Amazing World of Plants

TELLMEWHY
November 2015 j Volume: 9 , No: 11

FROM THE HOUSE OF MAGIC POT, THE WEEK. MAHOIWAA YEARBOoK.
YAH!THA .. THE MAlAYAIA MAHOIWAA DAILY
PLANT WONDERS
'Poor plants, they cannot even
walk', people generally say.
But are plants really so 'poor'
and helpless? Definitely not. Many
plants are blessed with survival
. skills that surpass those of even
the cleverest of animals.
For instance, there are plants
that are adept at hunting, and oth
ers that have ingenious ways to
defend themselves.The pitcher
plant is a well-known plant that
hunts insects by trapping them in
its leaves.
Look at the all-too-familiar,
'touch-me-not'. Touch it, and the
plant droops, and withdraws like a
shy child. In fact, it is cleverly
defending itself by playing dead!
There are plants that are good at
camouflage and adaptation too,
like living stones and baobabs.
This issue of Tell Me Why will
give you an insight into the fantas
tic world of plant wonders.
OLD IS GOLD
Which is the oldest liv The oldest living tree till 201 3, was
ing tree? 4845 years old! It was a bristleco ne
pine, which was lovingly named
B ristlecone pine trees Methuselah. The exact location of
dot the rocky landscape this tree was kept a secret, for its
of the White Mountains own protection.
in California.
There must be some
thing special about
these mountains, for the
two oldest trees in the
world have been found
there.
Bristlecone Pine
Then researchers found an How do bristlecone pines help
even older tree in the same us understand climate chang
mountains. It is also a bristle es?
cone pine, and it is believed to
be 5062 years old ! B ristlecone pines are incred
In Sicily, the Tree of O ne ibly dense and resino us trees.
Hundred Horses is an enor The wood of these trees grows
mous chestnut near the Mount very, very slowly, and becomes
Etna volcano. It is thought to extremely hard over time.
be about 4,000 years old. Many bristlecone pines may
Its unusual name comes live for two or three thousand
from an old legend where years. L ike all trees, bristlecone
1 00 drenched knights and pines have growth rings that
their wet steeds sought ref give us a picture of the climate
uge from a thunderstorm during its lifetime.
beneath the tree's protective O nce the tree is in its third or
branches. fourth millennium, it will die.
Even when they are dead,
these trees still tend to remain
standing, and instead of rotting,
the wood hardens even more.
The patterns in the growth of
their rings give us a peek into
ancient climatic records. The
changes in bristlecone growth
patterns are giving researchers
clues about climate changes
Hello sir,
How old are
you?
AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 5

Creosote Bush What is unique about the creosote
bush?
T he creosote bush, also known as

greasewood, is found in the warm
deserts of the world.
In spring and summer, these
plants produce yellow flowers. But
what makes the creosote bush truly
unique, is its leaves.
The leaves are small, and are
coated with natural oils and wax to
'\' conserve water through slower

, '
- ,..
"
I
\ evaporation.
D u ring dry periods, creosote
leaves fold in half to cut their expo
sure to the sun. If there is a severe
drought, the creosote bush sheds
its leaves entirely, and remains
somewhat dormant until the rains
arrive. These leaves have a distinc
tive pungent smell that grows
6 Tel l Me Why
stronger as soon as the What is special about the King
summer rains start. Clone creosote ring?
Creosote bushes pro
duce a large number of P lants reproduce in different
seeds at each flowering. ways. In the case of tne creosote
It takes decades for creo bush, it reproduces by sprouting
sote bushes to grow. new plants from its roots.
Even a thirty centimetre The new plants are clones of the
high plant is probably at parent plant, and grow in a circle
least ten years old. around it. These circles are called
creosote rings. The rings grow big
ger and bigger as each year pass
es, and new plants are added to the
ring.
The oldest creosote ring on earth
is called the 'King Clone' creosote
ring. It is located in the Mojave
Desert in California, and is still alive.
In fact, it is one of the oldest living
organisms on earth. The King Clone
Clone Kids creosote ring is estimated to be
Plants that repro 1 1 ,700 years old, and has an aver
duce through their age diameter of 1 3.5 metres.
roots produce It is not a perfect circle- in some
clones of them
places, the diameter even reaches
selves. These clones
an amazing 20.4 metres!
are genetically
identical to the par
ent plant. Huge col
onies of clones are
thus produced by a
single plant.
King Clone Creosote

-
AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS
Which is the oldest potted
plant?
C YCadS are tropical plants

that were on Earth even
before the beginning of the
Jurassic Era.
In the 1 770s, the first
plant hunter from the Kew
Royal Botanical Gardens in
London visited the Eastern
Cape region of South Afri-
ca.
His name was Francis
Masson, and he brought
back a huge cycad to the
conservatory of the Kew
Garderns.
It has a tall, stout stem,
topped with a dense,
upright crown of bright
green palm-like leaves.
The leaves are up to 2.5
metres in length. The plant
is called the Eastern Cape
Cycads Giant Cycad, and is stili liv
ing, making it the oldest
potted plant in the world.
One of the fastest growing plants is

the bamboo. Some varieties can grow
an incredible one metre a day!
8 Tel l Me Why
Veg World
Which is your favourite vegetable?
Well, you have a choice of from over
the 2000 different varieties of plants
that we use as food!
What is remarkable about the 80,000 years ago. The trees

pando? col lectively weigh 6,61 5
T
tonnes, making the pando
he pando is a clonal colony the heaviest living organism
of quaking aspen trees. This on the planet, as well. This
massive colony grew from a colony of quaking aspen trees
single tree, and is spread over is also known as the 'trem
1 00 acres. bling giant'.
It is located in Fishlake The name is apt, because
National Forest in Utah, USA. the quaking aspen has leaves
There are around 47,000 trees that stir even in the gentlest
that share a giant underground breeze to produce a fluttering
root system . sound.
The pando is estimated to
have originated at least Pando
The effect of tens of thousands Lupinus Arcticus
of trees, fluttering their leaves
together can be unnerving as it a scientist, Dick Harrington,
invokes the feeling of an ancient along with his colleagues,
giant that is trembling. decided to see whether the
seeds were still able to
Why are plant seeds called time grow into plants.
travellers?
Please keep
T he seeds of a plant generally
these for the
next century.
survive long after the plant has
died. Some seeds can grow into
plants even after thousands of
years.
In 1 954, Harold Schmidt, an
engineer, discovered some seeds
in burrows about six metres below
the surface of the frozen ground of
the Canadian Arctic.
He told a number of local people
about his find, and put the seeds
in a dry place. Twelve years later,
10 Tel l Me Why
The seeds were put on
wet filter paper, and within
48 hours, they germinated!
Six young plants were even
tually transferred to pots,
and all of them grew into
healthy Lupinus arcticus
specimens.
It is estimated that these
seeds were at least 1 0,000
years old. They had trav
elled through time in a fro
zen state, to sprout
thousands of years later!
What is special about the

silene stenophylla?
T he silene stenophylla is
a flowering plant found in
Siberia. In 2007, more than
600,000 frozen mature and
immature seeds of this
plant were found buried in
squirrel burrows near the
banks of the river Kolyma.
It is believed that they Silene Stenophylla
were buried by arctic ground
squirrels during the Ice Age. some of the seeds. After more
Using special dating tech than 30,000 years, a siline steno
niques, it was determined phylla put forth pretty white flow
that the seeds were around ers, and bore fruit.
31 , 800 years old. This makes it the most ancient,
Scientists were also able viable, multi-cellular, living organ
to thaw and germinate ism on Earth.
AM AZING WORLD OF PLANTS 11
Irritant
If you touch the plant known as poi
son ivy, you will develop severe Itch
ing, and a bad rash. This is because
poison ivy contains a skin irritant
called urushiol.
Why does Herod the Great's During excavations at the

ancient palace have a special site of Herod the G reat's
place in plant records? palace in Israel in the early
1 960's, archaeologists
J udean date palms have been unearthed a small stockpile
widely cultivated throughout the of seeds stowed in a clay jar
Middle East for thousands of dating back 2,000 years.
years. For the next four decades,
the ancient seeds were kept
Today in a drawer at Tel Aviv's Bar
I w il l taste lIan University. But then, in
these 2 000 year 2005, a botanical research
old seeds.
er Elaine Solowey, decided
to plant one seed and see
what, if anything, would
sprout.
Amazingly, this seed that
was thousands of years old,
did indeed sprout - and pro
duced a sapling.
The sapling has become a
tree, which continues to
grow and thrive to this day.
The seed has been recog
nised as the oldest known
tree seed to germinate.
12 Tel l Me Wh y
Hello This exceptionally
Mr. Fossil hardy species survived
Tree. three mass extinction
events over the past
quarter of a billion
years.
Amazingly, it was
found to be the only sur
vlvmg plant species
near the epicentre of
the August 6th , 1 945
Hiroshima atomic bomb
blast.
Why is Ginkgo biloba called a living In September 1 945,
fossil? the area around the
G
blast centre was exam
inkgO biloba is native to China. It ined; and six Gingko
is known as a 'living fossil , ' because it biloba trees were found
appears to be the same as a plant standing.
species dating back 270 million years They budded shortly
in the fossil record. after the blast, without
major deformations,
and are still alive to this
day. Ginkgo has a repu
tation for longevity, with
some plants living to
over 1 ,000 years. In
addition, it appears that
extracts from this plant
can be very effective in
slowing the ageing pro
cess in human beings
as well.
Ginkgo Biloba

