Topic > Exploring Exotic Flora: The Art of Nature

To fully understand what exotic flora is, you need to understand the definition of each word. First of all, the word "exotic" means of foreign or alien origin. Secondly, the word "flora" usually refers to plants or flowers from a particular region. So, putting these two definitions together, we find that exotic flora is unusual plants or flowers from a foreign region. Exotic flora can vary depending on the region it is found in and the possibilities are endless. Exotic flora can have almost any type of characteristic, such as spiky, smooth, bright, wet, dry, small, etc. Most exotic flora is found in warm, humid areas because those are ideal living conditions for most flowers, however there are some exceptions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay An example of exotic flora is the Venus flytrap. The Venus flytrap is a very particular type of exotic flora. It can live almost anywhere, from the Carolinas in the United States to the Amazon rainforest. Most venus traps have a green exterior and a red interior with tips that bend toward the mouth. They usually grow in bunches and look the same. They are called fly traps because of their interesting feeding techniques, which trap flies. Venus flytraps are carnivorous, making them one of the few plants in the world to be carnivorous; this is what makes fly traps so fascinating. They use tiny hairs in their mouths to detect when an insect is ready to be eaten. When the insect has grazed enough hairs on the trigger, the fly swatter quickly swoops down and kills the insect. Then the flytrap releases an enzyme that slowly decomposes the insect and the plant absorbs the nutrients. Many people like to draw these traps due to their carnivorous lifestyle. Having a detailed drawing of a Venus flytrap absorbing an insect would be awesome. Another example of exotic flora would be fire lilies. Fire lilies are found throughout the Western Hemisphere, from Northern Ireland to Spain, these beautiful flowers are found at high altitudes. Due to their tendency to grow at elevations above 1,600 feet above sea level, many fail to experience their beauty firsthand. When they bloom, fire lilies have 6 petals and many pollen stalks in the center. The bottom of the petal starts out light yellow and then turns red towards the tip of the petal, representing a fire. These flowers may be beautiful but they are also toxic. They can grow in acidic soil due to their toxic levels and if a cat eats one of these flowers, it can be fatal. Despite their dark side, fire lilies can be lured to a safe distance. A perfectly drawn fire lily can be almost as stunning as the real thing. The last example of exotic flora I will talk about is Cupid's dart. Cupid's dart flowers are native to the Mediterranean islands. It got the name "Cupid's Dart" from the belief that the ancient Greeks used these flowers as a key ingredient in a love potion. These flowers prefer warm, humid weather just like the others. they grow in bunches on long green stems. When the flowers bloom they are very beautiful. They consist of ten blue-purple petals with yellow pollen protruding from the center. The underside of each petal is a solid purple color, making it appear as if there is a ring in the center of the flower. Each petal tip splits four times making it appear as if there are more petals than there are.