The World of Extreme Plants
 |
Description
Book Introduction
Most strangely, most cunningly,
The most passionately evolved extreme plants
Plants sometimes live in extremes that make you wonder if it's really possible.
Flowers employ bizarre strategies, such as attracting insects from far away with their foul smell, generating their own heat to melt the ice around them, and moving at Mach speeds.
Plants also resort to vicious methods to survive, such as tearing the flesh of animals, cleverly deceiving honest insects, and strangling other plants to death.
From dust-like size, to long dormancy, to machine-like structures, to extreme toxicity, the mystical power of seeds that know no waste is essential in the world of extreme plants.
In fact, to our eyes, plants may appear to be standing quietly in one place.
But of all the living things on Earth, there are probably none as 'passionate and groundbreaking' as plants.
After hearing their jaw-dropping stories, our world will surely look different than before.
“Earth is the planet of plants.
(……) This book is full of amazing success stories of plants overcoming all kinds of limitations and surviving.
“It is full of topics that will captivate the audience in any gathering.” _Professor Choi Jae-cheon (from the recommendation)
The most passionately evolved extreme plants
Plants sometimes live in extremes that make you wonder if it's really possible.
Flowers employ bizarre strategies, such as attracting insects from far away with their foul smell, generating their own heat to melt the ice around them, and moving at Mach speeds.
Plants also resort to vicious methods to survive, such as tearing the flesh of animals, cleverly deceiving honest insects, and strangling other plants to death.
From dust-like size, to long dormancy, to machine-like structures, to extreme toxicity, the mystical power of seeds that know no waste is essential in the world of extreme plants.
In fact, to our eyes, plants may appear to be standing quietly in one place.
But of all the living things on Earth, there are probably none as 'passionate and groundbreaking' as plants.
After hearing their jaw-dropping stories, our world will surely look different than before.
“Earth is the planet of plants.
(……) This book is full of amazing success stories of plants overcoming all kinds of limitations and surviving.
“It is full of topics that will captivate the audience in any gathering.” _Professor Choi Jae-cheon (from the recommendation)
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Introduction: The surprising and fascinating world of plants living in extreme conditions.
Until extreme plants appeared before us
: Earth Calendar
: The Evolutionary Journey of Plants
Chapter 1 Size: Big or Small
1. The Largest Flower I: Titan Arum
The flowering event the whole world is waiting for
A dense designer for pollination
feat.
Our country's corpse flower: the sitting fan
2. The Largest Flower II: Giant Rafflesia
Compete only with flowers
The secret evolutionary process
The ill-fated explorer Deschamps
3. Tallest Key: Redwood
Forest of the Giants
Winner in the Sunlight Race
feat.
The largest tree: the giant pine
feat.
The tallest tree in Korea: Ginkgo
4. Smallest: Dwarf Willow
Win by humbling yourself
For mutant offspring
feat.
The smallest tree in Korea: Ammae
5 Largest Fruits: Jackfruit
We grow together
Achievements of Convergence
feat.
Guinness World Record for Largest Fruit: Pumpkin
feat.
Longest pine cone: Sugar pine
6 Smallest size: Southern frogfish
Evolved minimalism
Extremely powerful future plants
The world's greatest 6 percent effort
7 Largest Leaves: Raffia Regalis
Like the feathers of a bird in fantasy
For the final glory
feat.
Largest single leaf: Amazon Victoria water lily
feat.
The largest leaf in our country: the prickly lotus
8 Longest Root: Rye
A gift from Ceres, the goddess of the earth
Extreme root system
Are roots the brain of plants?
9 Smallest Seeds: Orchids
It starts with coexistence
A huge success achieved in a dust-sized manner
feat.
Windproof Orchid Seeds: Vanilla
feat.
Largest Seed: Coco de Mer
Chapter 2 Speed: Fast or Slow
10 Fastest Growing Plants: Bamboo Shoots
13-story pool
The flower of a lifetime
feat.
Fastest-growing tree: Falcataria molucana
11. Slowest Growing Plant: The Cactus
2 years to grow to 1 centimeter
Busy Watchman of the Desert
feat.