Why are wild tropical orchids Orchid
called perching plants?
tropical rainforests,
We know that plants need soil clamped to tree trunks and
to grow. However, there are some branches that are high
plants that have adapted them above the ground.
selves to survive without soil. Some have long aerial
They are called perching plants. roots that search out water
Also known as epiphytes, these from a nearby source. Oth
plants perch on the branches, or ers grow roots into the air
limbs of other trees. They are not that absorb moisture
parasites, for they do not harm the directly from the humid
host plants - they simply use the atmosphere.
host to support themselves. Orchids are truly remark
Orchids are the most common able plants that need just
among perching plants. Thou two things to survive -
sands of them can be found in the water and light.
14 Tell Me Why
Why are giant brome
Don' t worry
liads very interesting? dear. I 'm a
I
humble plant.
f orchids are the most
common among
perching plants, giant
bromeliads are the
largest.
Bromeliads come in
a wonderful variety of
sizes, shapes and foli
age colours.
Giant bromeliads are
found in the rain for bromeliad water tanks. Many others
ests of America, and actually live in the water held by bro
these huge plants look meliads!
a bit like immense In fact, scientists have found more
shuttlecocks. The flow than 250 different animal species in
ers are bright and the tanks of bromeliads!
showy. These epi
phytes have a remark
able way of getting
water and food. Their
long, curved leaves
overlap at the base,
forming a tight little
bowl - a perfect water
tank!
The leaves act as
gutters to collect rain,
and the tank holds the
water. The largest bro
meliads hold up to 5
litres of water. Many Giant Bromeliads
animals drink from the
A MAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 15
other ferns, most stag horn ferns have
two kinds of leaves, or fronds.
One of these is the sterile leaf, which
is shield or dish shaped. It is called
sterile, because it does not produce
spores. Each sterile leaf, as it grows,
clasps the support on which it is found.
Epibiont Initially green, they turn brown, and
Epibionts are become parchment-like with age.
organisms that Besides holding the plant in place, the
live on the sur spaces between the layers of sterile
face of other liv leaves accumulate water and dead
ing organisms,
decaying vegetation.
without causing
The other leaf type is the fertile leaf.
them any harm.
It remains green at maturity, to carry
They are not
on photosynthesis that provides nutri
plants like epi
tion for the plant. This type of leaf is
phytes are.
called fertile, because it produces
spores, found mostly at the ends of the
antlers.
Why is the stag horn
fern unique?
T he long, antler like

leaves of the stag horn
fern give the plant its
name.
Stag horn ferns are
also epiphytes. They
are found in Northern
Australia and New
Guinea. They are
unique in that unlike
Staghorn Fern
16
What is Spanish moss?
S panish moss is neither

Spanish , nor a moss. It is a
flowering plant with slender,
wiry, long branching stems.
This trailing plant that hangs
from trees in hot climates is
also known as graybeard, long
moss, and Florida moss.
It is a humidity-loving plant
that is most often found by
swamps, rivers, and other
water bodies.
Spanish moss does not hav
roots, and thus does not
require soil. Rather than using
roots to remain grounded to a
host, this plant hangs from
trees by the stems. It gets its
nutrients from rainfall and
Spanish Moss dust.
Its flowers are tiny. The tan
gled webs of Spanish moss
create the perfect hiding place
for insects, and other small
creatures such as reptiles.
Nests of this soft material are
also attractive to bats.
This is not
our relatives'
nest. It's
Spanish moss.
17
Why is a plant called
Medusa's head?
M edusa's head, a flow

ering plant, is very strange
looking, with its tentacle
like stems that resemble
long twisting snakes.
These stems grow hori
zontally from a short, cen
tral, swollen woody stem .
The plant gets its name
from a character in Greek
mythology called Medu
sa.
She was one of three
sisters in Greek mythology
known as the gorgons. I n
many myths, she appeared
as a horribly ugly woman
with hair made of snakes,
although occasionally she
was described as being
beautiful.
In both forms, however,
Medusa's appearance
was deadly, for any per
son who gazed directly at
her would turn to stone.
The plant Medusa's
head has no such effect. It
is simply a sprawling, suc
culent shrub that can
Medusa's head - Close up reach up to a metre in
width.
18 Tel l Me Why
these tiny seeds can sprout
even in the damp cracks of
walls and rooftops.
The plant then sends long
roots deep into the walls. For
this reason, it is a common
sight, even in cities and towns.
It is called the butterfly bush
not because it is as beautiful
as a butterfly, but because its
flowers act as a magnet for
butterflies.
Its narrow branches support
clusters of blossoms to which
butterflies flock. The bush,
Why is buddleia also called which originally came from
the butterfly bush? China, is popular with garden
ers all over the world for it can
T he buddleia is also known also be grown as a hedge.
as the butterfly bush. Its seeds
are blown by the wind, and Buddleia
Why does the mistletoe need birds to
survive?
The mistletoe plant grows on a tree.

Its roots invade the bark of the tree.
These roots absorb the tree's nutrients,
including water.
Sometimes, mistletoe can harm a
tree, and cause deformities in a tree's
branches, but usually it doesn't kill its
host. If the host dies, the mistletoe dies
too. arasites
Mistletoe has green, leathery leaves, Some plants
with waxy berries that are either red or grow on other
white. The plant's flowers can be a wide plants, and are
variety of colours, from bright red to yel known as para
low, to green. The berries are eaten by sitic plants.
birds that eventually leave their drop Unlike epiphytes
pings on the branches of trees. The that use the host
droppings contain seeds that sprout plant only for
support, parasit
roots into the tree branch.
ic plants feed off
The seeds are sticky because of the
the host plant.
juice inside the berry. This stickiness
helps the seeds stay on the tree.
20 Tel l Me Why
Why are broom rapes This plant is
a threat to farming? like an iceberg.
The broom rape is a

Only one-third of
it is visible.
parasitic plant that is
found on the roots of
other plants.
It produces very little
chlorophyll, and
doesn't need to, as it
doesn't make its own
food. Instead, it gets
all the n utrients that it needs
from the roots of the host
plant, using suckers.
The plants have scales in
place of leaves, and these may
be yellowish, brownish, pur
plish, or white in colour. Broom
rapes live u nderground, and
only come appear above the
ground when it is time for them
to flower and reproduce.
The flowers are irregularly
shaped and each flower pro
duces numerous tiny seeds.
Many species of broomrape
are a threat to farming,
because they can destroy
crops by sucking out all the
nutrients from the roots of the
host plant. This causes heavy
losses to farmers.
Broomrape
AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS

How did the yellow rattle
get its name?
T he yellow rattle is a
semi-parasitic plant. It is
commonly found in mead
ows and grassy places.
The plant gets part of its
water and nutrient require
ments by parasitising the
roots of grasses and oth
er herbs.
The yellow rattle gets its
name from its bright yel-
Yellow Rattle
low flowers, and the sound of the

ripe seeds rattling inside the seed
capsules.
The majority of seed ripens in mid
Dang rous to late July, and the rattling of the
fruit within the capsule was said to
indicate that the meadow was ready
The broomrape is a to be cut for hay.
dangerous plant. If Hence, the yellow rattle is also
you eat any part of known as hay rattle. In the past
it, you can suffer this plant was a serious pest for
from drowsiness,
farmers, as it weakens grasses,
blurred vision, and
and as a result could reduce hay
a host of other
yields.
problems, includ
At the same time by suppressing
ing seizures.
the growth of grass, it helps other
wild flowers to bloom.
22 Tel l Me Why
Castilleja Why is the castilleja an interesting plant?
C astilleja, or the Indian paintbrush, is a very

pretty wildflower.
During summer, it sports magnificently col
oured blooms that are not actually flowers at all.
Rather, they are leafy bracts that surround the
actual flower, which is inconspicuous, and
greenish white in colour.
Castilleja is a parasitic plant that has special
ised roots. These roots are used to drill into the
roots of other plants to steal water and nutri
ents.
Castilleja is also very dangerous to humans. It
stores selenium in its leaves, and if the roots or
green parts of the plant are eaten, it can prove
fatal.
This plant was named after the Spanish bota
nist Domingo Castillejo.
seed that sprouts like
any other plant.
After sprouting, the
stem of the dodder
seedling at once
seeks out a host plant
to latch on to. O nce it
finds a host plant, it
twines itself around
the host. It will then
shed its roots, and
start growing.
Dodder ranges in
severity based on its
Dodders species and the spe
cies of the host, the
What is unusual about the dodder? time of attack, and
whether any viruses
H ave you seen a plant with no are also present in the
leaves, and no roots? Well, there is host plant.
such a plant, and it is called the dod Dodder is parasitic
der. on a very wide variety
The dodder is a parasitic plant that of plants, including a
lives above the ground. It grows from a number of agricultural
and horticultural crop
species.
24 Tell Me Why
Annual Plant
The dodder is an annual plant. Its life
span is only one year. Once the weath
er turns cold, it will wither and die.
How do dodders get food? completely dependent on t he host
A
plant for its survival.
dodder cannot survive It gets its food t hrough its stem.
o n its own. An adult plant The dodder's seed germinates,
has no leaves to carry out forming an anchoring root , and
photosynt hesis, nor roots t hen sends up a slender stem.
to seek out nut rients. The stem grows in a spiral fash
It has no chlorophyll wit h ion, until it reaches a host plant . It
which it can manufacture t hen twines itself t ightly around the
food. So, the dodder is st em of t he host plant . The stem
has tiny bumps called Why is the rafflesia a spectacular para
haustoria, which pen- sitic plant?
etrate the host.
Water and nutrients The rafflesia arnoldii is a parasitic
are drawn into the plant that lives inside the host plant for
dodder through the months.
haustoria from the So, it is rarely seen, as it gets all its
host. nutrients from the host, which is a vine.
Meanwhile, the root It makes a dramatic entry into the out
of the dodder rots side world only at its flowering season .
away after stem con
tact has been made That smells
with a host plant. As like something
the dodder grows, it tasty...
sends out new hausto
ria, and establishes
itself very firmly on the
host plant.
American
Cancer Root Plant
This is the time

when flowers first bud
through the woody
vine, and then open
into breathtaking
magnificence.
The rafflesia pro
duces the largest sin
gle flowers in the
world. The flowers
can take up to ten
months to develop
from the first visible
bud to the open
bloom, which may last
no more than a few
days. The leathery
petals can be up to a
metre in width.
Although spectacu Where are American cancer root plants
larly beautiful, raffle- found?
are
I
sia flowers
unfortunately, very f you see what looks like pine cones
stinky. They smell of growing from the root of an oak tree,
rotting flesh ! Raffle don't be surprised. They are just the
sias are found most flowers of the American cancer root
commonly in Suma plant.
tra, and also in prima It is a fully parasitic plant. It grows
ry rain forests. only on the roots of certain trees like
The Rafflesia plant oaks. This plant connects to the roots of
spends most of its life other plants through specialized roots
unseen. known as haustoria.

