Datura is the piercing flower of the devil. The most unusual flower on earth Datura in the open field

Black Lily

Black lily, bat, cat's whiskers, devil's flower - this is sometimes called this unusual flower because of the presence of "whiskers" - long threads. Tacca (Tacca leontopetaloides) is an evergreen, perennial plant. The flowers are an umbrella-shaped apical inflorescence, the leaves have a corrugated surface and an olive tint. Because of its very unusual appearance, this plant is very popular in Europe - it is grown in greenhouses and gardens, in addition, it bears fruit (the fruit is a berry) and blooms throughout the year.

Conditions for a flower

Recently, flower growers have been trying to adapt this type of plant for growing at home, but these experiments have not yet been very successful. Growing mainly on sea coasts and in tropical forests (Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mascarene Islands, Southwest, South Asia, northern Australia, Oceania), the flower prefers moist air and fertile, humus-enriched soil, but there are less whimsical species living in the savannah - with the onset of rains, such a takka quickly throws out its luxurious inflorescences above the ground, and during the period of drought, its aerial part dies off.

flower description

In height, the flower reaches from 40 centimeters to 1 meter, but the leontopetal takka is even more - 3 meters. Flowers can be white and purple (completely different shades), and even (very rarely!) Black. The plant is actively used in magical rituals, in everyday life, and even for cooking some dishes.

The rhizomes (they contain a large amount of starch, which is called the East Indian arrowroot) can be used to make bread, sweets, medicines, the stems are used to make hats and fishing tackle, and the young leaves and inflorescences are used for food.

Translated from Latin, "datura" means "datura", which is quite true, because the plant contains alkaloids that cause delirium and hallucinations. Even Indian sorcerers, in the homeland of the plant in Mexico, used its narcotic effect to conduct their rituals, and called it the "Devil's Grass".

But, despite its dangerous properties, this large and very original flower, of the nightshade family, is becoming more and more popular among gardeners today. Moreover, it is quite unpretentious, and it can be grown on a personal plot, right in the ground.

  • In nature, datura is an annual plant, but in room conditions it lives longer than usual, it only takes up a lot of space. She needs a spacious container, with a volume of at least 10 liters.
  • The place for planting datura should be chosen sunny, but protected from strong winds. In order for the plant to take root well, and snow-white bell flowers decorate your garden all summer, filling it with a delicate pleasant aroma, plant datura at the end of May, leaving a distance between flowers of at least one meter.
  • Both garden and indoor datura are watered daily during the warm period. If the weather is too dry and hot, you can water twice a day. Remember that the plant loves hard water, so once a season it needs to be watered with lime mortar. In winter, a flower growing at home, the amount of moisture is reduced.
  • It is necessary to feed the plant every week, using a complex mineral fertilizer, in the proportion: 20 grams per 10 liters. Indoor flower, no need to feed in winter.
  • Cut off, as a rule, a houseplant. Do this in the fall, after the datura has completely faded. A garden plant needs to regularly remove wilted flowers.

Reproduction methods

Propagation by cuttings is used to preserve the flower variety you like. This is done in the usual way: at the beginning of autumn, a young shoot is cut off from the plant and lowered into the water; the stalk that has taken root is planted in the soil; datura that has grown over the winter, at the end of May, is planted on a personal plot. Houseplant, can be propagated by cuttings all year round.

Datura seeds ripen in two months, on the very first flowers, and in order to collect them, gauze bags are put on the fruits. Propagation by seeds is carried out in early March. Before planting, the seeds are poured with hot water, and those that have sunk to the bottom of the container are used. They are planted in loose soil, because they do not germinate very well, and put in a warm place. After the seeds sprout, the seedlings are transferred to a cool, bright room. In late spring, datura is planted in the garden.

Soil for room datura

The soil for a houseplant should be loose and breathable. Usually, a little peat is poured at the bottom of the container, then a light soil mixture comes from the earth with humus, and wood ash is on top. Soil with the same composition can be used for planting seeds and cuttings.

