless penis”) belongs to the lily family. Its flowers are huge leaves dissected in the middle, from which a large cob emerges. The aroma of amorphophallus is usually compared to the smell of rotten eggs, spoiled fish or meat, but it attracts insects that pollinate the plant. The plant lives for about 40 years and during this time it blooms only a couple of times.

BLOODY TOOTH (HYDNELLUM PECKII). This cute fungus looks like chewed bubble gum, oozing blood and smelling like strawberries. But don’t even think about eating it, because this will be the last “delicacy” you will taste in your life.

DOLL'S EYE. This unusual plant is called “doll eyes”. There is also a less telling name for this horror - black sheep. This plant does not have any special features other than its appearance.

CEDAR-APPLE RUST FUNGUS. Cedar-apple rotting mushroom is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. You can make horror films about this abomination: infected fruits turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months. Here's how it happens: from a tiny fungal spore, an impressively sized spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter; when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming disgusting tendrils.

CHINESE FLEECEFLOWER. The fruits of the “rune flower” have frightening shapes that make them look like little potato people. The Chinese uproot these tiny underground inhabitants from the earth in order to use their naked, defenseless bodies as a panacea for all diseases, including impotence, cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc., etc.... Before turning into life-giving powder, the little men are subjected to all kinds of torture, including: boiling, skinning, soaking in moonshine and dismemberment.

There is an assumption that the Chinese simply grow these roots in a pot of the desired shape...

PORCUPINE TOMATO. The Porcupine tomato is a one and a half meter monster growing in Madagascar, the leaves of which are covered with terrifying-looking orange spines. This thorny miracle has incredibly beautiful purple flowers, collected in clusters, with which it lures its victims to itself: and now you bend down to pick one of them and find yourself impaled on “deadly” thorns. In addition to the fact that the Porcupine tomato is prickly and poisonous, it is almost impossible to kill: it does not care for most chemicals and can survive severe cold and even severe drought. As you already understood, this creation of nature is a monster weed. In a short time, one plant can produce a whole army of Porcupine tomatoes, which in a few weeks will turn into 1.5 meter giants, each of which will fight to the last and shed more than one liter of your blood before being uprooted from the ground.

Lithops. This unusual plant can be found in the deserts of South Africa. Lithops exclusively prefer heat and dry habitats. The name of this plant, translated from Greek, means "stone"

Parachute flower (Ceropegia woodii) The petals joined together and something like a lollipop covered with hair together form a hollow tube, covered from the inside with hairs directed inward. The smell of the plant attracts insects that fall into the trap.

The flora is diverse. There is a huge number of all kinds of plants, bushes, trees that differ from each other. Each plant is unique in its own way. But there are criteria by which some species can be combined.

So, some plants are distinguished by incredibly large leaves. A rating of a dozen such plants has even been compiled, which includes:

Ballaka

Ballaka (lat. Balaka) is an oligotypic genus of plants of the Palm family (Arecaceae). Species of the genus are found in the archipelagos of Fiji and Samoa: seven of the nine species are endemic to Fiji, the remaining two are endemic to Samoa. The average length of each leaf of this plant sometimes reaches one and a half meters.

Pritchardia

This is a genus of palms, including about 30 species, native to the tropical Pacific islands of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotu and Hawaii. The genus got its name in honor of the British consul in Fiji, William Thomas Pritchard (English: William Thomas Pritchard, 1829-1907).

Trees with straight columnar trunks, reaching from 5 to 40 meters in height. The trunks are bare, with traces of old leaves, or covered with remains of leaf petioles. The leaves are fan-shaped, large up to 1.5 m in diameter, grouped in the upper part of the trunk.

Palm trees grow naturally in tropical forests, primarily in humid areas. Some species are found in the mountains at altitudes up to 1500 meters above sea level. A number of species are cultivated as ornamental or indoor plants.

