Misconceptions about plants

Baobab – the oldest organisms on Earth
Baobab really looks very impressive, but size does not always matter. It is thick because of the wood structure. Baobab, like cactus, accumulates large amounts of water, in fact, its trunk is a sponge. The age of these trees ranges from 1,000 to 5,000 years. The baobab has no annual rings. In fact, the oldest organism on Earth is a spruce. It grows on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Dalarna County. It was born 9500 years ago.

The tree is the slowest growing organism
It is not true. Trees are large, do not move, live for centuries, and their growth is almost imperceptible.
One clam which lives deep on the ocean floor grows ten times slower than the spruce and oak. Tindaria callistisormis grows very slowly. It needs more than a century to grow up to eight millimeter.

Oak is the most spreading tree
Oak admired people for its majestic size and longevity. It was a sacred plant in many cultures. One tree which surpasses oak grows in south-east Asia. Ficus benghalensis or Indian banyan looks like a whole grove and can cover the area of a half hectares with its crown. Banyan is growing due to air roots. These roots begin to grow on the branches, and, reaching the ground take root in it, becoming the new trunks of trees.

Misconceptions about plants
Trees have green leaves
The leaves are green due to chlorophyll. And only in autumn, in the period of leaf fall, the leaves become colorful. But there is one tree which has red, pink or yellow leaves not only in autumn. This is Mesua ferrea or Ceylon ironwood. At first, the young leaves are red or yellow, and then they become green. This plant is very beautiful and has large white flowers. It is poisonous and wood sinks in water.

Only trees have annual rings
The density and color of the rings depend on the growth of the tree at a certain time of the year and allow you to find out how old it is. The only disadvantage of this method is that where there are no seasons we cannot determine the age of the plant.
But not only trees have annual rings. Turtles also have them on their shells.

Misconceptions about plants
Trees extract water by roots
All land plants have roots to extract the necessary substance from the soil. Namib Desert, along the west coast of Africa, is known as one of the most harsh and unsuitable for life zones on Earth. It is the oldest of all known deserts, its age is about 80 million years. There is no rain, no soil, no oases. One of the most amazing plants Welwitschia mirabilis grows here. Its leaves nourish the roots with water, which only serves to reinforce the plant in place. This plant has almost no trunk. Its leaves are twisted. Almost every day the cold fogs come from the ocean and they are the only source of water in the desert. It is through the leaves Welwitschia extracts water. Due to the complex structure of water can get inside, but cannot evaporate.

Trees are not dangerous
New Zealand nettle tree grows to 5 meters in height and is covered with spines that contain histamine and formic acid. Formic acid is quite a dangerous toxin that causes severe pain.

Misconceptions about plants
Amanita is poisonous mushroom
Amanita is one of the most famous mushrooms in the history of mankind. It is spread almost all over the northern hemisphere. Amanita can cause a variety of effects: mood swings – from depressed to joyful, colored hallucinations.
Deer and elk eat these mushrooms, but it is not a food. Amanita saves animals from parasites.