In tropical countries, takka grows outdoors - on the sea coasts and in mountain rainforests, preferring a humid atmosphere. The local population calls this plant "black lily", "bat" or "devil's flower", associating terrible legends with it, but at the same time, the pulp of takka fruits is eaten, hats and fishing tackle are made from its stems, and flour is prepared from rhizomes for baking bread, sweets, medicines.


Takka contains alkaloid substances and is used in magical rituals. The powder of dried takka flowers also has interesting properties - it has a very high coefficient of volumetric expansion. Once in the stomach, it increases in volume up to 80-100 times its original volume.




The dark color of the flower is due to the fact that it is pollinated by carrion or dung flies, which are attracted by rotting remains. Insects are attracted by the shine of the cells on the “bottom” of the flower and the very faint smell of spoiled meat, almost imperceptible to humans. In addition, flies are attracted by large bracts in which you can spend the night, and juicy filamentous appendages are a real delicacy for insects. In nature, individual specimens reach 3 m in height. In Europe, these exotic plants are grown in winter gardens and greenhouses.









What flower is called the flower of the devil? and got the best answer

Answer from -<*PapAiY*>-[guru]
Family Taccaceae.
Origin tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
Evergreen tropical herbaceous plant, reaching 90-120 cm in height. One of the most amazing and bewitching flowers. In Malaysia, Takka is called the flower of the devil or the flower of the bat and legends and scary stories are associated with it. The flowers are framed by green bracts similar to the wingspan of a bat or butterfly with long, threadlike tendrils. The leaves are glossy, green (up to 45 cm long) on ​​long petioles growing from the base.
Prefers to grow in filtered light or shaded areas. The soil is loose, nutritious with a large amount of inert baking powder, well drained. pH= 5-6.5 Requires high ambient humidity and constant circulation of fresh air. Does not tolerate direct sunlight, excessively dry and warm air, overdrying and flooding of an earthen clod, alkaline soil. Grows best in moist greenhouses, in slightly acidic, loose soil. The temperature of the content is 20-22 ° C.
Propagated by rhizomes and seeds. Seeds before sowing are soaked for a day in hot water (40-50 ° C). It is sown on top of the planting mixture, based on peat and inert baking powder, lightly sprinkled on top, moistened, covered with a film and germinated in a warm, bright place for 1-9 months.
here you are please

Answer from Mikhail Mikhailovich[guru]
takka


Answer from Nikolai Basmanov[guru]
Actually, "Devil's Flower" is a movie.
"Devil's Flower" (2008)
Film companies
* Production: ZGfilm / Karo production, Russia, 2008
* Film distribution: Car rental
"Devil's Flower" (2008)
* mystic / melodrama
* Director: Ekaterina Grokhovskaya
* Screenplay: Ekaterina Grokhovskaya
Producer: Igor Zadorin
Cinematographer: Andrey Makarov
Artist: Ekaterina Grokhovskaya
Editing: Ekaterina Grokhovskaya
* Cast: Olga Khokhlova, Sergey Krapiva, Oleg Sukachenko, Marina Golub, Natalia Naumova, Alena Levkovich
College student Polina dreams of a mysterious flower on the gates of a medieval castle, which has an incredible power of attraction. She tells about the dream to her friend, who is fond of mysticism. Mysteriously, they find an ancient book and find in it an engraving depicting the same flower as in Polina's dream, as well as six mysterious blank pages...
At a polo tournament, Polina meets Sasha, the team's best player. A romantic relationship develops between them. But the dream and the book do not leave Polina alone, and now the mysterious Horseman appears to her in a dream. Polina is torn between reality and dreams, between love for Sasha and craving for the mysterious Rider. Meanwhile, ancient prints mysteriously appear on the blank pages of the book. The events depicted on them begin to take place in Polina's real life. Signs lead Polina to meet the mysterious Rider. Sasha is ready to fight for his love, but for this he will have to engage in a mortal battle with the Forces of Evil.


