Scientists from Philippines have recently discovered a plant that eats metal. Yes, you heard it right, there is one more addition to the list of bizarre plants on earth, that thrives on nickel.

Most plants and other life forms are not able to survive after getting poisoned from high levels of nickel, but exceptions teach us that everything does not adhere to conventionality. The University of the Philippines found Rinorea niccolifera among only about 450 species of plant known to use metals for their survival.

As a matter of fact, nickel is a source of sustenance for these plants. They are actually able to us their leaves to accumulate concentrations of the metal up to 18,000 parts per million (ppm) without suffering any adverse effect of toxicity produced by the metal. The ability - found in less than 1% plants - to safely store the metal is called nickel hyperaccumulation.

The figure, 18,000 parts per million (ppm), is 1,000 times more than most other plants can safely store. Thlapsi, a genus of common herb in China, is another plant known to exhibit this behavior. Apart from nickel, this species consumes calcium and zinc. Researchers from the Netherlands and Brazil discovered Gomphrena claussenii in 2013. This species is a native of Brazil and has the ability to consume large quantities of zinc.

"The new species, according to Dr Marilyn Quimado, one of the lead scientists of the research team, was discovered on the western part of Luzon Island in the Philippines, an area known for soils rich in heavy metals", researchers wrote in an official statement.

Edwino Fernando, lead author of the study, said R. niccolifera and other similar plants might one day be used to extract nickel and other contaminants from areas dirtied by air pollution. If it becomes possible, then it will become much easier to dispose, extract and re-use these metals.