8 of the World’s Weirdest Flowers

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5Hydnora africana

Hydnora africana is a parasitic plant native to southern Africa that spends most of its life underground, only emerging when it blooms. The flower resembles something out of a science fiction movie, with its fleshy, reddish-brown appearance and gaping maw-like opening.

Hydnora africana emits a foul odor, similar to feces, to attract its primary pollinators: dung beetles and carrion beetles. The flower’s bizarre appearance and strange lifecycle make it one of the most unusual plants in the world.