The world&#x27;s strangest flowers

artiteacher Masters of deception and mimicry

Heating up the jungle, a giant glowing chimney blooming in the dark to fake a feast!

artiteacher Stapelia and the hairy carrion flowers

artiteacher Stapelia flowers mimic dead animal skin to attract flies.

artiteacher Dracula orchids mimic wild mushrooms to attract fungus gnats.

BETA

artiteacher Match sneaky little blooms with their tricks to discover how the strangest plants survive.

Fun Fact

Fake wasps: The hammer orchid's mimicry is so precise that it even releases the exact chemical pheromones produced by female thynnid wasps.

Glossary

mimicry (noun)
The close resemblance of an organism to another species or object, which secures it an evolutionary advantage. Sumatra's titan arum employs this strategy, imitating the stench of a decaying carcass to lure beetle pollinators.

Gossip

Which mimicry strategy is the most brilliant?

Quiz

How does the Australian hammer orchid lure male thynnid wasps for pollination?

artiteacher Sexual deception in the hammer orchid

Quiz

How does the Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia) ensure insects stay long enough to pollinate?

artiteacher Dracula orchids and the mushroom trick

Quiz

Why do blowflies lay eggs on the petals of Stapelia flowers?

artiteacher The temporary prison of Dutchman's pipe

Quiz

Where are Dracula orchids, known for mimicking mushrooms, natively found?

Quiz

What mechanical feature allows the hammer orchid to deposit pollen on a visiting wasp?

Quiz

Which insect is fooled by the mushroom-like appearance and smell of Dracula orchids?

Quiz

What is the biological term for when a plant tricks an animal without offering a reward?

Quiz

What physical feature makes Stapelia flowers look like decaying animal skin?