However, apart from these wonderful sights, there are also interesting-looking plants that can leave a person either blinking in disbelief or breaking out in laughter.

For example, although orchids are generally associated with exquisite beauty and elegance, here are seven varieties that are far from ordinary.

Naked man orchid

At first glance, it’s hard to believe that this is a flower. After all, its shape resembles that of a man with arms, legs, and a reproductive organ –unsurprisingly earning it the moniker: the naked man orchid.

The curious-looking bloom also typically grows in dense clusters, so you might just find yourself looking at more than one “naked man” in front of you!

Also known as the Orchis Italica or the Italian Orchid, it is native to the Mediterranean regions of Italy, Portugal, and Turkey and can grow up to 50cm in height.

Monkey face orchid

If the naked man orchid isn’t cheeky enough, how about a monkey face orchid?

Also known as the Dracula simia, the plant appears to have a face of a little monkey peeking from between its gorgeous petals – although this may not necessarily be a sight one wants to see at night!

The unique-looking orchid, found in Ecuador and Peru, is also said to have a fragrance that resembles ripe oranges.

Bumblebee orchid

Looking at this plant, it’s easy to assume that it’s a bee sitting on a flower. But alas, appearances can be deceiving because this is actually a flower – the ophrys bombyliflora, to be exact.

Also known as the bumblebee orchid, the plant can grow up to 35cm in height and blooms from February to the beginning of April in various Mediterranean regions such as Portugal and Lebanon.

Because the flowers look and even smell like female bees, they attract male bees, who are fooled into ‘mating’ with them.

Pseudocopulation (during which the male bee attempts to mate with the plant) can subsequently result in a pollination process, which happens when the male bee transfers the pollen attached to him to another flower of the same species.

Fly orchid

No, once again, your eyes are not playing tricks on you – this is really a flower.

Admittedly, it’s a close call as the ophrys insectifera – or the fly orchid – appears to have two wings and little beady eyes. It can be found in Scandinavia, Finland, Greece, and Spain.

It is said that the plant, which has a similar scent to a female wasp, attracts male wasps. Similar to the case of the bumbleebee orchid, the ensuing pseudocopulation subsequently helps in pollination.

Swaddled babies orchid

The swaddled babies orchid, or anguloa uniflora, is certainly a beguiling sight. After all, it resembles a tiny infant wrapped in a blanket and nestled between the beautiful petals of an orchid.

It is also known as the tulip orchid because the overlapping petals looks similar to a tulip.

These petals apparently smell like cinnamon – adding even more to its special charm. The plant can be found in the Andes region around Columbia and Venezuela.

Flying duck orchid

The sight of the flying duck orchid may just trigger some laughter – after all, it looks like a duck in perpetual flight!

The unique-looking flower, which is reddish-brown with a purple tint, can be found in Australia. It is also known as the caleana major or the large duck orchid.

Fun fact: the plant was even displayed on the country’s postage stamp in 1986. Sadly, due to factors such as habitat destruction and a reducing number of pollinators, it is also on Australia’s vulnerable plant list.

White egret flower

Another orchid with an avian resemblance is the white egret flower. There can be up to eight pristine white flowers on a single stalk – all looking like egret birds in flight.

Also known as the pecteilis radiata, habenaria radiata, sagisō, or the fringed orchid, the elegant-looking plant can be found in Japan, China, and Korea.