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Wow, this plant certainly is one of the most bizarre-looking plants on our planet. It is the Hydnora africana, a parasitic plant that grows almost completely underground on the roots of shrubby plants in the arid desert regions of southern Africa. The only part that rises above the desert sand is its fleshy flower that looks more like the head of a blind snake!

Hydnora africana is one of the most bizarre looking and worst smelling plants on our planet!

Ow, did I tell you already it smells like feces too? In this way it attracts carrion and dung beetles, its natural pollinators. The salmon-red flower traps the beetles that enter, only to release them when the flower is fully opened.

Hydnora africana. Photograph: Martin Heigan

Experiencing the diverse tastes of fruit and vegetables everyday, knowing which is which might be taken for granted. However, there is much confusion about these terms. Furthermore, many true fruits are often regarded to be vegetables and vice versa. So, what is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

Many vegetables are biologically speaking actually fruits, while strictly speaking some culinary fruits may also be not be true fruits

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