Plant Fun Facts
Our planet has more than 80,000 species of edible plants but almost 90% of our food comes from just 30 plants. Approximately 70,000 plant species are utilized for medicines. A large portion of that figure applies to traditional medicines as majority of modern medicines are not made up of plants. There are over 200,000 identified plant species and the number is still increasing. Plants also require a consistent food supply as humans do. There are some carnivorous plants as well like: -Venus flytrap etc.
Quick Facts: –
- According to recent studies, plants are very much alive and can feel, smell, see and remember.
- A plant named as Hemlock Water-Dropwort is so poisonous that it can induce facial paralysis in human beings.
- Corn plants do not exist in the wild. It will die out in a few years, if we will stop cultivating it.
- A gas is released while chopping onion that irritates our eyes. Our body produces tears to wash it from eyes.
- Each tassel on a corn plant releases as many as 5 million grains of pollen.
- There is a hidden map inside every plant.
- A tree, Dendrocnide moroides which is found in Australia is known as ‘Suicide Tree’ because of its painful stinger.
- Nepenthes rajah is also known as the ‘King of the pitcher plants’ as it is the largest of them.
- The Indian pipe plant is one of some rare plants that do not contain chlorophyll and do not photosynthesized.
- Saffron, an extremely expensive spice comes from a type of crocus flower.
- Freshly cut grass releases a smell as a distress call to nearby critter for help.
- Plants use various ways to defend themselves like: – thorns, pokies, hair etc.
- An average tree is made up of 99% dead cells. Living parts of a tree include root tips, leaves and phloem etc.
- Rafflesia or corpse flower is the largest single flower.