Slowest growing trees: cycads, arborvitae, yew, and boxwood
12 Fastest Moving Plants: Mulberry
Pollen flying at Mach speed
Nature's ultra-high-speed catapult
feat.
Second fastest-moving plant: Cornus officinalis
feat.
The fastest-spreading plant: Sandbox
13. The Slowest Blooming Flower: Puya Raimondi
Queen of the Andes
A gene that knows how to wait for its time
Extinction and cultivation
Chapter 3 Power: Strong, Poisonous, or Cunning
14 Deadly Poisons: Castor Beans
The seeds of assassination and terrorism
The most deadly tick
feat.
Castor's Beautiful Rival: Hongdu
15 Dangerous Trees: Manchineel
Tree of Death
Mistakes allowed only by iguanas
ecological value
16 Sharp Fruit: Devil's Claw
vicious free riders
The mammoth that was with us has disappeared
painkillers
feat.
Free riders in our country: Namgasae
17 Poisonous Hair: Gympie Gympie
Suicide plants that cause unimaginable pain
Syringe with icicles
Selective defense
feat.
Our country's Gympie Gympie: Nettle
18 Amazing Camouflage Techniques: Litopes
living stone
Special photosynthesis
Burchell's South African Expedition
feat.
Plant turned to stone by humans: Sasapaemoo
19 Grand Flight Technique: Javaoi
Nature's best glider
Sophisticated designer
feat.
The trickster who spreads seeds by deception: Ceratocarium argenteum
20 The Power That Leads to Death: The Strangler Fig Tree
Lord of the Dark Forest
Grab the Millennium Temple
feat.
The most famous parasitic plant in Korea: mistletoe
feat.
The most vicious parasitic plant in our country: Saesam
21 The Power of Living Alone: Tillandsia
The king of epiphytes
Silver-gray wizard
Chapter 4 Environment: Excessive or Poor
22 Extreme Dryness: Yareta
Desert Survival Champion
The Secret of the Dome
Flower fields in the Atacama Desert
23 Extreme Cold: Moss
Two poles, two percent of the land
The true master of Antarctica
Evidence of a supercontinent
feat.
The Undying Resurrection Plant: Rock Hand
24 Extreme Land: Ohia Lehua
Trees adapted to volcanic islands
Demonstrating the diversity of evolution
feat.
Guardian Deity of the Hawaiian Islands: Silversword
25 Extreme Nutrients: Carnivorous Plants
When nitrogen is lacking
A new way of survival discovered in the wetlands
26 Extreme Water: Leech
Plants that returned to the sea
Throw away both the pores and the protective film
feat.
Submerged plants: aquatic plants
27 Extreme Heat: Eucalyptus
Trees that start forest fires
Fire was the liberator
Chapter 5 Time: Old or New
28. The longest-living tree: Bristlecone pine
Along with the Gods
5,000 years of archives
The oldest living tree in Korea: the cedar
29 Oldest gymnosperm: Cycad
living fossil
The King of Resurrection
Waking up with iron
feat.
The Lucky Chosen One: Ginkgo Tree
30 Longest-Living Leaves: Welwitschia
Leaves that don't wither for 2,000 years
6 meter long growing fingernails
wondrous leaves
31. The Oldest Flower: Amborella
A terrible mystery
Footprints in fossils
New Caledonia, a paradise for endemic species
The ancestors and closest relatives of angiosperms
Going Out: The Journey Ahead
Until extreme plants appeared before us
: Earth Calendar
: The Evolutionary Journey of Plants
Chapter 1 Size: Big or Small
1. The Largest Flower I: Titan Arum
The flowering event the whole world is waiting for
A dense designer for pollination
feat.
Our country's corpse flower: the sitting fan
2. The Largest Flower II: Giant Rafflesia
Compete only with flowers
The secret evolutionary process
The ill-fated explorer Deschamps
3. Tallest Key: Redwood
Forest of the Giants
Winner in the Sunlight Race
feat.
The largest tree: the giant pine
feat.
