1. Trees know how to “give birth” and “raise children”

That is the umbrella parrot,  also known as  the protruding parrot (scientific name Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. ); a species of mangrove plant belonging to the family Rhizophoraceae ; The tree is usually 7 – 20 m tall, sometimes up to 35 m.

Areas considered native to the species include: Caroline Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands, Nauru, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Queensland, New Guinea, Territories Northern, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, Nanseishoto, Borneo, Jawa, Hainan, Christmas Island, Southeast China, Cambodia, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nicobar Islands, Archipelago Andaman, India (including Andhra Pradesh), Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Aldabra, Seychelles, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique Channel Islands, Tanzania, Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Province and including Vietnam Male.

It is known that this is a small tree, up to 10 m high. The tree grows along the coast or in mangrove forests, often living with trees of the genus Rhizophora. The bark is rough, reddish brown. The flowers are creamy white and soon turn brown. The sepals are elongated, narrow and slightly pointed. When mature, the diamond-shaped fruit falls into the mud in a vertical position, after which it quickly grows roots.

Parrot trees are distributed mainly in Asian countries with tropical climates. In our country, parrot trees often grow in coastal localities such as the Central Coast region, Southern provinces from Dong Nai to Ca Mau.

What makes the parrot plant so special and strange that few other plants can do is its magical ability to “give birth”. Basically, like other plants and trees, black parrot trees also reproduce and maintain their species by flowering and pollinating to create seeds. However, while the seeds of other plants separate from the mother’s body, fall to the ground, absorb nutrients from the ground and take root, sprouting into seedlings, the seeds of the parrot plant are sprout into seedlings right on the stem of the mother plant.

When they are “nourished” by the mother tree, develop to a certain level and have the ability to live independently, then the baby black parrots will separate from the mother’s trunk, fall into the mud, take root and feed themselves. self. In other words, this strange way of “giving birth” and “raising babies” of the black parrot tree is similar to the reproductive phenomenon of animals: after pregnancy and giving birth, the “mothers” will Raise and take care of their children until they are “full-fledged” and capable of living independently before letting them leave.

This is an extremely rare phenomenon in plant species in the world and in Vietnam, and the current parrot tree is the typical example of this strange ability. The reason the tree has this characteristic is also to adapt to the living environment in mangrove areas. If it reproduces in the normal way, the tree seeds will be washed away, unable to take root and grow.

2. Exotic plants of Vietnam – Peach seeds

Cashew nut or Cashew , English name is Cashew (Scientific nomenclature Anacardium occidentale L.). This special name comes from the fact that the fruit of this tree has an extremely unique shape, consisting of 2 separate parts, the lower part is a bit like a peach, lean and succulent, with a “seed” attached to it. bean-shaped with a hard, dark shell. If you look directly at both parts, it looks like a peach with the seeds lying on the outside, not inside like other common fruits. But in fact, this “seed” is the real fruit, and the succulent peach-shaped “fruit” is transformed into a flower base. 

In Vietnam, cashew trees are grown a lot in the southern mountainous provinces such as Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc. 

3. The tree has only one leaf

Yes, that is the one-leaf orchid , or Thanh Thien Anemone; White buffalo feet; White pearls; Pearl phyllo; One-leaf orchid; Flag spread; Buttercup; Nervilia fordii Schultze is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family. This species was (Hance) Schltr. First scientific description in 1911. This plant is both ornamental and has medicinal properties.

One-leaf orchids often grow in rock holes or on soil with lots of litter under the canopy of moist forests or forests on limestone mountains in the northern provinces and in Kon Tum and Lam Dong. The plant’s tubers are used as an antidote, to cool the lungs, to treat long-term coughs, tuberculosis, bronchitis. Chewing fresh tubers can reduce thirst and nourish the body. Because of its great value, the tree is often exploited to sell across the border.

See details about One Leaf Tree

4. Exotic plants of Vietnam – Flowers “bloom only once in 3000 years”

You heard right, this flower that “blooms only once every 3,000 years” is the Udumbara flower (Sanskrit: uḍumbara), according to Buddhism, this is the flower of the fig tree (Ficus racemosa ) .In Buddhist and Vedic scriptures, this is a rare and auspicious flower. This species is found in many places of Vietnam such as Phu Yen and Hai Phong. According to legend, the Udumbara flower is a legendary flower. It takes 3,000 years for this flower to bloom once and it is also a sign of an upcoming king. 

In terms of characteristics, flowers have a fragile shape like strands of hair. These flowers bloom early in the morning, then close in the midday sun. Each flower has a diameter of 1 mm long. With magical abilities, it can live on any surface it accidentally clings to. The flower tree has many branches, blooming tiny white or light blue flowers, the flower buds are shaped like a tiny egg, and the flowers have a gentle scent of sandalwood.

In Vietnam, this flower is still controversial in the scientific community. Some biological experts believe it could be a fungus; Many theories say it is an “insect egg”, but monk Thich Nguyen Duc said Uu Dam is only symbolic. 

5. Exception – Peanut tree

Tree with fruit in the soil – peanut tree or  Peanut,  peanut  (Southern dialect) (scientific nomenclature Arachis hypogaea ). It’s quite hard to believe that the peanut tree is on this list, but have you noticed, in the Lac tree, some of the flowers growing above usually do not produce fruit, only the flowers growing below, growing towards the ground, produce fruit. Vietnamese people are often used to calling the parts of the plant that are not like roots but are located underground as “tubers” such as potatoes, cassava, carrots, or peanuts, no matter what part of the plant it turns into. So in your opinion, it should be called “peanuts” or “peanuts”, right?