# What is this mystery flower?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 16, 2012, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870 "2012-10-16T11:37:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/1 "2012-10-16T11:37:59Z")

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[This one, here.](http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/ranchoth/Flower1.png)

I got it, dried, at a craft store awhile back (I needed the stem)—from the glue holding the petals in place, for all I know, it’s really a ball of styrofoam with some leaves wrapped around it. But in case it’s not, I’m curious to find out what it was in life.

'Anyone got any ideas?

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/2 "2012-10-16T16:52:36Z")

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It reminds me of an artichoke.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/3 "2012-10-16T17:08:05Z")

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It looks artificial to me. Does the base have a stem coming out of it?

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**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/4 "2012-10-16T17:47:28Z")

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Listen closely. If you hear it say “Feed Me!”, run like hell!

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**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/5 "2012-10-16T17:56:45Z")

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> [@jnglmassiv](#):
>
> It reminds me of an artichoke.

I agree. A fake glued together artichoke though.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/6 "2012-10-16T18:38:45Z")

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It’s an unopened Protea of some sort. Or a ball of styrofoam with leaves glued to it, they’re practically the same.

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**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/7 "2012-10-16T18:40:03Z")

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Reminds me of some kind of protea flower.

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/8 "2012-10-17T03:24:40Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> It looks artificial to me. Does the base have a stem coming out of it?

It did—but it was a roughly 7mm wide twig/stick, rough enough to look like a broomstick.

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-mystery-flower/637870/9 "2012-10-17T03:38:39Z")

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[Here’s what it’s supposed to look like](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Protea_flower02.jpg). Pretty sure yours is artificial.