The tallest tree in Korea: Ginkgo
4. Smallest: Dwarf Willow
Win by humbling yourself
For mutant offspring
feat.
The smallest tree in Korea: Ammae
5 Largest Fruits: Jackfruit
We grow together
Achievements of Convergence
feat.
Guinness World Record for Largest Fruit: Pumpkin
feat.
Longest pine cone: Sugar pine
6 Smallest size: Southern frogfish
Evolved minimalism
Extremely powerful future plants
The world's greatest 6 percent effort
7 Largest Leaves: Raffia Regalis
Like the feathers of a bird in fantasy
For the final glory
feat.
Largest single leaf: Amazon Victoria water lily
feat.
The largest leaf in our country: the prickly lotus
8 Longest Root: Rye
A gift from Ceres, the goddess of the earth
Extreme root system
Are roots the brain of plants?
9 Smallest Seeds: Orchids
It starts with coexistence
A huge success achieved in a dust-sized manner
feat.
Windproof Orchid Seeds: Vanilla
feat.
Largest Seed: Coco de Mer
Chapter 2 Speed: Fast or Slow
10 Fastest Growing Plants: Bamboo Shoots
13-story pool
The flower of a lifetime
feat.
Fastest-growing tree: Falcataria molucana
11. Slowest Growing Plant: The Cactus
2 years to grow to 1 centimeter
Busy Watchman of the Desert
feat.
Slowest growing trees: cycads, arborvitae, yew, and boxwood
12 Fastest Moving Plants: Mulberry
Pollen flying at Mach speed
Nature's ultra-high-speed catapult
feat.
Second fastest-moving plant: Cornus officinalis
feat.
The fastest-spreading plant: Sandbox
13. The Slowest Blooming Flower: Puya Raimondi
Queen of the Andes
A gene that knows how to wait for its time
Extinction and cultivation
Chapter 3 Power: Strong, Poisonous, or Cunning
14 Deadly Poisons: Castor Beans
The seeds of assassination and terrorism
The most deadly tick
feat.
Castor's Beautiful Rival: Hongdu
15 Dangerous Trees: Manchineel
Tree of Death
Mistakes allowed only by iguanas
ecological value
16 Sharp Fruit: Devil's Claw
vicious free riders
The mammoth that was with us has disappeared
painkillers
feat.
Free riders in our country: Namgasae
17 Poisonous Hair: Gympie Gympie
Suicide plants that cause unimaginable pain
Syringe with icicles
Selective defense
feat.
Our country's Gympie Gympie: Nettle
18 Amazing Camouflage Techniques: Litopes
living stone
Special photosynthesis
Burchell's South African Expedition
feat.
Plant turned to stone by humans: Sasapaemoo
19 Grand Flight Technique: Javaoi
Nature's best glider
Sophisticated designer
feat.
The trickster who spreads seeds by deception: Ceratocarium argenteum
20 The Power That Leads to Death: The Strangler Fig Tree
Lord of the Dark Forest
Grab the Millennium Temple
feat.
The most famous parasitic plant in Korea: mistletoe
feat.
The most vicious parasitic plant in our country: Saesam
21 The Power of Living Alone: Tillandsia
The king of epiphytes
Silver-gray wizard
Chapter 4 Environment: Excessive or Poor
22 Extreme Dryness: Yareta
Desert Survival Champion
The Secret of the Dome
Flower fields in the Atacama Desert
23 Extreme Cold: Moss
Two poles, two percent of the land
The true master of Antarctica
Evidence of a supercontinent
feat.
The Undying Resurrection Plant: Rock Hand
24 Extreme Land: Ohia Lehua
Trees adapted to volcanic islands
Demonstrating the diversity of evolution
feat.
Guardian Deity of the Hawaiian Islands: Silversword
25 Extreme Nutrients: Carnivorous Plants
When nitrogen is lacking
A new way of survival discovered in the wetlands
26 Extreme Water: Leech
Plants that returned to the sea
Throw away both the pores and the protective film
feat.