The haustoria sucks stems of other plants. It is a tiny para
out all the nutrients sitic plant that lives inside the stem tis
and water needed by sue of its host plant. It is only about 6
the plant from the millimetres in length, and has no roots,
roots of the host tree. leaves, or chlorophyll to make its own
American cancer root food.
plants do not have This parasitic plant breaks out of the
any chlorophyll, nor stem of its host, only when it flowers.
do they carry out pho The flowers themselves are so small
tosynthesis. that most people would walk right by a
This means they do plant with dozens of blooms, and never
not manufacture any notice it.
food on their own, and
are completely Look,
Your stick
dependent on the bloomed.
host for survival.
The plant remains
underground for some
time. Then, strange,
cone shaped flowers
will appear above the
ground. The Ameri
can cancer root plant
is also known as the
squawroot.
What are the features

of the Thurber's stem Thurber's stemsucker is commonly
sucker? found in the deserts of Northwestern
America.
T hurber's stem Each individual plant produces only
sucker, as the name male or female flowers. Scientists are
suggests, is a plant still unsure how pollination of these tee
that sucks the nutri ny weeny flowers takes place and how
ents it needs from the its seeds are spread.
28 Tel l Me Why
Witches' Broom
Witches' broom has nothing to do with
witches. It is a term used to describe
thick tightly growing clusters of small
branches that resemble a broom.
What is unusual about the

seeds of the dwarf mistletoe?
The dwarf mistletoe is a

parasitic plant that grows on
conifer trees. It does not make
its own food, but sucks out
whatever nutrients it needs
from the stem of the conifer
tree on w hich it is growing.
This plant spreads through
its seeds. The berry like fruit
ripens in late summer. The
seeds are neither dispersed
by the droppings of birds, nor
by the wind.
Instead, they have a more
u nusual form of dispersal.
The fruits of the dwarf mistle
toe burst open when fully ripe,
and the bullet like seeds are
shot out like little rockets on to
new host trees.
The seeds can travel at
speeds of about 90 kilome
tres per hour, which is impos
Mistletoes (green)
sible for any other plants.
Cytinus What is interesting about
the Cytinus hypocistis?
The Cytinus hypocistis is

a parasitic plant that attach
es itself to the roots of wild
rock roses.
It is seen mainly in the
Mediterranean region. The
plant has no green leaves,
and is a bright red in col
our, until the flowers, which
are yellow, open.
The flowers are produced
at ground level, around the
roots of the host plant.
They, in turn, produce red
berries that contai n thou
sands of tiny seeds.
30 Tell Me Why
Why is the red bartsia a partial
parasite?
The red bartsia is an annual

herb. It is a common wildflower
found on roadsides and waste
lands.
Since it grows in areas where
the soil is not very fertile, it is
partly parasitic. This means
that though it produces some
of the food it needs, it also gets
extra nutrients from the roots
of nearby grasses.
As its name suggests, the
whole plant is tinged with red
and leafy flower spikes that
appear from June to Septem
ber.
These plants produce 1 400
seeds a year, which are
equipped with coarse hairs
that stick to clothing, fur, and
vehicles, enabling them to
travel long distances.
This wildflower is a native of
Europe and Asia, but is now
Red Bartsia found in America too.
This plant has medicinal An interesting fact about this

uses too. It is used in tradition plant is that its pollination is
al medicine to treat dysentery, carried out by ants. This is
and also to treat tumors of the considered as its unique char
throat. acteristics.
Venus Flytrap Why is the Venus flytrap an amazing plant?
S ome plants can attract, trap, kill, and

digest insects or other small animals.
Such plants are known as carnivorous
plants- and the Venus flytrap is one of
them.
It looks quite different from normal plants
and is quite different too. Its leaves are
designed in such a way, that an insect
landing on a leaf is instantly trapped to pro
vide a tasty meal for the plant.
Once the meal has been digested - and
this may take up to ten days- the leaf will
open again, and be ready to trap its next
prey.
32 Tel l Me Why
Why is Western Australia's Nuytsia Floribunda
Nuytsia floribunda called the
Christmas tree ? During the summer months,
the tree is covered with
Western Australia's Christ bunches of spectacular gold
mas tree is different from the en flowers. This tree is also
evergreen pine trees that are the world's largest species of
generally associated with mistletoe , and mistletoe is
Christmas. always associated with
This tree is about 1 0 metres Christmas.
tall. The plant is at least partly a
root parasite. Its roots attach Yes, I'm
themselves to the roots of other the real Xmas
plants that are up to 1 50 metres tree.
away, and steal water and nutri
ents from those plants.
This plant was named the
Christmas tree by the local
inhabitants because it bursts
into bloom just before Christ
mas.
As Australia is in the southern
he misphere, the seasons are
reversed, and Christmas comes
during summer.
33
that resemble the jaws of a trap. Near
the crease where the two leaf 'jaws'
join, there are a series of tiny hairs.
If an unwary insect walks across
these hairs, touching two or more 0
them in succession, the leaf will close
quickly enough to prevent its escape.
However, at least two or more hairs
Fly and Trap must be touched in succession for the
If a very small leaf to close. This prevents the leaf
prey manages to
escape from the
Venus flytrap's
trap, the plant
senses it. The
trap will open
again after 1 2
hours. Similarly,
if an object that
lands in the trap
is not edible, the
trap will open
after 1 2 hours.
The plant will
then spit the
Venus Flytrap Traps a Fly
object out.
from closing every time a drop of rain
falls on it. Once the leaf closes, the
How does the leaf of insect is unable to escape through the
the Venus flytrap hair-like teeth at the edge of the leaf.
work? Glands on the leaf surface secrete
T
several enzymes that help to decom
he leaf of the Venus pose the insect. The insect is slowly
flytrap acts as a trap digested, and absorbed by the leaf.
for insects. Each leaf Once the insect has been digested, the
opens into two halves leaf re-opens for another victim.
34 Tel l MWhv
Why are pitcher plants
extraordinary?
P itcher plants look like

goblets, and are found
mainly in southeast Asia.
These meat eating
plant grow pitchers at the
tips of their leaves. The
pitchers contain a juice
that attracts insects.
When an unsuspecting
insect lands on the mouth
of the pitcher, it will slip
and fall inside, because
the rim and walls are very
slippery.
Unable to climb back,
the fallen insect flails
helplessly in the fluid until
it loses energy.
Pitcher Plant
The liquid in the cup is no ordinary

liquid. It actually contains chemicals
that are similar to those found in
human stomach. These chemicals
slowly dissolve the prey completely,
so that the plant can digest it.
Such an event is an everyday hap
pening for these pretty pitcher
plants. Amaz ingly, the larger ones
can even digest frogs, and other
small animals!
35
Sundew Plant How does the sundew plant catch
its prey?
S undew plants are found mostly

in Alaska and New Zealand. Their
flowers have sticky tentacles that
look as if they are covered with rain
Origin of the drops or dew, but are actually a type
Name of glue. The shining droplets attract
The sundew has i nsects.
flowers that can be In addition to its sticky tentacles,
white, orange, pink, the sundew plant has longer, touch
red or even purple. sensitive tentacles too. The longer
These flowers have tentacles can snap forward, hurling
tentacles that have insects towards the glue-l i ke drop
a sticky gel on their lets. The sticky tentacles then slow
tips. When sunlight ly bend to move the prey to
falls on these drop spoon-shaped leaves that release
lets of gel, they glit digestive juices. The i nsect's body
ter like dew. This is starts to break down, and is digest
why the plant is ed by the plant.
called sundew.
Sundews are the most ruthless
killers of the plant world.
36 Tel l Me Why
How does the bladder
wort set a trap for its
prey?
B ladderworts are float

in g plants with erect
stems and flowers, but
no roots. Their leaf
b ranches are not on the
su rface, but underwater.
T hese leaf branches are
inflated with air, and this
allows the plant to float.
The underwater leaves
have small oval traps
called bladders. Each
bladder has a valve that
is equipped with tiny
Bladderwort
hairs. The valve remains

closed, except when an insect
touches it. It will then snap
open, and capture the insect.
Once the prey is inside the
trap, the valve will snap shut.
After the prey has been digest
ed, the trap is reset, and the
plant waits for its next victim.
Who discovered the Pinguicula
gigantea?
T he Pinguicula gigantea is a tropi

cal plant that is native to Mexico.
It is a very unusual plant, with
huge leaves and small flowers. The Pitcher
plant was discovered by Alfred Lau, Perfect
and described by the botanist Hans Sarracenia is a
Luhrs. pitcher plant. It
This meat eating plant has sticky produces pitchers
mucilage covering the entire leaf, on at the end of the
both sides. This means that it can flowering period
catch insects on both the top and in spring. The
bottom surfaces of its leaves. pitchers remain
During wet summers, the plants on the plant till
produce large, carnivorous leaves late autumn.
to ensnare prey. During the dry win
ters, the plants produce small , suc
culent, rosettes of small leaves. In
this form, they wait out the drought,
growing again with the return of the
summer rains. Pinguicula
Trumpet Pitcher Plant
to keep out rain water, and

prevent prey from flying out.
In many cases, especially
in pitcher plants that hold
water, bacteria may aid in
digesting prey. It is also
known that several species
of mites and fly larvae live
inside the trumpet leaves of
pitcher plants, without them
selves being harmed.
Their function is to help
break down prey for diges
tion. Trumpet pitchers are
unique, and found mainly in
North America.
What are the features of trumpet