Victoria amazonica

Often referred to as Victoria Region. It is a large herbaceous, aquatic, tropical plant; species of the genus Victoria of the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae). The largest water lily in the world and one of the world's most popular greenhouse plants. It is the national flower of Guyana and is depicted on the coat of arms of this state. The leaves can reach up to 2 meters in diameter.

Bimarcia

Bismarckia (lat. Bismarckia) is a monotypic genus from the Palm family. Named in honor of the Reich Chancellor, the unifier of Germany, Otto von Bismarck. The only species is Bismarckia nobilis, or Bismarckia palm (lat. Bismarckia nobilis) - a tree with large fan-shaped leaves of silver or green color, native to Madagascar. Its leafy part sometimes reaches 3 meters.

Kamchatka flora

Amazing moment. The list included not a single plant, but a whole complex of vegetation growing in Kamchatka. There are not so many species, but each of them is unique in its own way. This variety of herbs is distinguished by its large stem height and huge leaves.

Metroxylon

Metroxylon (lat. Metroxylon) is a genus of evergreen tropical monocarpic monoecious palm trees. Naturally distributed on the islands of Southeast Asia from Samoa to New Guinea, Solomon, Moluccas, Caroline Islands and Fiji.

Some species are cultivated in Thailand and Malaysia. Mostly single-trunked palms, with a trunk ranging from 8 to 18 meters in height and up to 25 cm in diameter. The leaves are large, up to 7 meters long, paired-pinnate. The genus includes 7 species, most of which are classified as sago palms, from the core of whose trunks sago is extracted, which is a valuable starch-containing food product.

Coconut palm

Coconut palm (lat. Cōcos nucifēra) is a plant of the Palm (Arecaceae) family; the only species of the genus Cocos. The scientific name of the genus comes from the Portuguese word coco ("monkey") and is given because of the spots on the nut that make it look like a monkey's face.

The species name nucífera is from the Latin words nux (“nut”) and ferre (“to carry”). The origin of the coconut palm is unknown; it is believed to be native to Southeast Asia (Malaysia). Now it is widespread in the tropics of both hemispheres, both in cultivated and wild forms.

In the Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula, India and Sri Lanka, it has been bred since prehistoric times. Coconut is a plant of sea coasts that prefers sandy soils, so the first place in production volumes by a large margin is occupied by a multi-island state with a vast coastal area - Indonesia (see below).

The expansion of its range occurred with the help of humans and naturally: coconuts are waterproof and float freely on the water, they are carried far by ocean currents, while maintaining vitality. Tall (up to 27-30 m) slender palm tree.

The trunk is 15-45 cm in diameter, smooth, ringed with fallen leaves, slightly inclined and widened at the base. There are no lateral branches, but supporting roots often develop below. The leaves are pinnately dissected, dense, 3-6 m long. The number of leaves in the crown is from 20 to 35.

Roystoneea

Roystonea (lat. Roystonea), or Royal Palm (eng. Royal Palm) is a genus of plants of the Palm family (Arecaceae). It forms the monotypic tribe Roystoneeae within the Arecoideae subfamily.

It is characterized by a single gray trunk 10-30 m high and feathery leaves 3-7 m long. The trunk can be expanded in the middle or at the base. The fruit is 1-2 cm in size. It comes from the Caribbean.

Velvichia

Welwitschia amazing (lat. Welwítschia mirábilis) is a relict gymnosperm plant, the only modern species of the order Welwitschia of the Gnetaceae class. Velvichia grows in the southwest of Angola and in Namibia - within the rocky Namib Desert, stretching along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Basically, its distribution area is limited to a narrow coastal strip along the western coast of Africa - from the vicinity of the city of Mosamedis in southern Angola to the southern tropics in Namibia. The plant is rarely found further than a hundred kilometers from the coast. This roughly corresponds to the limit reached by fogs, which are the main source of moisture for Velvichia, since precipitation here is extremely irregular and very little falls.

Only isolated specimens of Welwitschia are found in the interior regions of the Namib Desert, settling in the upper reaches of dry beds of temporary watercourses, where there is more precipitation. Here, after heavy rains, water collects in wide shallow depressions and the ground is moistened to a depth of 1.5-2 m. The leaves of the plant grow extremely slowly, growing up to 8 meters over centuries.

