Have you ever looked at a plant and noticed something unusual? For instance, a plant looking like a fantastic object or… an animal? We have collected beautiful examples of the world’s flora that can remind you of something else. Enjoy!
Bird Flower
The flower looks like you are holding a tiny hummingbird in your hand. A bird flower in common parlance, Crotalaria cunninghamii is the scientific name for a legume masquerading as birds. It grows in Northern Australia along sand dunes. Indigenous Australians value it not only for its looks. The bird has healing properties, it was often used to treat wounds from infections.
Calceolaria
It looks like a funny little alien or a penguin jumping over rocks. This plant is called Calceolaria Uniflora or Darwin's Slipper Flower. Calceolaria was discovered by Charles Darwin during a trip to South America. These flowers grow in small colonies, grow in cool climates and cannot stand heat.
Caleana Orchid
It is affectionately called the duck orchid, and in science - Caleana Major. It mainly grows in Eastern and Southern Australia.
The flower reminds us of a duck during flight: it has mustard wings, spread behind a plum-colored body. This orchid looks completely harmless, but in fact it is a hunter - as soon as the insect touches the perianth of the orchid, it quickly slams shut.
Monkey Orchid
This is a rather rare flower - Dracula simia, also known as the monkey orchid. The flower petals are folded so that they very much resemble the muzzle of a primate. Monkey orchids are mainly found in Ecuador and Colombia. But you can find them in the botanical gardens of Japan, for example.
Anturus Archera
It is often called the devil's fingers for obvious reasons. Strictly speaking, this is not a plant, but a mushroom. It releases from four to seven elongated thin "arms", similar to tentacles. Then the tentacles open, and you can see a dark red coloration inside the mushroom, covered with dark spores. The picture is completed by the aroma of rotten meat, which exudes the anturus.
Parrot Flower
It grows in Thailand, Burma and India and was first described by renowned botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker as a "flying cockatoo." After that, it became difficult to see something else in it - but the flowers of this type of orchid really look like a bird with a purple back and a red head.
Bee Orchid
This is Ophrys bomybliflora, or, as many people like to call it, the laughing bee orchid or even the smiling bumblebee. It looks like a bee pulling its legs forward.
Takka Shantrye
Either a bat, or a monster from the movie, but not a flower. But still, this flower comes from the tropics. Tacca Chantrieri has a velvety dark color, and even grows a "mustache", which can be up to 60 centimeters in length.
FAQ
Are Plants That Look Like Animals Rare or Common?
Plants that look like animals are mostly rare. Some, like the monkey orchid or bird flower, grow only in certain places, while a few, like kangaroo paw, are easier to find in gardens.