pitchers?
S ome types of sarracenia are

also known as trumpet pitchers.
They have hollow, tubular leaves
that are traps to catch insects.
Insects fall in, die, and sink to the
bottom to be digested.
L--I",",,"--
"
These pitcher plants have
hoods, or caps. The purpose of
the hood on most pitcher plants is
Why do North American pitcher plants
stink?
As the liquid inside the cup of a pitc'her

plant attracts insects, you would think that it
has a sweet smell.
Actually, the reverse is true. It stinks! The
liquid half fills the pitcher, and the plant
secretes a digestive enzyme into it.
This enzyme, as well as the bacteria, pro
tozoa, algae and fungi growing in this liquid
produce an odour of decay. An insect buzz
ing past notices the smell and investigates,
hoping for a good meal.
Unfortunately for the insect, it finds no rot
ting meat, only a smelly liquid in which it
drowns. After some weeks, the pitcher will
be full of the decaying corpses of insects that
are in the process of being digested, which
adds to the stink! Pitcher Plants
How does the prickly pear defend itself? Prickly Pear
P riCklY pears are found all over the

world, but they were originally from the
deserts of Central and South America.
These plants are unusual in that their
stems and branches look like fleshy Don't I
leaves, and the leaves are modified into look cute?
long spines.
The spines of the prickly pear play an
important role in its defence. They are so
wicked looking that they scare away any
animal that tries to eat the plant. They can
also be painful if an animal is bold enough
to take a bite! In addition, there are tufts
of tiny golden brown hairs at the base of
the spine.
These hairs have barbed tips that rub
off easily when any creature touches the
plant, causing an irritating itch. So gener
ally, animals in the desert prefer to give
the prickly pear a wide berth.
How did the wait-a free itself, the more entangled it will
bit tree get its name? become.
In addition, as the animal struggles,
T he wait-a-bit tree the whip like branches will also wrap
is actually an acacia themselves around it, making the experi
tree. ence even more unpleasant.
It is a tree with In short, the animal will have to wait a
grey-green leaves. It bit, before it can disentangle itself!
has whip-like branch
es and backward
pointing thorns that
tend to hook on to
passers-by.
The thorns have
the shape and size
of a cat's claw, and
so these trees are
also known as cat
claw.
An animal that
tries to feed on it will
soon find that its hair
has got caught in. the
thorns. The more the Wait-a-bit Tree
animal struggles to
Conifers are not always green.

One species is yellow-red in summer,
and bronze in winter. Their colour
depends on the temperature of the
place where they grow.
42 Tel l Me Why
Why is it difficult to steal nec Sticky Catchfly
tar from a sticky catchfly?
The
brown sticky substance just
sticky catchfly is an below the leaves. So, an
attractive wildflower which has insect, climbing up the stem to
purple flowers on a tall stem. It steal nectar from the flowers,
is found in dry rocky places in will find itself trapped in the
Europe. glue.
The flowering stems have In fact, you can see many
hairs tipped with a reddish winged and wingless insects
helplessly stuck to the stem.
Anyone trying to pluck the
flower will find the same sticky
substance all over his or her
fingers as well.
At the same time, insects
that help in pollination, like
bees, can easily land on the
flower, and sip the nectar. I n
this way, the plant prevents its
nectar from being stolen by
insects that do not help in the
pollination process.
How does the mullein plant defend itself?
T he mullein is also known as bunny's

ear, flannel leaf, candlewick plant, and
hag taper.
The name mullein probably comes
from the Latin word 'moll is', meaning
soft, referring to the plant's woolly stem
and leaves. From a distance, the leaves
appeared to be covered with white feJt
Many
Benefits
Mullein is used
in many herbal
medicines.
The fuzz on the
leaves and
stem makes
excellent
Mullein Plant tinder when
quite dry,
which is actually a bunch of tiny hairs. readily igniting
Any animal that tries to eat the plant will on the slightest
spark. Before
find its mouth stuck with hair- a most
the introduc
unpleasant experience! These hairs also
tion of cotton
prevent attacks by insects creeping up
wicks, this
the stem.
tinder was
In addition, they prevent the leaves
used to light
from losing too much moisture. So, the
lamps.
leaves and stem of this plant make up a
truly efficient defence system .
44 Tel l Me Why
Why is the poison
ivy called a toxic
plant?
P Oison ivy is a
flowering plant
commonly found in
North America.
The plant can
grow in the form of
bushes and vines.
Its leaves are Poison Ivy
shaped like
almonds. Some appearance. This is because they are
leaves are serrat covered with toxic oil known as u rushiol. If
ed, while others this oil comes in contact with your skin it
have smooth edg can cause a very painful reaction.
es. They are alter A similar fate awaits any animal that
nately arranged on tries to eat the plant; its mouth will start
the stem. burning and itching. The effects of the
Each of its leaves urushiol oil last for quite some time too, so
is made up of three the suffering will be a prolonged one. The
leaflets. The leaves rashes, however, are not contagious and
have a glossy waxy will subside with time.
tain poisons called cardiac gly
cosides that can stop the heart.
Cattle and deer that eat the
plant face fatal consequences.
These poisons can harm, and
even kill human beings too.
However, in small regulated
quantities, properly processed
extracts of foxglove can have
medical benefits. People dis
covered the healing properties
of foxglove a few centuries
ago.
Foxglove helps the muscles
of the heart to contract and
reduces the frequency of
heartbeats.
The name 'foxglove' refers to
the shape of flowers of this
plant. They look like gloves
that fit the paws of foxes and
other small animals.
Why is resin important to coni

fers?
Foxglove
C onifers are trees that have
How do foxgloves defend cones and needle-like leaves.
themselves? They are generally evergreens
The foxglove is a plant that

that are triangular in shape.
Conifers protect their trunks
uses poison to defend itself. Its from mechanical damage and
sap, flowers, seeds, and attacks from insects, with a
leaves are all poisonous. The special gummy substance
leaves, even when dried, con- called resin. Resin has a sweet
46 Tel l Me Why
smell, and it seeps through Conifers
special pipelines in the
trunk of the tree. If the and petrified conifers turns into
trunk of the conifer is dam amber. Amber is a gemstone that
aged or cut, resin will flow is valued for its colour and natural
from the wound. When it beauty.
first flows out, it is runny.
However, the more liq
uid part of it contains tur Better to
starve than
pentine, which quickly
eat this
evaporates. A sticky lump plant.
remains, which seals the
wound very effectively.
Resin protects conifers
from attack by fungi and
ants, and makes the
leaves indigestible.
So, animals generally
will not try to eat the
leaves. Over millions of
years, the resin from dead
How do flamingo flowers survive?
F lamingo flowers are a type of anthurium

that is found in tropical climates.
The usually red, heart shaped flower is
actually a modified leaf flaring out from the
base of a fleshy spike called the spadix,
where the tiny real flowers grow. The
remaining leaves of this plant are usually
simple, large, and attractive. They are
borne on long stalks.
Flamingo flowers have a very effective
way of ensuring that they are not eaten by
animals. Their leaves and flowers are poi
sonous. If an animal tries to munch on a
leaf, it will experience a burning sensation,
blisters will form in its mouth, and its voice
will become hoarse.
The poison will not kill it however, and
drinking water, or any other cool liquid will
bring relief. By then, the animal will hope
fully have learnt to leave flamingo flowers Flamingo
alone! Flowers
Rubber Leaves What makes the leaves of the rubber
tree unique?
R U bber trees are found in tropical

forests and plantations. Its most famous
feature is the milky white sap, known
as latex, which flows freely from the
tree, when a sliver of bark is removed.
It is this latex which is processed to
make rubber. The leaves of rubber
trees are broad, shiny and oval, and
contain latex too. Though latex looks
like milk, it is poisonous.
When exposed to air, the liquid in the
latex evaporates, leaving behind a
sticky white blob. If an animal eats a
leaf, it will have the very unpleasant
experience of having a sticky unpleas
ant mess in its mouth. This acts as an
effective deterrent for animals to leave
the rubber tree, and its leaves alone.
Why can the hydrangea be a danger
ous plant?
T he hydrangea is an ornamental
shrub wit h beaut iful, fragrant flowers
t hat can be blue, green, pink or purple.
The flowers are also very tasty- but Ant
t hey can cause a problem if t hey are Protectors
eaten. Ants can act as
They can give you a bad stomach protectors of
ache. The reason is t hat t his shrub con plants. Ants
tains a poison called cyanogenic glyco living in an
side. acacia tree will
H igher concentrations of t his poison attack any
are found in t he leaves and flowers. If animal that tries
any part of t he plant is eaten by ani to eat its leaves.
mals, it causes vomiting.
The poison is t he hydrangea's
defence mechanism against being eat
en by insects and animals-and even Hydrangea
humans. In spite of
t his, some people
smoke t he leaves,
because it gives
t hem an intoxicat
ing feeling.
However, t his is
very dangerous,
because it can
cause deat h . The
plant originated in
Japan but is now
widely cultivated in
gardens all over
t he world.
50 Tel l Me Why
Why do animals
avoid nettles?
T he nettle is a
common plant
found in Europe,
Asia, North Africa
and North America.
It has green leaves
that are deeply ser Nettle

rated on the edges,
and small, individu anything touches these hairs, the tip will
al, flowers. inject a chemical, formic acid, into the
The nettle is best skin of the intruder.
known for the nee Large, plant eating animals avoid the
dle-like hairs that nettle because of its poisonous hairs. On
cover the leaves the other hand, many insects use com
and stem. Each hair mon nettle as food. Even though most
ends with a swollen people associate the common nettle with
base that contains a pain, this plant has numerous beneficial
mix of chemicals. If and medicinal properties too.