Raffia

Raffia (lat. Raphia) is a genus of plants of the Palm family (Arecaceae), whose homeland is tropical Africa and especially Madagascar, as well as for one species (Raphia regalis) - Central and South America. They reach a height of 16 meters. The leaves are 15 to 20 meters long, with Raphia regalis up to 25 m long, making them the longest plant leaves. The width of the leaves is up to 3 m.

What is the largest plant in the world? Which flora representatives have the largest foliage, flowers and fruits? We would like to talk about real record holders in the plant environment in our article.

Tallest trees

What is the largest plant in the world according to height? Not so long ago, Australian eucalyptus trees were the absolute record holders here. However, these plants, which soared into the sky to a height of about 150 meters, were completely exterminated. Therefore, the leader today is the American sequoia, which is very close to the above indicator.

Record holder for barrel volume

The status of the largest plant in the world in terms of trunk volume today belongs to a giant sequoiadendron called “General Sherman”. grows in Sequoia National Park, located in the United States, in California.

It is worth noting that the General Sherman has a height of more than 83 meters. As for the trunk volume, this tree has a whopping 1487 m³. According to calculations, the approximate mass of the plant is 1900 tons.

The General Sherman tree is the most massive and heaviest living organism on the entire planet. However, there was another record holder before him. So, in the 40s of the last century, an evergreen sequoia called “Giant Crannell Creek”, which grew near the American city of Trinidad, was cut down. This plant had a trunk volume that was approximately 25% higher than our record holder.

In 2006, the giant sequoia "General Sherman" suddenly lost an impressive portion of its crown. The tree lost its largest branch, about two meters in diameter and 30 meters long. Botanists thought that the tree was beginning to die. As further research showed, in this way the plant only extended its life by freeing itself from the excess part, which could damage the trunk under unfavorable weather conditions.

The General Sherman tree expands about 1.5 centimeters each year. Accordingly, this indicates its continued growth. As a result, the amount of wood added to the volume of the presented plant every year is enough to build a house with 5-6 rooms.

Until recently, botanists considered the General Sherman sequoia to be the oldest tree on the planet at 2,700 years old. However, the results of recent studies have shown that this plant has existed for no more than two thousand years. In fact, the leader here is the intermountain bristlecone pine "Mufasail", which grows in the highlands of North America. Her approximate age is 4847 years.

Which plant has

It is advisable to evaluate the size of fruits according to several indicators, namely dimensions and weight. If we talk about nuts, botanists single out the Seychelles palm as a real record holder. This island tree bears fruit with nuts, the diameter of which reaches about 45 centimeters, and the weight can be more than 25 kilograms. It is also surprising that one palm tree often contains more than three dozen of these large fruits.

Breadfruit is also worth adding to our list. The weight of the fruits of this plant reaches about 40 kilograms. According to the size parameter, they are superior to palm trees. Thus, breadfruit fruits can reach a length of up to 90 centimeters. Their width is about 50 centimeters.

What is the plant with the largest fruits in the world? The absolute record here belongs not to a tree, but to a representative of the flora, which is classified as grass. We are talking about an ordinary pumpkin. The fruits of the plant rest on the ground, which allows them to reach unimaginable dimensions and weight. So, in the 70s of the last century, British farmers managed to grow a pumpkin that weighed an incredible 92.7 kg. It’s easy to guess how impressive the size of such a fruit was.

giant leaves

What is the largest leaf of a plant in the world? The championship according to this indicator belongs to the famous water lily Victoria of the Amazon. This plant is widespread in South America and Jamaica. The water lily is found in reservoirs that have the smallest depth. The leaves of Victoria Amazonica look like giant saucers, the diameter of which can reach about 2 meters.

