CHOMPCHOMPCHOMP!
So after leaving my stupid Iphone in the cab, Carolyn and I made it to the carnivorous plant exhibit, I normally hate photographs of plants or flowers, but seriously, these things will eat you….and that’s kind of amazing.
I prefer the ones that look like they have teeth, but some of them look like regular ass flowers, sneaky mother fuckers.
I also like this one, because it looks like a vagina.
The Asian pitcher plant was also sort of scary, because they get larger than necessary and I feel like, if I was, ya know, hiking through the jungle or whatever, and I tripped, I could fall inside one. Eeek. I’m assuming a small human fell inside this one, and kicked its lip in.
And because we’re big supporters of the arts, and are loaded, Carolyn and I even adopted two Venus fly traps. Meet Chicken(left)&Waffles(right). Also, please take a moment to appreciate this really high quality-professional grade photograph captured by my webcam.
If you want to know something factual…here be da 411..that I copy-pasted from the Conservatory of Flowers website.
“Most carnivorous plants grow where the soil is poor, lacking in nutrients or too acidic so, over thousands of years, they have evolved to make the best of a challenging situation, trapping living things to get needed nutrients. Visitors can investigate how these plants attract and kill their prey in another area of the exhibit. Here, plants are organized by trapping strategies such as the familiar snap traps of the Venus flytrap. But visitors will likely be surprised by the trapping strategies of lesser-known carnivores such as the suction trap of the water-loving bladderwort.
Bladderworts are the largest group of carnivores in the kingdom with over 200 species — many of which are very small and innocent in appearance. These tiny killers, however, are the fastest acting of the carnivorous plants, sucking prey out of the water at a speed of up to 1/15,000th of a second. Although visitors will never be able to catch this plant in high-speed action, they will be delighted to learn how its trap is activated. A special trapdoor opens when mosquito larvae or some other small critter brushes against tiny trigger hairs. The plant slurps up victim, water and all. Once closed, it secretes a digestive enzyme to slowly consume its prey. When dinner is done, it ejects the husk while glands inside the bladder absorb the water the plant took in, thereby creating a vacuum and resetting the trap.
Sticky flypaper traps are the specialty of species like the sundews and butterworts. The leaves of the sundew sport hundreds of pin-shaped red tentacles (actually stalked glands) which are covered with a mucusy secretion. When an insect lands, thinking this glistening surface might hold nectar, it gets stuck. As it struggles to free itself, the motion triggers other tentacles that bend towards it. Within a few minutes there is no escape as the entire leaf wraps over the victim and digestive enzymes are excreted to dissolve it. Butterworts employ a similar flypaper-like strategy and are distinguished for having some of the strongest natural glue known.
The Asian pitcher plant is an alluring example of a pitfall trap. With a brightly colored rim around the mouth and a teasingly half-open lid, these pendulous pitchers full of watery nectar invite the curiosity of animals and insects. Walking on the rim is no problem, but woe is the critter that is tempted to take a sip of nectar. One false move and the unsuspecting victim is sent skiing down the slippery, waxy walls to a liquidy death because this is no ordinary drink of water. The liquid at the bottom of the pitcher is a digestive enzyme and once in, creatures are not likely to get out. The interior wall sports a mean set of downward pointing hairs to ensure that even the most avid climber cannot escape. Something small like a midge is digested in a few hours. A fly might take up to two days. Some of the largest species have been known to consume rats, lizards and even small monkeys.(WTF!) ”