Answer from Olga Kutsova[guru]

In tropical countries, on the coasts and in mountain rainforests, TAKKA (Tacca Chantrieri) grows preferring a humid atmosphere. The local population calls this plant "black lily", "bat" or "devil's flower", associating terrible legends with it, but at the same time, the pulp of takka fruits is eaten, hats and fishing tackle are made from its stems, and flour is prepared from rhizomes for baking bread, sweets, medicines.
Takka contains alkaloid substances and is used in magical rituals. The powder of dried takka flowers also has interesting properties - it has a very high coefficient of volumetric expansion. Once in the stomach, it increases in volume up to 80-100 times its original volume.
The dark color of the flower is due to the fact that it is pollinated by carrion or dung flies, which are attracted by rotting remains. Insects are attracted by the shine of the cells on the “bottom” of the flower and the very faint smell of spoiled meat, almost imperceptible to humans. In nature, individual specimens reach 3 m in height. In Europe, these exotic plants are grown in winter gardens and greenhouses.
Takkas bloom and bear fruit almost all year round. Insects are attracted by the shine of the cells on the "bottom" of the flower and the very faint smell of spoiled meat, almost imperceptible to humans. In addition, flies are attracted by large bracts in which you can spend the night, and juicy filamentous appendages are a real delicacy for insects.



Devil flower (Tacca chantrieri)

In the tropical forests of Southeast Asia grows one of the most amazing and bewitching flowers, which is called "Takka-Bat", or "Devil's Flower", and legends and terrible stories are associated with it.

"> The flowers are framed by maroon, almost black, bracts, similar to the wingspan of a bat or butterfly with long, threadlike tendrils.

Takki settle in open and heavily shaded places, in savannahs, in thickets of bushes and in rain forests. They can be found on sea coasts and in mountainous tropical forests; sometimes at an altitude of up to 2100 m above sea level. Since ancient times, people have been using mealy tubers of tacca leontopetal, containing a very large amount (up to 25%) of starch, as a valuable food product.
Takki fruit in natural conditions almost all year round.

Young leaves and inflorescences, as well as the pulp of fruits, are used by the local population for writing, hats and fishing tackle are made from the stems, and flour for baking bread, sweets, and medicines are prepared from the rhizomes. In Europe, these plants are exotic, which are grown in winter gardens and greenhouses (in low-heated apartments, compared to our apartments, it is too cold for her).

Takki is grown not so much for the sake of beauty, but because of the unusual appearance. With a lily, and even more so with a bat, plants have nothing in common. They belong to the monotypic botanical family of such.
In nature, about 30 varieties of this flower are known, however, it is the "White Bat" that is especially popular with flower growers.

An unusually flowering plant, with chic white petal-wings resembling a bat, is called takka whole-leaved.

The purpose of the dark takka flowers is curious: being dim, they do not attract butterflies and pollinating birds. In addition, takki have almost no flavor.

With the appointment of bracts, in general, it is also clear - they most likely close the flowers and ripened pollen (and in no case should it get wet) from rain and dew. But why do we need long thread-like appendages, often also fleshy - it is not clear.
Nature is alien to the concept of pretentiousness, beauty for the sake of beauty, its beauty always matters and is always justified - if we do not see reasons for it, this does not mean at all that they do not really exist. And yet, in such cases, you just have to shrug your shoulders and enjoy the beauty of another amazing masterpiece of this great and unknown master.



The color of the bracts is most often white, dark brown, shades of purple or greenish-violet. The flower does not have pure black tones.

In some botanical gardens, there is a close species of whole-leaved tacca - Chantrier tacca. It is distinguished by larger broad leaves and numerous (up to 20 pieces) flowers - shiny, red-brown. Tacca Chantrier grows high in the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2000 m above sea level.

Here she is - the beautiful and terrible Takka, she is also Bat Flower, Black Lily, Devil Flower, Cat Whiskers.

Original entry and comments on

Up