Submerged plants: aquatic plants
27 Extreme Heat: Eucalyptus
Trees that start forest fires
Fire was the liberator
Chapter 5 Time: Old or New
28. The longest-living tree: Bristlecone pine
Along with the Gods
5,000 years of archives
The oldest living tree in Korea: the cedar
29 Oldest gymnosperm: Cycad
living fossil
The King of Resurrection
Waking up with iron
feat.
The Lucky Chosen One: Ginkgo Tree
30 Longest-Living Leaves: Welwitschia
Leaves that don't wither for 2,000 years
6 meter long growing fingernails
wondrous leaves
31. The Oldest Flower: Amborella
A terrible mystery
Footprints in fossils
New Caledonia, a paradise for endemic species
The ancestors and closest relatives of angiosperms
Going Out: The Journey Ahead
Detailed image
Into the book
First sentence: Plants are truly wonderful creatures.
The largest known giant Rafflesia is said to be 1.1 m in diameter and weigh 11 kg.
These flowers bloom from cabbage-like buds, which can be up to 43 cm in diameter.
But the Giant Rafflesia, which produces such enormous flowers, is unique in that it has no leaves, stems, or even roots.
All it does is bloom a huge flower from the ground, with nothing else.
How is it possible for a flower to bloom in this condition? And the largest flower in the world at that.
--- p.43
From a human perspective, even if you live close to the ground, living in the Arctic is difficult.
It would be impossible without a house or thick clothes to block the cold and wind.
But it is also true that in this environment, the creatures there have no competition.
There is no better place than this, because if you just get used to living there, the vast plains are all yours.
Of course, many of its brethren would have perished before the dwarf willow got its name.
Ultimately, only those individuals that survived the conditions they faced could be given the name dwarf willow.
They are fighting against themselves, not against other competitors.
--- pp.60~61
The root hairs produced by four rye plants would be enough to circle the Earth.
Of course, the root hairs are so thin that they are invisible to the eye, but at least their length is close to the limit.
--- p.95
Orchids have eliminated their endosperm to produce seeds that are as small, light, and numerous as possible.
And they joined hands with fungi to replace the endosperm.
If resources were unlimited, it would be great to produce seeds rich in endosperm, and in large quantities, but since the environment is not like that, they created seeds without endosperm through cooperation with strong fungi.
This strategy was a great success, as the number of species in the orchid family suggests.
--- p.104
There are quite a few anecdotes related to the Gimpy Gimpy plant, as it is a plant that causes unimaginable pain.
(……) During World War II, there was an incident where an Australian soldier named Bromley fell from a gympie gympie tree during military training and was tied to a hospital bed for three weeks.
The reason Bromley was tied up is said to be because he was writhing in agony like a snake with its torso cut off.
Bromley also told of an incident in which an officer he knew wiped his bottom with a large leaf of the gympie gympie after a toilet service, and then, unable to bear the pain, committed suicide.
--- p.194
The primitive sea squirts we encountered on the beach are the result of a species that knew exactly what it needed and didn't need for survival and adapted accordingly.
Just as mammals that lived on land returned to the sea and became whales, angiosperms that returned to the sea became seaweed.
They boldly abandoned their expansion onto land, which began with moss plants, and returned to the sea where the ancestors of plants lived.
This process was not easy.
But eventually, seaweed was given the label of plant and pioneered a new habitat called the sea.
--- p.296
Plants in areas where wildfires occur frequently have evolved ways to survive by using wildfires as opportunities for reproduction.
But there are plants that go beyond using forest fires and seem to even encourage them.
Among the plants, the one that is arguably the most 'fire friendly' is the eucalyptus, whose leaves are a favorite food for koalas.
The largest known giant Rafflesia is said to be 1.1 m in diameter and weigh 11 kg.
These flowers bloom from cabbage-like buds, which can be up to 43 cm in diameter.
But the Giant Rafflesia, which produces such enormous flowers, is unique in that it has no leaves, stems, or even roots.
All it does is bloom a huge flower from the ground, with nothing else.
How is it possible for a flower to bloom in this condition? And the largest flower in the world at that.
--- p.43
From a human perspective, even if you live close to the ground, living in the Arctic is difficult.
