10. Ghost Orchid
Not only rare but fascinating, the Ghost Orchid is a plant that was presumed to be wiped out for almost 20 years and only recently materialized again. The plant is so rare because it is near-impossible to propagate. It has no leaves and does not use photosynthesis to manufacture its own food. The Ghost Orchid can live subversive for years and is only found in forests in Cuba, and another diversity, in Florida. The flowers emit perfumed odors and bloom between the months of June and August.
9. Campion
The Campion, or Silene tomentosa, was initially considered to be an extinct species of flower by the scientific community in 1992. However, this was not quite the case. In 1994 a most fortuitous event occurred for Campion enthusiasts around the world. A hiker, working through the rugged and imposing cliffs of Gibraltar, stumbled upon a single Campion specimen. From here, the fate of one of the rarest flowers ever was drastically altered. Below is an image of the Red Campion in the wild.
8. Kadupul Flower
While the Kadupul Flower, otherwise referred to as Epiphyllum oxypetalum, is not on the brink of extinction, it is rare for an entirely different reason. This flower can be found only in the forests of Sri Lanka and blooms only during the nighttime hours. This blooming is exceedingly rare and is properly viewed only under the most specific of circumstances. Once the blooming process is complete, the flower withers before the approach of dawn. Why this process occurs is unknown to botanists.
7. Parrot’s Beak
The Lotus berthelotii, or Parrot’s Beak, is one of the more stunning additions to this list. With a long stalk that has several flowers attached to it, few plants showcase the beauty of this offering. Each flower resembles the curvature of a parrot’s beak, giving the flower its unique name. The coloring of the petals is often a dark orange, with tints of red at the tips an yellow at the base.
6. Chocolate Cosmos
Also referred to as the Cosmos atrosanguineus, the Chocolate Cosmos is an interesting and rare flower. This offering is no longer found in the natural world. Once, the plant was indigenous to many areas in Mexico. However, wild variations of the flower went extinct at the turn of the 20th century. Thankfully, the Chocolate Cosmos was preserved in captivity and saved from joining a long line of extinct flowers.
5. Youtan Poluo
The Youtan Poluo, which has not been ascribed a scientific name, has a unique and mystifying set of origin stories. One story recounts the tale of a Chinese farmer, known only as Mr. Ding, who found this plant growing in a steel pipe on his property. Likewise, a nun named Lushan found a specimen growing in the dark recesses beneath her washing machine. While these initial encounters in modern times are intriguing, the past also takes note of the Youtan Poluo which is picture below.
4. Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers
As far as unique and rare offerings go, few flowers can match the Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers, also known as Cypripedium calceolus. This member of the orchid family has an odd and intriguing history attached to it. Initially Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers were found across almost all of Europe and the United Kingdom as well. However, shifts in populations, changes in the environment, and a weak approach to adaptation in general forced this flower to the brink of extinction.
3. Jade Vine
Located exclusively in the Philippines, the Jade Vine, otherwise known as Strongylodon macrobotrys, is a beautiful and rare specimen. The physical characteristics of this plant can be described as delicate and fascinating. The woody vine is covered in claw shaped flowers, giving it a unique look. These claw-like outcroppings sprout from hanging trusses and can grow up to three meters in length. The coloring of the flowers varies between a shade of mint green and a blue green tint.
2. Corpse Flower
The Corpse Flower is an oddity, even among its rare flower brethren. Also known as the Rafflesia arnoldii in scientific terms, this plant is found only in low lying rainforests that are scattered across the various islands of Indonesia. What makes this plant so intriguing is that its survival is based off of the existence of another species of plant altogether. Without the Tetrastigma Vine, the Corpse Flower would have been pushed out of existence long ago.
1. Middlemist Red
Few flowers can compare to the rarity of the Middlemist Red or Middlemist’s Red. Also known as the Middlemist camellia, this flower was once indigenous to several regions in China. However, time and the expansion of the industrial world have altered this plant to the point of a severe decline in its population. How severe is this decline? Only two are left in the entire world. Below is an image of this extremely rare flower.
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