The largest flowers

However, rafflesia is famous not only for its size, but also for its extremely specific aroma. Botanists note that the smell of the flower is reminiscent of the spirit that comes from rotting meat. This aroma becomes a kind of magnet for all kinds of insects. The latter enter the flower cup and create an additional nutrient medium for the plant.

The longest shoots at sea

Not long ago, Spanish oceanologists presented a unique discovery to the public. In the Mediterranean Sea, near the Balearic Islands, the plant Posidonia oceanica was discovered. The shoots of this representative of the flora stretch along the bottom for an incredible eight kilometers. The presented plant is formed by erect short stems, which are connected by adventitious roots. Thus, a whole network of united shoots is formed, which occupy enormous areas. Even despite such an unusual symbiosis of individual cuttings, posidonia has every right to be considered the largest plant in the world.

Longest stems on land

The record holder for the length of shoots on land is the liana palm. The name of the largest plant in the world, based on the length of the stems, is widely known as rattan. The length of the vines here can reach up to 300 meters. The presented plant is found in the high mountainous regions of India. With such an impressive length of shoots, the trunks of the liana palm have a diameter of no more than 10 cm. Rattan stems have a creeping nature. Lianas connect individual trees to each other and form an extensive network.

The largest crown

The largest plants in the world according to the size of the crown are ficus trees. A unique feature of such trees is the ability to form a wide network of ground rhizomes and cuttings suspended in the air. The record for crown size currently belongs to a ficus called “Great Banyan”. The tree grows on the territory of the Indian Botanical Garden. The crown area of ​​this unusual plant is as much as one and a half hectares.

Finally

Nature is an amazing creator who is capable of creating the most bizarre and incredible plants. As you can see, there are a whole mass of giants on the planet that amaze with their height, shape and volume. Unfortunately, many representatives of the flora suffer from unreasonable human economic activities. It is for this reason that some record-breaking plants did not survive to this day and disappeared forever from the face of the planet.

The first plants appeared on the planet more than 400 million years ago. Their world is diverse and amazing. There are especially many bizarre plants in countries with a warm and humid climate, which contributes to their rapid development. Each plant species has its own growth champions. When it comes to the largest or tallest plant, each of us thinks that these are trees, but there are also very large flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Sequoia or eucalyptus?

Traditionally, the tallest and largest plants are recognized as sequoias, which are a type of ancient coniferous tree, the largest specimens of which grow mainly in the state of California, USA. They grow throughout their lives, most of them reaching a height of 110 m. There are only 15 trees above 110 m, and all of them are in America.

In 2006, a sequoia named Hyperion was discovered in the Redwood Park, the height of which at the time of measurement was more than 115 m, and the diameter of its trunk was almost 5 m. But this is not the largest plant in the world, since there is a giant sequoiadendron (mammoth tree ) with a height of about 84 m. The girth of its trunk at the base is more than 30 m. This representative of plant giants, growing in Sequoia National Park in California, was named “General Sherman” in honor of the hero of the American Civil War.

The second contender for the title of tallest plant is the Australian eucalyptus. Until recently, they were the tallest - reaching 150 m. Nowadays, there is only one large eucalyptus "Centurion" 101 m high, with a trunk diameter of 4 m. This giant is located on the Australian island of Tasmania, but it is not the tallest plant in the world .

Rattan palm is tallest

Rattan palm stem

But the climbing plants of the tropics successfully compete with sequoia and eucalyptus for the title of the tallest plant. In the struggle for a place in the sun, they are forced to wrap themselves around tree trunks. They grow as far as the height of the support allows and, if possible, spread to a neighboring tree.

It has been established that many vines reach a length of 300 m. It is known that the length of one rattan climbing palm has been measured to be approximately 320 m. Palms of this species grow in Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia. The rattan palm is the tallest plant in the world. It is safe to say that currently the tallest plants in the world are:

• rattan palm,
• sequoia,
• eucalyptus.

Who is bigger?

A clonal colony of aspen poplar, named “Pando,” is one of the largest known living organisms on Earth.

