Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
unicorn plant
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
unicorn plant
Quizzes
Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
Related Questions
Read Next
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
Flower bingo
Britannica’s Flower Bingo
Macro image of pollen-covered bee on purple crocus. (flowers, stamen, pollination, insects, nature)
5 Fast Facts About Flower Anatomy
Anemone coronaria, the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant.
What’s the Difference Between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms?
Roses flowers plant colorful rose
Do Plants Have Sexes?
Discover
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-06; in the Louvre, Paris, France. 77 x 53 cm.
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
John F. Kennedy as a boy with his family
What Did We Call America’s Elite Before the “1 Percent”?
unicorn plant
unicorn plant Unicorn plant (Proboseidea louisianica).

unicorn plant

botany
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/plant/unicorn-plant
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Martyniaceae
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

unicorn plant, any North American herb of the family Martyniaceae of the flowering plant order Lamiales, and particularly Proboseidea louisianica. There are nine species of unicorn plants, most having large purple or creamy white flowers.

The unicorn plant is often grown for its novel fruits, which are hanging, hornlike, woody pods with a thick body, 7.6 or 10 cm (3 or 4 inches) long, ending in a curved beak of equal or even greater length. When dry, the beak splits into two clawlike appendages.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.