It would be impossible without a house or thick clothes to block the cold and wind.
But it is also true that in this environment, the creatures there have no competition.
There is no better place than this, because if you just get used to living there, the vast plains are all yours.
Of course, many of its brethren would have perished before the dwarf willow got its name.
Ultimately, only those individuals that survived the conditions they faced could be given the name dwarf willow.
They are fighting against themselves, not against other competitors.
--- pp.60~61
The root hairs produced by four rye plants would be enough to circle the Earth.
Of course, the root hairs are so thin that they are invisible to the eye, but at least their length is close to the limit.
--- p.95
Orchids have eliminated their endosperm to produce seeds that are as small, light, and numerous as possible.
And they joined hands with fungi to replace the endosperm.
If resources were unlimited, it would be great to produce seeds rich in endosperm, and in large quantities, but since the environment is not like that, they created seeds without endosperm through cooperation with strong fungi.
This strategy was a great success, as the number of species in the orchid family suggests.
--- p.104
There are quite a few anecdotes related to the Gimpy Gimpy plant, as it is a plant that causes unimaginable pain.
(……) During World War II, there was an incident where an Australian soldier named Bromley fell from a gympie gympie tree during military training and was tied to a hospital bed for three weeks.
The reason Bromley was tied up is said to be because he was writhing in agony like a snake with its torso cut off.
Bromley also told of an incident in which an officer he knew wiped his bottom with a large leaf of the gympie gympie after a toilet service, and then, unable to bear the pain, committed suicide.
--- p.194
The primitive sea squirts we encountered on the beach are the result of a species that knew exactly what it needed and didn't need for survival and adapted accordingly.
Just as mammals that lived on land returned to the sea and became whales, angiosperms that returned to the sea became seaweed.
They boldly abandoned their expansion onto land, which began with moss plants, and returned to the sea where the ancestors of plants lived.
This process was not easy.
But eventually, seaweed was given the label of plant and pioneered a new habitat called the sea.
--- p.296
Plants in areas where wildfires occur frequently have evolved ways to survive by using wildfires as opportunities for reproduction.
But there are plants that go beyond using forest fires and seem to even encourage them.
Among the plants, the one that is arguably the most 'fire friendly' is the eucalyptus, whose leaves are a favorite food for koalas.
--- p.304
Publisher's Review
Surviving 4.6 billion years of Earth's history
The ingenious ideas and crazy adaptability of extreme plants
Plants have been constantly evolving since they appeared on Earth.
From its first appearance as a moist moss plant to angiosperms that produce colorful flowers, it has walked a long 'evolutionary path', gradually emerging new forms.
This book is a natural history docent that shows and tells, one by one, the freshest, most shocking, and most moving scenes from that evolutionary journey.
This book introduces a total of 31 extreme plants as main characters, with the themes of 'size, speed, strength, environment, and time'.
There are some strange and novel plants from abroad, but familiar plants that live in our country also make appearances in supporting roles, which is a welcome surprise.
“In our country, there are plants that produce flowers with a unique scent.
It's a sitting fan.
The English name for the sitting fan, interestingly enough, is skunk cabage.
You can guess what it looks like and what it smells like.
Even sitting fans emit heat to spread their scent far and wide.
So, the flowers of the sitting fan that bloom in early spring when winter ends are not afraid even if it snows out of season.
Because it can melt snow with its own heat.” _Page 39
“The plum tree, whose name means ‘plum blossom on a rock,’ is comparable to the dwarf willow and is one of the smallest trees in the world.
(……) In order to live on the rocks of Baekrokdam, where there is no place to escape the cold and bitter wind, the female hawks have entangled their stems so tightly that no gaps are visible, making their entire body look like a cushion.
“Because we have to hug each other tightly like this to overcome the cold and wind.” _Pages 62-63
What extreme plants tell us
- The miraculous fighting spirit of dramatically recovering even after losing 99 percent
- Meat-eating, forest fire-starting, and atomic bomb-tolerant, these are the limits of common sense.
- The persistence to know exactly what is needed and what is not needed and to constantly apply it.
There is not a single story about extreme plants that is not surprising.