Holly Tree
How does the holly tree prevent cater

pillars from attacking it?
Plant with T he holly is a small tree with ever

Moat green leaves. It provides birds with
The teasel plant food, and with protection from winter
has leaves that storms and predators.
form a small cup But it does not encourage caterpil
which fills with lars, and with good reason . Certain
rainwater. The types of caterpillars attack trees, and
cup acts like a strip them of all their leaves for food.
moat to prevent However, the leaves of the holly tree
insects from are designed in such a way as to pre
getting near the vent such an attack. Caterpillars gener
tender leaves, ally like to eat a leaf from the edge,
and eating nibbling inwards, until the entire leaf is
them. consumed.
But the leaves of the holly tree have
very thick edges. In fact, the edges are
so tough that a caterpillar finds it diffi
cult to get even a nibble. The frustrated
caterpillar therefore, will decide it is not
worth the trouble, and leave the holly
tree alone !
52 Tel l Me Why
How did the dumb cane get its
name?
The dumb cane is a tropical

flowering plant.
The dumb cane is a popular
house plant in spite of the fact
that it can be very dangerous.
The danger lies in its leaves
and stem. They are filled with a
sap containing razor sharp
crystals of a fast acting poison
called calcium oxalate.
Any animal trying to eat the
leaves will have its mouth
pierced with the crystals, so
that the poison can enter its
bloodstream, and start work
ing. If a person happens to
Dumb Cane
You
can't make eat a leaf, the sap will irritate
me silent. the mucous membranes, and
cause swell ing and inflam
mation of the tongue and
th roat.
As a result, the person may
not be able to speak for some
time, and he will become
dumb. The plant gets its name
from the fact that it causes
) speechlessness.
In ancient times, slaves were
made to eat dumb cane as a
form of punishment.
Why are lithops called living stones? Lithops
L ithoPS are very smart plants. They disguise

themselves as pebbles.
This camouflage prevents hungry, thirsty
animals in their native South Africa and Namib
ia from gobbling them up during a drought.
Lithops blend in so well with the stony land
scape, that grazing animals completely over
look them.
During droughts, lithops survive by burrow
ing down into the soil. They leave just a tiny
portion of a clear area on the top of the short
ened leaf showing above the ground. It is
through this little window that they allow light
in, so that photosynthesis can take place.
They also have a long taproot to enable
them to reach any moisture lower down in the
soil layer. Lithops are also called flowering
stones.
54 Tel l Me Why
urassic Plant
Welwitschia mirabilis is a plant
that is considered to be a living fossil.
It goes back to prehistoric times, to
the Jurassic period, when similar
plants known as gymnosperms flourished on Earth.
Living Baseball Plant
What is a living base

ball?
A living baseball is
a plant that looks just
like a baseball.
Found in South Afri
ca, this plant has the
size and shape of a
baseball. It can grow
to a height of 20 centimetres with a
diameter of around 1 0 centimetres. Ouch! This
This ball shaped, dwarf succulent bal l pokes and
hurts!
plant is a mottled grey green in colour,
with dull purple bands. Living baseball
plants are so very well camouflaged
that it is often difficult to spot one.
Because of this, animals generally
leave it alone. The plant also has a
milky latex which is toxic.
Contact with the latex can cause irri
tation of the skin, so it is a useful safe
guard from pests for the plant.
55
Why is the welwitschia mirabi ribbons as they become tat
lis unique? tered with age. Scientists have
calculated that on an average,
T he welwitschia mirabilis is a welwitschias are 500 to 600
wonderful, but weird looking years old.
plant that consists of just two Welwitschia Mirabilis

leaves, a stem base, and a
root. Its leaves are unique in Some of the larger speci
that they are never shed . mens are even 2000 years old !
They are the original leaves So, is it any wonder that
from when the plant was a these plants are called living
seedling, and they just contin fossils?
ue to grow. The plant is highly special
These broad leathery strap ised, and is adapted to grow
shaped leaves lie on the under the arid conditions and
ground, and become torn to dense fog of the Namib Desert.
56 Tell Me Why
How do some types of cactus
camouflage themselves?
C actus plants have found

different ways to disguise
themselves to avoid being
attacked by plant eating ani
mals.
The sea urchin cactus, for
example, is in the form of a
small sphere with a spiny
shell. The skeleton of a sea
urchin is made up of packed
fitted plates that protect the
plant.
The spines outlining the Cactus
shell are movable, and help
the sea urchin cactus to cam u s . It looks like a small ribbed
ouflage itself. These plants ball, rather than a plant. This
do not look like plants at all. fools plant eating animals into
They resemble sea urchins leaving it alone!
that have been left behind
when desert floods recede
No plants
after the rains.
here, only
Another example of a cac balls.
tus that disguises itself is the
winkler cactus, found in the
57
What are the features of the rose of Jer
icho?
T he rose of Jericho is not a rose at all,

but a desert plant. It is found in the Dead
Sea Valley near Jericho, and in parts of
Africa as well as the Chihuahuan desert.
These plants have the remarkable
ability to survive in a curled up, dor
mant, brown, dried up state during
droughts- for years, if need be.
They then open up, and turn green
with when it rains. After becoming a
Expensive
lovely green, they go dormant again
when their water source is removed, Tulips
and can be revived once more when it Do you know
rains. what tullpma
This cycle can be repeated for years nia isl lt is a
and years. The plant also has the amaz term used to
ing ability to preserve its seeds for describe a craze
years, and to come to life again upon for tulips. Tulips

were highly
receiving water.
prized flowers
Due to that quality, it has been nick
during the
named the 'resurrection plant' symbol
1 6005. In fad, at
izing the resurrection of Jesus.
one time, their
bulbs were
worth more
than gold!
Rose of Jericho
Tel l Me Why
Why is the water hyacin.th Water Hyacinths
a nuisance?
transport seeds to new locations.
Water hyacinths are Water hyacinth mats clog water
aquatic plants. It has thick ways, making boating and fishing
round glossy leaves, and impossible. They make the quality
large, beautiful purple or of water poor, by blocking the light
violet flowers, but unfortu entering the water and reducing
nately this beauty is a nui oxygen levels underwater. This is
sance to the environment. very harmful to fish and underwa
This is because the water ter plants.
hyacinth spreads very rap
idly to form large green Oops! stuck
mats covering vast areas up in a sea of
of fresh water. Individual hyacinths.
plants break off the mats,
and can be dispersed by
wind and water currents. A
single plant can produce
as many as 5,000 seeds,
and waterfowls eat and
What are the features of the Amazon Water Lily
Amazon water lily?
Otherwise, the leaf would
T he Amazon water lily is an . sink under its own weight !
amazing aquatic plant. Its The Amazon water lily
leaves are huge and can be up defends itself from fish and
to 2.4 metres across. other aquatic animals, with
An adult can sit comfortably sharp spines located on the
on a leaf without sinking. Air u nderside of flower buds, leaf
pockets help the leaf to stay stalk, and the leaves them
afloat. When the river is in selves.
flood, the leaf stalks grow with The white flowers can be 30
the rising water, and can be up cm high. They open in the
to 6 metres long. evening, and have a fragrance
The leaf surface is smooth similar to that of pineapples.
and rubbery, and has a rim cut These flowers change colour
with deep notches to let rain from white to pink in the cou rse
water escape. of a day.
60 Tel l Me Why
Taro Plants Why are taro leaves called nature's
umbrellas?
Taro plants are also known as

elephant's ears for their huge
leaves.
The plant has the largest undivid
ed leaf in the world- sometimes a
Rain . . . rain . . .
leaf can be as wide as a double

come again ...
bed ! The leaves roll out from stems

that rise from the ground, to a height
of almost 1 .8 metres.
They are a bright green in colour
and heart shaped. Found along
streams and in swampy areas of
southeast Asia, the leaves are used
as umbrellas by the local people.
Hence, the taro leaf is often called
nature's umbrella. Taro leaves
have a substantial amount of Vita
min A and C. They are used in
many dishes, but they must be well
cooked before they are eaten .
AMAZING WORLD O F PLANTS 61
l Doll's Eye
c}tJt t). The baneberry is a small plant found in
North American forests. Its berries are
rather creepy looking, for they resemble a
doll's eyes. These berries are very
poisonous too.
What is special about Desmo aphore plant. These names

dium gyrans? refer to the leaf movements of
D
the Desmodium gyrans.
esmodium gyrans is a plant The plant is made up of a set
with many names. It is also of leaflets-one larger, and two
called dancing grass, hedysar smaller leaflets - that are con
um, telegraph plant, and sem- nected by a hinge, which
allows the leaflets to lift and
rotate itself.
These hinged leaves
respond to changes in warmth
and light with fluttering move
ments. So, when sunlight falls
on the leaves, they appear to
dance!
The rhythmic up and down
movements of the leaf also
resemble semaphore signals.
In fact, to some people, it
looks as though the plant is
sending a telegraphic mes
sage. In the wild, these danc
ing plants are commonly seen
in Asian countries.
Desmodium Gyrans
Tel l Me Why
hollow stems, which can reach a height
of up to 30.4 metres.
Because it is lightweight, yet extreme
ly strong, the giant bamboo is an excel
lent building material . It is used by half
the world's people, in thousands of
products from huge skyscraper scaf
folding to tiny gramophone needles,
and from slide rules, to skins of aero
planes. This unique grass can be used
to start a cooking fire in a wet rainforest,
and its ashes can be used to polish jew
els and manufacture electric batteries.
It is used in the manufacture of bicy
cles, windmills, musical instruments,
and paper. The giant bamboo is used to
build walls strong enough to resist
floods and tide, and bridges up to 260m
Why is the giant bam long in China. It is truly one of the won
boo a plant wonder? ders of the plant world.
T he giant bamboo is
a grass - but one that
is u nique. To begin
with, it is the fastest
growing plant on our
planet.
A young giant bam
boo can grow up to a
metre in just 24 hours!
Found in tropical and
subtropical lands, the
giant bamboo, has
Bamboo
AMAZI NG WORLD OF PLANTS 63

