RP200 Rafflesia, the corpse Flower

 RP1100 Rafflesia, the corpse Flower

Repulsive, foul, stinking—would you guess that all these adjectives apply to a flower?

Rafflesia is the type of flower to which all those words apply. It grows in Southeast Asia. It's very rare, and it is more commonly called the corpse flower. It got this nickname because of its horrible smell. People say rafflesia flowers smell like rotting flesh.

Rafflesias are unusual for a lot of reasons, not only for their smell. First of all, they are parasites. They grow on a particular kind of rain forest vine. Sadly, as the rain forests disappear, rafflesia is also disappearing. The only parts of rafflesia plants that can be seen are their flowers, which are huge. The biggest, Rafflesia arnoldii, can be one meter across and weigh 11 kilograms! It's the heaviest single flower on Earth. Even the smallest blossoms are quite large at 12 centimeters across.

Rafflesia flowers are usually reddish brown with a white pattern that can look like warts. They smell so terrible in order to attract flies—not bees—which pollinate them. Flies land on the flowers, looking for meat, and take pollen with them when they fly away. This helps rafflesia reproduce.

Currently, rafflesia needs some help. For all its great size, it is a delicate genus. The flowers live only a few days, they usually grow in untouched locations, and many of them are difficult to keep alive outside of their natural habitat. Right now, the number of rafflesia flowers in the world is decreasing, so the more reproducing it does, the better. If we want wild, stinky, unusual rafflesias to stay alive on the earth, we must work to protect them and study them, even if we have to hold our noses while we do so.

RP178 The Oldest Trees in the World

 RP178 The Oldest Trees in the World

“The Big Tree is Nature's forest masterpiece, and so far as I know, the greatest of living things,” said the naturalist John Muir. Some of these forest masterpieces are not only big, but ancient. Our human lifespan is short by comparison.

One of the oldest trees in the world is the Llangernyw Yew, a huge, bushy yew tree that grows in a churchyard in Wales. It's hard to tell how old yew trees are, but this one is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. The churchyard is open to the public, and people are free to come in, walk around it, and touch it.

Another tree that is at least 4,000 years old is Sarv-e Abarqu, which grows in Yazd, Iran. It's a cypress tree, 25 meters high and 18 meters around. Its leaves form a giant green cone. It may be the oldest living thing in Asia.

Methuselah is over 4,840 years old and grows in the White Mountains of California. It was named after an ancient character in the Bible. Methuselah is a bristlecone pine—a type of relatively short, twisted tree with a trunk of many colors. Methuselah grows in a grove of other ancient bristlecone pines.

The oldest tree in the world, however, grows up north in Sweden. They call it Old Tjikko, and it's 9,550 years old! Old Tjikko is a Norway spruce and the smallest, spindliest tree on this list. It's also a clonal tree. That means that it is a clone of other trees. The part of a clonal tree that we can see may not be very old, but the roots below are ancient. This is true of Old Tjikko. Its trunk is fairly new, but the bushes and roots below are the oldest living tree on Earth!

RP139 The Dancing Plants of Udon Thani

RP139 The Dancing Plants of Udon Thani

Yes, you read that right: plants that dance. It's true. I've seen them!

Udon Thani is a province in northeast Thailand. There are no big cities there and not as many tourist attractions as there are in other parts of the country. But there is one small plant nursery with one of the most amazing but little-known sights in the world: simple, green plants that look like common weeds.

These particular dancing plants are a hybrid of the Thani Gyrant and the Chinese Gyrant— the pure parents can't dance as well as their hybrid child. The scientific name of this type of plant is Codariocalyx motorius.

Let's go back to the dancing. Walk through the nursery, which is full of beautiful Thai orchids. Deep in the center of the nursery, surrounded by brighter, more eye-catching plants, is a row of these green weeds. These are the dancing plants. "Stand in front of them and sing," the nursery worker says.

At first it feels silly to sing to a plant. I sing quietly and shyly, and nothing happens. I think about leaving, but I make myself stay and sing longer. Slowly, the plants start opening and closing their little leaves. The longer and louder I sing, the more they move. When I stop, they stop. I test to see if my breath is making the leaves blow— nope. They' re moving because I'm making a sound. It's incredible to interact with a plant this way. It makes me think very deeply about the ways all living creatures are alive. Perhaps we' re more connected with the plant world than we think we are.

Why the plant dances is still mysterious— just another sign that we still have a lot to learn about our world. 

RP119 Our Little Green Friends

RP119 Our Little Green Friends

Many people use plants to improve the appearance of their homes. Plants have been shown to reduce stress and noise, and to help us focus on our work. But did you know that houseplants can also improve your health?

By the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Of course, humans need oxygen to breathe. The oxygen given out by plants helps us to breathe more deeply, and stops us from feeling tired. Some plants can also absorb harmful chemicals from the air inside our houses.

Experts suggest placing one plant every nine square meters. The average American home measures 232 square meters, which means it should have around 25 plants. That may sound like a lot, but remember this is an investment in your health!

Some plants produce more oxygen than others. tropical plants produce the most, because their natural environment is the forest floor. They have adapted to survive even when they can't get much sunlight through the trees above them.

Forest ferns are among the best plants for the home. Not only do they produce oxygen, but they also absorb formaldehyde which can cause cancer. Ferns have no seeds or flowers, but they do have attractive leaves. The most beautiful option is the gerbera daisy, which is known to help people sleep. While most plants produce oxygen during the day, these brightly-colored flowers work right through the night.

Money plants, spider plants, and snake plants (sometimes called "mother-in-law's tongue") also make good houseplants. However, the leaves of money plants can be dangerous if eaten by small children or pets, so be careful!