Plant life is more dynamic and intense than any other living thing.
However, like other living things, plants did not evolve with any intention.
All species have produced various mutations over generations, and the mutations that survived well in a given environment spread through offspring and evolved into new species.
Ultimately, 'the environment is the driving force behind the evolution of species.'
However, there are plants that survive and survive even in extreme environments that make you wonder, 'How can life even survive in such a place?'
We can call them extreme plants.
“Plants of the genus Lithophytus live only in the rocky soils of South Africa, one of the places on Earth with the least rainfall year-round.
They are plants that have evolved to look like stones all over their bodies to survive in extremely dry lands and avoid predators.” _Page 204
British scientists have reported that moss that had been dormant under a glacier for at least 1,530 years has come back to life.
“Antarctic moss is a plant that knows how to wait patiently for over a thousand years.” _Page 265
Our environment today is changing rapidly.
What path will this rapidly changing environment present for all living things? Whether it's the path of evolution or extinction, it's clear that it won't be easy.
There is certainly much we can learn from the evolutionary journey of plants and their ideas.
The ingenious ideas and crazy adaptability of extreme plants
Plants have been constantly evolving since they appeared on Earth.
From its first appearance as a moist moss plant to angiosperms that produce colorful flowers, it has walked a long 'evolutionary path', gradually emerging new forms.
This book is a natural history docent that shows and tells, one by one, the freshest, most shocking, and most moving scenes from that evolutionary journey.
This book introduces a total of 31 extreme plants as main characters, with the themes of 'size, speed, strength, environment, and time'.
There are some strange and novel plants from abroad, but familiar plants that live in our country also make appearances in supporting roles, which is a welcome surprise.
“In our country, there are plants that produce flowers with a unique scent.
It's a sitting fan.
The English name for the sitting fan, interestingly enough, is skunk cabage.
You can guess what it looks like and what it smells like.
Even sitting fans emit heat to spread their scent far and wide.
So, the flowers of the sitting fan that bloom in early spring when winter ends are not afraid even if it snows out of season.
Because it can melt snow with its own heat.” _Page 39
“The plum tree, whose name means ‘plum blossom on a rock,’ is comparable to the dwarf willow and is one of the smallest trees in the world.
(……) In order to live on the rocks of Baekrokdam, where there is no place to escape the cold and bitter wind, the female hawks have entangled their stems so tightly that no gaps are visible, making their entire body look like a cushion.
“Because we have to hug each other tightly like this to overcome the cold and wind.” _Pages 62-63
What extreme plants tell us
- The miraculous fighting spirit of dramatically recovering even after losing 99 percent
- Meat-eating, forest fire-starting, and atomic bomb-tolerant, these are the limits of common sense.
- The persistence to know exactly what is needed and what is not needed and to constantly apply it.
There is not a single story about extreme plants that is not surprising.
Plant life is more dynamic and intense than any other living thing.
However, like other living things, plants did not evolve with any intention.
All species have produced various mutations over generations, and the mutations that survived well in a given environment spread through offspring and evolved into new species.
Ultimately, 'the environment is the driving force behind the evolution of species.'
However, there are plants that survive and survive even in extreme environments that make you wonder, 'How can life even survive in such a place?'
We can call them extreme plants.
“Plants of the genus Lithophytus live only in the rocky soils of South Africa, one of the places on Earth with the least rainfall year-round.
They are plants that have evolved to look like stones all over their bodies to survive in extremely dry lands and avoid predators.” _Page 204
British scientists have reported that moss that had been dormant under a glacier for at least 1,530 years has come back to life.
“Antarctic moss is a plant that knows how to wait patiently for over a thousand years.” _Page 265
Our environment today is changing rapidly.
What path will this rapidly changing environment present for all living things? Whether it's the path of evolution or extinction, it's clear that it won't be easy.
There is certainly much we can learn from the evolutionary journey of plants and their ideas.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Publication date: September 23, 2022
- Page count, weight, size: 368 pages | 616g | 140*220*22mm
- ISBN13: 9791156334965
- ISBN10: 1156334969
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