Mexican ferns
Big Headache
The water hyacinth
is a plant that is
causing great
problems in
tropical countries.
It is called the
world's worst
What are the features of the Mexican aquatic weed. It
fern plant? grows and spread
The Mexican fern is found in tropi

so rapidly. Water
hyacinth is difficult
cal forests. It is one of the slowest to control in all
growing plants in the world. It grows freshwater aquatic
even slower than our fingernails do. environments.
Our fingernails grow at the rate of
3 mm every month, but the Mexican
fern grows hardly 1 mm a year! In What makes the baobab
fact, records show that one Mexican tree so unusual?
fern managed to grow just 1 0 cm in
1 20 years, which is even less than The baobab tree is
1 mm a year. found in Africa, Mada
Luckily, these ferns live for an gascar and Australia,
amazingly long time. A fully grown and has many unusual
adult fern can be 2000 years old. features.
In these 2000 years, the fern would To begin with, it is
have reached a height of just 1 . 5 shaped like a bottle, and
metres! is therefore, also called
64 Tel l Me Why
Help! depend on its fruit
Water, water, that is rich in vita
everywhere . . min C. The pollen
can be u sed as
"
glue, and th e seeds
are rich in protein,
and phosphates.
The seeds can
also be roasted and
ground like coffee
beans.Young leaves
the bottle tree. These weirdly shaped have high calcium
trees can also store up to 300 litres of content and can be
water, which is very useful in the drought used like spinach.
ridden regions where it is grows. The trunk is
The Bushmen-oldest in habitants of fibrous, and can be
Africa- believed that the baobab had woven into rope
offended God and , in revenge, God mats and paper,
planted the tree u pside down . Certain while tea and other
ly, when wi nter comes, the baobab products can be
resembles a mass of roots pointing made from the bark!
towards the sky! The baobab is u sefu l
i n many ways. Elephants and baboons Baobab Trees
What is special about duck Duckweeds
weeds?
when it flowers, it produces the
D uckweeds are special. tiniest blooms on earth. Duck
Wolffia, the smallest flowering weed is found almost every
plant comes under this genus. where, except on the
It is so small that some varie permanently frozen poles.
ties can pass through the eye Most species are, however,
of a needle. These aquatic found in tropical and temper
plants look like green specks ate regions. Duckweeds is a
floating on the surface of a source of food for waterfowl,
pond. Duckweed has no and even people in parts of
stems, and no leaves. Some southeast Asia such as Thai
may have tiny roots. It is basi land. It also provides shelter
cally a green sphere, and for pond animals.
Tallest Tree
The world's tallest tree is the coast red
wood. It grows in natural stands in a long,
thin coastal area along the Pacific Ocean
in the west and north-west of the USA.
66 Tel l M e Why
What is a corpse flower?
The corpse flower is not

a single flower. It is one of
the world's largest, and
rarest flowering struc
tures, that can be as tall,
or even taller than an
adult.
This pungent plant
blooms rarely- only once
in 40 years- and then,
only for a short time.
While it is in bloom, the
flower emits a strong
odour similar to rotting
meat, or a decaying
corpse.
The smell, colour, and
even temperature of
corpse flowers attract
dung beetles, flesh flies
and other carnivorous
insects.
These insects typically
eat dead flesh. The smell,
and the dark burgundy
colour of the flower are
meant to imitate a dead
animal to attract them.
These insects help in
the pollination of the
corpse flower.
Corpse Flower

Why are giant kelp underwater Giant Kelp
forests amazing?
Under favourable conditions,
G iant kelp is the largest giant kelp grows at such speed
algae on the planet. It is rooted that it forms thick strands that
into the seabed, and grows make up vast forests underwa
towards the surface very rap ter.
idly. These forests have different
However, instead of tree-like tiers like the tropical rainfor
roots, kelp has 'anchors' called ests, with the topmost layer
holdfasts, which grip underwa forming a canopy. G iant kelp
ter rocks and soil. forests support thousands of
Gas bladders are another species of marine life.
unique feature of kelp. They California sea lions, harbour
keep the upper portions of the seals, sea otters, and whales
seaweed afloat. In addition to may feed in the kelp or shelter
being the biggest seaweed, it in the kelp, to escape storms
is also the fastest growing. or predators.
68 Tel l Me Why
Giant Sequoia
The giant sequoia is an evergreen plant.
These trees can grow to monumental
heights. They are also known as the
sierra redwood, or giant redwood.
What is an ant plant? stem die so that a cavity is formed. This

cavity can house a complete ant colo
The ant plant is a ny. The ants survive on the nectar pro
plant that depends on duced by the plant.
ants for its survival. It In return, the plants absorb the left
is common in south over nutrients produced by the ants.
east Asia, and has The ants also act like security guards,
just a single leafy, and protect the plant from other insects.
swollen stalk. So, it is a win-win situation for both the
As the plant grows, ant and the plant. Ant plants are also
tissues within the found in Australia.
Ant Plant
69
Why are giant sequoias
fascinating?
G iant sequoias are

believed to be the big
gest, and heaviest sin
gle living thing on
Earth.
Some of these trees
are over 9 1 metres tall,
around 1 0 metres wide,
and about 3000 years
old.
The oldest giant
sequoia is estimated to
be 3,500 years old,
based on the ring count.
The bark of the tree is
fibrous, and the leaves
are evergreen. The tree
bears cones which con
tain the seeds.
At any given time, a
mature tree may have up
to 1 1 ,000 cones and
may disperse up to
300,000 to 400,000
seeds per year!
This giant occurs natu
rally in groves on the
western slope of the
Sierra Nevada Moun
tains of California.
Giant Sequoia
Tel l Me Why
How does the banyan tree Banyan Tree
grow?
The dark green leaves of the
B anyan trees are one of the tree are large and leathery. An
most spectacular trees in the old banyan tree can reach
world. A fully grown banyan more than 1 99 metres in diam
tree looks like a group of trees, eter and can be as tall as 29
some of them have even 1 000 metres.
trunks. Historical records say that
These 'trunks' are actually Alexander the Great camped
rope like roots that grow down under a banyan tree that was
wards from the branches. large enough to provide shel
When the roots reach the ter to his army of 7000 men.
ground, they anchor them Found in India and Sri Lan
selves to the soil and become ka, it is considered to be a
individual trunks. scared tree, and is the national
The tree bears fruits that tree of our country.
look like figs. The fruits, which Its huge structure, deep
appear red in colour when roots, and branches symbolize
matured, are not edible. the country's unity in diversity.
A MAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 71
Why are plants in the island of
Socotra extreme survivors?
S ocotra, which forms a part of Yem

en is an extremely isolated and inhos
pitable place.
Some people call it the most alien
looking place on the planet, and many
of the plants found here are not found Alone in
anywhere else on Earth. The climate the Sea
is hot, dry, and harsh, and yet the Socotra's isolation
most amazing forms of plant life sur has made it a jewel
vive in these extreme conditions. of biodiversity.
A good example is the umbrella Rising in solitary
shaped plant known as dragon's splendour from
blood tree. The trees and plants of the Arabian Sea, it
this island have been preserved in is one of the World
their original form for up to 20 million Heritage Sites
years in some cases, because of the recognized by
island's isolation from the rest of the UNESCO .
world.
72 Tel l Me Why
What makes the island of Mad
agascar unique in the world of
plants?
M adagascar, off the coast of

Africa, is an island of many
plant wonders.
Because it has been cut off
from the rest of Africa, many
unusual plants have evolved
here which are not found any
where else in the world. For wispy stems. The Didiereace
example, six of the eight spe ae plant is unique to Madagas
cies of baobab trees are found car.
only on this island. Didiereaceae plants are
Similarly, 95 per cent of the found in the arid southwest,
palm species found in Mada and closely resemble some
gascar cannot be seen any forms of cacti. There are 900
where else on the planet. species of orchids here, and
There are weird looking for 90 per cent of them are exclu
ests of spiny trees and plants sive to this plant heaven .
like the octopus tree and Mad
agascan ocotillo, which have Island of Madagascar
Svalbard
Why is the Tepuis an interesting place?
T epuis are flat table-top mountains

found in the Guayana Highlands of
South America, especially in Venezue
la.
The tepuis have almost sheer verti
cal flanks, and many rise as much as
BuHereups 1 ,000 metres above the surrounding
Buttercups are
jungle. The tallest of them are over
pretty flowers. 3,000 metres tall.
However, their The highest layers of rock were
scientific name formed by sand settling on the bottom
'Ranunculus' is of oceans more than two billion years
Latin for 'little ago. The sandstone was later lifted,
frog'. Most and became dry land. Because they
inappropriate! are cut off from the rest of the world by
. Sneha Rao the surrounding forest, the plants
foun here have been living in seclu-
74 Tel l Me Why
Why can only tough plants but actually lichen. It gets its
survive in Svalbard? name from the fact that it pro
S
vides food for the reindeer
valbard, on the fringes of which is found in abundance
the Arctic Ocean, is an island here.
that is a part of Norway. Composed of many light and
It is a cold and lonely place, dainty branches, reindeer
and plants find it tough to sur moss grows in cushion like
vive in the freezing tempera tufts. It is found growing in
tures. Covered with bare rocks, pockets of soil attached to
glaciers, ice and snow, the rocky outcrops. It is a tough
most common form of vegeta plant that has no difficulty sur
tion seen here is reindeer viving the icy, prolonged win
moss. This is not a moss at all, ters of this island.
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I want
honey...
Tepuis
sion for thousands of years. Many of

these plants are carnivorous. These
include the tepuis sundew, the tepuis
pitcher plant, and tepuis bromeliads. In
fact, the area is full of strange geological
formations and weird plants.
What makes Giant lobelias unique? and the fur protects
them from the frost.
T he giant lobelia is a spectacular plant This species, which
that grows over 1 .8 metres tall, with a is popularly called
towering flower spike. the 'ostrich plume
One species survives in regions where plant' was, discov
most plants either wither and die because ered by the explorer
of the heat, or are frozen to death. Teleki, and is found
It is found mostly in Mount Kenya's only on Mount Ken
rocky valleys, at a height of 5000 metres ya.
The furriness
which gives this
giant lobelia such
an amazing quality
acts as insulation
for the delicate flow
ers. It is perhaps
the only plant in the
world that could
fairly be described
as cuddly.
Which are the