It is located in the USA, Utah. All trees of the Pando colony are genetically identical, that is, they are one organism with a single root system for all 47,000 stems. The weight of this plant is estimated at approximately 6,000 tons.

Located in the botanical garden of the city of Howrah (India), the Bengal ficus “Great Banyan”, recognized as the national symbol of India, has the most spreading crown, reaching a circumference of 350 m. The area occupied by the tree is approximately 1.5 hectares. Due to the large number of aerial roots-trunks (2880), the plant looks like a grove, and not like a separate tree.

It's hard to say which of these two organisms is larger, but the largest plant on the planet was found in the Mediterranean Sea near the Balearic Islands.

This is a flowering plant, Posidonia oceanica, its shoots form adventitious roots, the plant reproduces vegetatively, and very quickly. The length of this algae reached more than 8 km.

Giant flowers

The tallest flower was discovered in Sumatra. Its height can reach 4 m. This is Amorphophallus, also called the snake palm, Voodoo lily, corpse flower and devil's tongue.

In the vast expanses of our planet there are many corners that keep their secrets. Nature has prepared many mysteries and surprises for us. Studying its mysteries and learning its secrets, humanity is approaching it step by step, realizing that the Earth is our home, and it must be protected.

1.

The biggest tree.

In terms of volume, the largest tree on Earth is the giant sequoiadendron named “General Sherman,” which has been growing for 2,500 years in the United States. This tree is the largest and heaviest organism on the planet. Its dimensions are truly impressive: height 84 meters, diameter 11 meters, base circumference 31.3 meters. Even more serious indicators are in weight - 1910 tons and volume - 1490 cubic meters.

2.

The tallest tree.

Despite the enormous size of the General Sherman, it is not the tallest tree in the world. In this category, the championship is held by another sequoiadendron from the Redwood National Park, named “Hyperion”. Its height at this time is 115.6 meters. The authorities decided not to advertise the exact location of this giant so that the flow of tourists would not destroy the ecosystem in which the tree had lived for centuries.

If we talk about the record of all time, then the tallest tree whose size has been documented is the royal eucalyptus, cut down in Australia in 1872. Its length exceeded 150 meters.

3.

The longest tree.

The longest tree on the planet is the rattan palm, which is more like a liana. Some specimens grow up to 300 meters long. Interestingly, the diameter of their trunk at the very roots is only a few centimeters. In its growth form, the rattan palm also more closely resembles a liana; it twists around other trees and clings to them with the help of thorns located on the leaves.

4.

The largest crown.

In the Indian Botanical Garden at Howrah, there is a Bengal ficus tree called "Great Banyan". This relatively young tree, about 200-250 years old, is the absolute record holder in terms of area. Currently, the Great Banyan has more than 3,000 aerial roots reaching the ground, and its total area exceeds 1.5 hectares.

5.

The oldest tree.

The intermountain bristlecone pine called Methuselah, found in the Inyo National Forest in eastern California, appears to be the oldest tree known to us. According to rough estimates, it began to grow around 2831 BC. Thus, as of 20015, the age of “Methuselah” is 4845 years.

6.

The thickest tree.

Everyone knows that baobabs and European chestnuts reach very impressive figures in the thickness of their trunks. But the thickest tree on earth is a representative of the Mexican Taxodium species, growing in the city of Santa Maria del Tule. The diameter of this cypress is 11.62 meters, and the total girth is 36.5 meters.

7.

The fastest growing plant.

No surprises here. It is well known that almost all types of bamboo grow at a speed of 20-30 centimeters per day. However, among them there are the fastest. Representatives of the edible leaf-grass can grow by as much as 40 centimeters in a day.

8.

The tallest grass.

No matter how funny it may sound, the tallest grass in the world is the banana, and more specifically, the banana palm, which really belongs to herbaceous plants. The absolute record belongs to the variety Musa itinerans - 12 meters in height.

9.

The largest water lily.

The largest water lilies in the world belong to the Victoria Amazon species and grow, as you might guess, in the Amazon River basin. The largest specimens can reach up to 2 meters in diameter.