Nature’s plants and flowers have some of the most unique and authentic forms of artwork incorporated right into the body of the flower or plant itself. This can be seen either during the growth process or once it has bloomed into its mature form. Curiously, some of these manifestations wind up resembling human characteristics, and whether that is a neat trick of evolution or it’s just the way we perceive it may remain a mystery for all time. Check out these five flowers and plants that look like people in one way or another.
1. Psychotria Elata
Psychotria elata live in the tropical rain forest areas of Central and South America. The bracts of this flowering plant look just like a pair of lips in shiny red lipstick, lending to the common nickname “hot lips.” Once the bracts open to reveal tiny white blooms, the human lip-like illusion fades away.
2. Actaea Pachypoda
Actaea pachypoda is commonly known as “doll’s eye” or “white baneberry”. It appears to be a big jumble of eyeballs just waiting to be placed in someone’s head. It is native to eastern North America, and despite its rather comical appearance, Actaea pachypoda is no joke. The leaves and berries contain toxins that can cause cardiac arrest and death if consumed by humans.
3. Chinese Fleeceflower
Although not technically a flower or a plant like the other entries on our list of plants that look like people, the roots of the Chinese fleeceflower look like little deformed human bodies clinging together. Sometimes the features are so clear that you can see even the most intricate details of the body on these plants.
4. Orchis Italica
Orchis italica, while sounding like an awesome band name, is the scientific name given to an orchid that is more commonly referred to as the “naked man orchid”. You don’t have to look too closely to see why. The blooms of this Mediterranean plant bear all the, ahem, appendages of a naked man. Plys, their petals grow in massive clusters, no doubt recalling for some the days of ancient Roman baths.
5. Johnny Jump Up Violet
The Johnny Jump Up violet is one of the most commonly found wildflowers in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. They also live aberrantly in regions of Hawaii, the Andes, and Australasia. Their petal arrangement and markings give them the appearance of a scrunched up human face, like it just tasted a sour lemon. Even Walt Disney thought so, as the Johnny Jump Up violet was featured in the 1951 classic Alice in Wonderland.
Featured Image from Hidde Joustra/Unsplash