plants of the Namib
Desert?
Giant Lobelia
The Namib Desert
is a cool coastal
above sea level. During the day, it is desert in Africa.
extremely hot, but at night the tempera It is considered to
tures drop to below freezing. be the oldest desert
The plant is able to cope with these in the world, and is
extreme conditions because its leaves home to a variety of
are furry. During the day, the fur acts like plant life. Plants
a sunscreen. At night, the leaves close up include the unusu-
76 Tel l Me Why
ai-looking welwitschia plant, Namib Desert
which resembles a small wilted
shrub. which explains why its Afri
Consisting of just two main can name means
leaves that spread out over the 'semi-human ' when translat
sands of Namib Desert, this ed to English.
plant looks like it is wilting almost The kokerboom plant fea
as soon as it begins to sprout, tures smooth branches con
because its leaves hang low to taining a light powder that
the ground. It also has a mal reflects sunlight. The lichen
nourished appearance, as the is the most common plant in
leaves have a brown colou ring . this vast desert region. It
Then there is halfmens plant draws moisture from fog that
which can be mistaken for a is common on west-facing
human being from a distance- slopes in the Namib Desert.
Is this
a dead plant?____--=
77
Is there plant life in the
polar regions?
I t is very difficult for

plants to survive in the
polar regions, because
of the extreme cold. I n
spite of this, certain
plants can be found
here.
These are generally
algae, fungi, and lichens.
The dahurian larch is even close to the North Pole, and is
among the few trees the world's most northerly conifer. It
found here. It is found has bright green needles that turn
What are the plants 50 to 90 days. Arctic plants have a

found in the tundra? very short growing season. Howev
P
er, in spite of all this, there are
lants need warmth approximately 1 ,700 kinds of plants
and sunlight to grow and that live in the Arctic tundra. Some
reproduce.
In the Arctic tundra,
warmth and sunlight are
in short supply. Only
plants with shallow root
systems grow in the Arc
tic tundra, because the
permafrost prevents
plants from sending their
roots down past the
active layer of soil .
The active layer of soil
is free from ice for only
78 Tel l Me Why
Polar Regions
ing the icy polar winds that can

rip a plant to shreds. They
grow in groups, so that the out
side plants can protect the
inner and middle plants.
Some polar plants live only
as seeds during winter, and
bloom when summer comes.
Another defence mechanism
developed by polar plants is
yellow in fall , before falling to that their sap does not freeze.
the ground. Polar plants have If it did, the plant stems would
devised ways to stay alive dur- burst!
of the plants that live in the Tundra in Autumn

Arctic tundra include mosses,
lichens, low-growing shrubs, fact, 'tundra' is a Finnish word
and grasses-but no trees. In which means 'treeless'.

Buttercups
Why is the mountain buttercup a har
dy plant?
There are nearly 2000 species of

What makes saguaros
special among cacti?
buttercups that mostly inhabit the
northern hemisphere. The saguaro is a
Buttercups are usually found in cold large tree-sized cac
and temperate regions. They can tus. It is found in the
grow from 35 to 40 cm in height and Sonoran Desert of Ari
have cup-shaped flowers, yellow flow zona.
ers, composed of five petals. These plants can live
Mountain buttercups are a species from 1 50 to 200 years.
that can be seen in the Himalayas. They will normally
They grow even as high as 6400 reach heights of 1 2
metres up the mountain slopes. At metres. However, they
such a height, the air is very thin, and grow very slowly, and it
the climate is far too cold for most takes 200 years for
plants. them to reach their full
Yet the mountain buttercup survives height.
bravely in this environment. Mountain A saguaro cactus'
buttercups are the highest known most distinctive fea
flowering plant, and they bloom every tures are its arms. Eve
year. ry aspect of this plant is
80 Tel l Me Why
specifically designed to th rive
in the sometimes harsh Son
oran Desert. The skin of the
saguaro cactus is covered
with a thick waxy coating
that waterproofs the plant,
and reduces water lost to the
air.
It is also covered with hard
spines and flexible bristles as
a method of defending the
water stored inside.
The interior of the cactus is
filled with a sponge-like tissue,
which is used to hold the water.
As more and more water
gets stored, the skin of the
cactus begins to expand, mak
ing room for more storage. As
a result, the saguaro cactus
can become quite heavy. At its
full height, a saguaro can
weigh over a tonne.
Saguaro Cactus
Look!
He is ready
for a fight.
81
What makes the boojurr
different?
B oojum trees are found

on rocky hillsides and
alluvial plains where
Namib water is rare and temper
atures may be extreme.
The word namib means
'vast place.' It is a perfect
The 'tree' is actually a
description of the immense
striking cacti with an
Namib Desert. upright form. Boojums in
Dev Nath the wild have been found
to be 21 to 24 metres in
height.
The trees have tiny blu
ish-green leaves that drop
off when the plant reach
es dormancy.
Its wood is very soft, so
as a result, the tree
begins to sag as it grows.
Some trees sag so much
that their tips touch the
ground !
The swollen trunk base
is often hollow and pro
vides a habitat for honey
bees.
Their fantastic form
resembles an upside
down carrot and groups
of them create quite an
astounding display.
Boojum Tree
Tel l Me Why
Pitcher Plant
A team of botanists, led

by British experts Stewart
McPherson and Alastair
Robinson, found the plant
on Mount Victoria in the
Philippines in 2007.
They named the plant
after Sir David Attenbor
ough, a natural history
broadcaster, whose work
has inspired generations
toward a better under
standing of the beauty and
diversity of the natural
world.
What is special about the Atten The pitchers are up to
borough's pitcher plant? 30 cm in height, and each
one can devour even ani
The Attenborough's pitcher plant mals as big as rats for
is the largest among all the pitcher lunch ! The plant lures in
plants- and also the largest among the rats with the smell of a
meat-eating shrubs. liquid in the pitcher that
the rodent finds irresisti
ble. When it leans down to
Come on!
sip the liquid, the rat slips
Free food and
lodging!
on the pitcher's waxy inte
rior, and gets stuck in the
gooey sap.
Once it is trapped, acid
like enzymes break down
the still-living rodent. So
this pitcher plants is a very
effective mousetrap!
What are the features of the western
underground orchid?
The western underground orchip is

a really strange plant. It spends its
entire life underground!
This amazing plant is found only in
Western Australia. The plant spend
its entire growth cycle below the suri
face of the ground.
Even when it flowers, the blooms
are several centimetres below the soil
surface. Unlike most other plants, this
orchid does not photosynthesize its
own food. Rather, it gets its nutrients
from a fungus associated with the
roots of the broom brush shrub.
What is fascinating is the very tight
Underground Orchid relationship between the orchid, the
fungus, and the broom bush. In fact,
the seeds of this orchid can germinate
only when infected by this particular
fungus . . . and that too, only if the fun
gus is actually living on the roots of
the broom bush!
Red Alert
The western underground orchid
" is a very rare plant indeed. It is
thought that there are only 50
such plants left in the world! The
plant is therefore, classified as vulnerable on the 1 997
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.
84 Tel l Me Why
Cycads
Where is the Venda cycad seen? i ng plants appeared on
C
the Earth. Cycads can sur
YCadS are group of unique vive in different conditions
plants that appeared on the plan in tropical rainforests,
et 280 million years ago. deserts, swamps, and rocky
These plants were dominant areas.
d u ring the Jurassic and Triassic Cycads have cylindrical
periods. The number of cycads woody stem without branch
started to decline when flower- es. The stem is covered
with corky bark. One of the
I l ove rarest of cycads is the Ven
my plants. da cycad.
People collect them for
ornamental purposes, and
today, it is one of the nine
most threatened plants in
the world.
This hairy plant is found
only in the Limpopo prov
ince of South Africa, but
there are unconfirmed
reports that this plant has
become extinct in the wild.
What is a jellyfish tree? ductive parts of the flower
T he jellyfish tree
resemble the tentacles of a jel
is a very Iyfish . . . hence its name. The
unusual tree that grows on seeds are dispersed by wind,
Mahe Island, Seychelles. which is uncommon among
It is currently one of the rar plants on small oceanic
est plant species in the world. islands, as the seeds can be
Its total population is fewer easily wasted by blowing into
than 30 plants scattered over the sea.
three hilltops on Mahe. The jel Jellyfish Tree

lyfish tree is a small tree that
grows only to a height of 1 0 The jellyfish tree was thought
metres or so. to be extinct until the 1 970s,
It has simple, leathery when a few trees were found,
leaves, and whitish red but the species is still on the
flowers. The female rep ro- brink of extinction.
86 Tell Me Why
Where can you find the poke Anegada
me-boy tree?
rise as a result of global cli
The poke-me- boy tree is an mate change.
extremely spiky shrub- hence The discovery of additional
its local name of 'poke-me specimens of poke-me-boy on
boy'. Fallen Jerusalem is cause for
U ntil recently, this tree was optimism.
found only in Anegada, a low Fallen Jerusalem is an unin
lying coral limestone island in habited island of the British
the British Virgin Islands. Virgin Islands in the Caribbe
It is an endangered species an.
because it is found only in a Although it is even smaller in
very small area, much of which size than Anegada, Fallen
is under threat from housing Jerusalem is already a Nation
and hotel developments. al Park where building is for
It could also face difficulties bidden, so as to save the
if sea levels around Anegada poke-me-boy tree.
How are
you little
fern?
just south of the Equator.

The plant has fronds that
have been described as
being, 'brittle, glistening,
pale but bright yellow
green when fresh'.
It was in 1 843 that the
botanist Joseph Hooker
discovered this tiny plant
on a visit to Ascension
Island.
However, the fern
decreased dramatically in
numbers u ntil the late
1 950s.
After that, botanists
Ascension Island thought that it had
become extinct since it
What is special about the Ascen could not be found in any
sion Island parsley fern? areas.
The Ascension Island parsley fern

In fact, the species was
thought to be extinct for
is a fern that resembles a miniature over 50 years, when four
parsley plant. This fern occurs only tiny plants were rediscov
on Ascension, a volcanic island in ered by conservation biol
the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, ogists in 2009.
88 Tel l Me Why
Coral Tree Why is the Lake Lutamba coral tree
critically endangered?
T he Lake Lutamba coral tree

belongs to the genus of 'coral trees'
which have beautiful red flowers and
spiny trunks.
The tree was first discovered and
collected in the 1 930s, in an area of
forest on the sides of Lake Lutamba, in
Rare to Find southern coastal Tanzania.
The Ascension It was declared extinct in 1 998. In
Island parsley 2001 , it was rediscovered in a small
fern, is now patch of unprotected forest- but
classified as became extinct again.
critically endan In 201 1 botanists from Tanzania's
gered plant.
University of Dar es Salaam managed
Radha Nair
to collect specimens with both flowers
and fruit.
Today, it is fou nd only in this one
locality- and there are only 1 2 mature
trees left. This has led to the species'
current status on the I UCN Red List as
critically endangered.
Robinson Crusoe Island Why is the Dendroseris nerii
folia unique?
Hurray,
we are team
O ne of the rarest trees in the
world is dendroseris neriifolia.
anti-gravity
There are only two trees
known to grow in the wild, in an
eroded ravine-Quebrada
Lapiz-in the eastern part of
Robinson Crusoe Island.
This island rose above the
sea level some 3.8-4.2 million
years ago and since it is so
isolated, its plant life is unique.
Dendroseris neriifolia is a
large tree-if it is allowed to
grow-with small yellow-white
Tel l Me Why
flowers and elongated What are the features of the Gibraltar
leaves. Just like other campion?
The
members of this genus,
this plant is endangered Gibraltar Campion is a very
by the introduced spe rare flowering plant fou nd on the high
cies of plants, soil ero cliffs of Gibraltar.
sion and especially by The plant was believed to be extinct
the grazing by rabbits. outside Gibraltar in the 1 980s. Unfor
In 201 1 there were tunately, in 1 992, all traces of this
known only two plants plant vanished completely, and it was
in the wilderness-both finally declared extinct.
in Quebrada Lapiz. Then in 1 994, a climber found a sin
Several more are being gle plant, high up on a cliff. The plant
grown in gardens in the was grafted at the Millennium Seed
main village of the Bank and specimens are now grown
island-San Juan Bautis at the Alameda Gibraltar Botanic Gar
ta. dens, as well as at the Royal Botanic
Hopefully, this plant Gardens in London.
will continue to survive, The Gibraltar Campion has pretty
and prove useful to pink and violet flowers, and it is heart
mankind in the future. ening to know that their beauty will
colour the Earth in the future too, as it
Gibraltar Campion has done in the past.
What makes the parrot's beak inter
esting?
The Parrot's Beak is one of the most

beautiful flowers, but unfortunately it is
also one of the rarest.
Found on Canary Islands, this beak
shaped flower loves to bloom in full Doubl
sunshine. The flower has been on the COCO U
decline, since 1 884, and is now pro
The world's larg
tected by law on the Canary Islands.
est seed is that of
The plant is a vine with orange-red or
the coc-de-mer,
red flowers.
which is also
The flowers appear to have been called the double
adapted for pollination by birds. In coconut tree.
fact, sunbirds used to be the main pol This palm tree is
linators. found in the Sey
As the sunbird population declined chelles.
in the Canary Islands, the plant suf
fered. The plant is now on the brink of
extinction. Parrot's Beak
tions - a garden in New Zea
land, and a greenhouse in
the UK.
The plant was originally
brought to the UK from Chi
na in 1 804 by John Mid
dlemist, a nurseryman, who
donated it to Kew Gardens
in London. It has since van
ished from there and has
become extinct in China
too. Middlemist Red belongs
to the camellia family of
flowers.
Camellias are evergreen
shrubs with large, beautiful
flowers. The colours of the
flowers vary from white
Middlemist Red through pink colours to red.
Truly yellow flowers are
What is the Middlemist red? found only in South China
and Vietnam. Funnily
T he Middlemist Red is possibly enough, Middlemist Red is
the rarest flowering plant in the not red at all, but a lovely
world. It is found in only two loca- pink!
OUI ,. One to Many
U

The Koki'o kokai tree is one of the
rarest trees in the world, found only
in Hawaii. One of the branches of the
last remaining tree was saved, and it
was grafted into 23 trees.

Why is the ghost orchid fascinating?
T he ghost orchid is a rare type of orchid

which is mostly found in Cuba and Florida.
These orchids like marshy places where it is
always humid and damp.
Ghost orchids do not have leaves. Their
green, white, and grey roots attach them
selves to a tree, and takes all the nourish
ment that the plant needs from the host tree.
Ghost orchids produce only one flower at a
time, but in rare cases, they can also produce
up to 1 0 flowers. It has also been observed
that mature plants of ghost orchids live a
number of years without flowering.
Flowers of ghost orchids appear between
May and August, and grow to a length of 1 0
to 1 2 cm. In appearance, the plant looks like
a ghost floating in air. That's the reason it is
called ghost orchid. Ghost Orchid
What makes the wolffia a Wolffia
wonder?
size of its parent, so you can
The wolffia is the smallest imagine how tiny the plant itself
flowering plant in the plant is.
kingdom. It is also known as In fact, if you tried to fill a thim
watermeal. ble with wolffia plants, it is esti
It is an aquatic plant that mated that you would need some
is found in quiet freshwater 5000 of them!
lakes, or marshes world
W here is
wide. Since the plants have the flower?
no roots, they can easily
float on the surface of the
water. The fruit of the wolffia
is also the smallest and
lightest in the world.
The fruits are only around
0.30 mm long, and weigh
about 70 micrograms. What
is amazing is that compared
to the size of the parent
plant, the fruit is huge. It is
about a third or more the
Corrections & Clarifications
Shankha Sinchan Saha, flow eastwards.
a student of Holy Angels' Dr. M . R . Ravikrishnan,
School, Katwa, points out a Coimbatore, points out
correction to the Tell Me Why another correction to the
issue on Our Rivers (June). same issue. On page 49, it
She refers to the mention is mentioned that the river
on Page 7, where it is Thamirabarani has a red
wrongly stated that the Nar dish tinge as it has small
mada and Tapti flow east amount of copper. Actually,
wards, while the rest flow the red colour is due to the
westwards. In fact, the Nar presence of oxides of iron.
mada and Tapti rivers flow Thank you readers for your
westwards while the rest valuable feedback. - Editor
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96 Tel l Me Why
I Wonder Why?
Question of the Month
Why is it necessary to close our

eyes when we sleep?
Rest your head on your pillow, and
close your eyes. A good night's
sleep awaits you . But wait! Why are
you closing your eyes? Is this neces
sary to sleep well?
For most people, closing one's
eyes while sleeping is necessary.
There are many reasons for this.
One is that it actually prevents for
eign objects from entering the eyes.
It also prevents the eyes from drying
out. If your eyes were open all night,
they would lose their moisture.
Another important reason is that
Question sent by: closing eyes allows the eye muscles
Nia Mithal, Lucknow on email to relax completely. So now, close
Send us your questions you r eyes and sleep tight!
E mail: tellmewhy@mmp.in Indhu Thomas

SCI ENCE
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MANORAMA TELL ME WHY AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS
Chief Editor: Ammu Mathew Editor-in-Charge: A.V. Harisanker*
Printed and Published by V. Sajeev George, on behalf of M.M. Publications ltd, P.B. No. n6, Konayam - 686001
at M.M. Publications ltd, P.B. No. 226, Kottayam - 686 001 and Malayala Manorama Press, Kottayam - 686 039
and published from M.M. Publications ltd, P.B. No. 226, Konayam - 686 001
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TELLMEWHY

November 2015 j Volume: 9 , No: 11

AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 5

T he creosote bush, also known as

'\' conserve water through slower

King Clone Creosote

C YCadS are tropical plants

One of the fastest growing plants is

What is remarkable about the 80,000 years ago. The trees

What is special about the

Why does Herod the Great's During excavations at the

AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 13

T he long, antler like

S panish moss is neither

M edusa's head, a flow

The mistletoe plant grows on a tree.

The broom rape is a

low flowers, and the sound of the

C astilleja, or the Indian paintbrush, is a very

How do dodders get food? completely dependent on t he host

This is the time

AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 27

What are the features

What is unusual about the

The dwarf mistletoe is a

The Cytinus hypocistis is

The red bartsia is an annual

This plant has medicinal An interesting fact about this

S ome plants can attract, trap, kill, and

P itcher plants look like

The liquid in the cup is no ordinary

S undew plants are found mostly

B ladderworts are float

hairs. The valve remains

T he Pinguicula gigantea is a tropi

to keep out rain water, and

What are the features of trumpet

S ome types of sarracenia are

As the liquid inside the cup of a pitc'her

P riCklY pears are found all over the

Conifers are not always green.

T he mullein is also known as bunny's

Why is resin important to coni

The foxglove is a plant that

F lamingo flowers are a type of anthurium

R U bber trees are found in tropical

that are deeply ser Nettle

AMAZING WORLD OF PLANTS 51

How does the holly tree prevent cater

Plant with T he holly is a small tree with ever

The dumb cane is a tropical

L ithoPS are very smart plants. They disguise

Living Baseball Plant

What is a living base

plant that consists of just two Welwitschia Mirabilis

C actus plants have found

T he rose of Jericho is not a rose at all,

years, and to come to life again upon for tulips. Tulips

Taro plants are also known as

leaf can be as wide as a double

bed ! The leaves roll out from stems

What is special about Desmo aphore plant. These names