Plants that feed on animals have always instilled fear in the hearts of people. Panicky, irrational, but quite understandable, because this order of things contradicts our ideas about the universe.
Even Karl Linnaeus, the famous naturalist who created the classification of wildlife that we still use, refused to believe that this was possible. Linnaeus was convinced that plants such as the sundew and the Venus flytrap catch insects by accident, and if the insect stops twitching, it will be released. However, he was wrong …
WAYS OF EVOLUTION
In the process of evolution, all living organisms that somehow appeared on our planet were forced to adapt to the environment and conditions of their habitat. Carnivorous plants, which will be discussed, are no exception. Their appetite, somewhat unhealthy in our understanding, is due to the fact that in nature these representatives of the flora live on poor soils with a lack of nutrients.
As a result, over millions of years of evolution, plants have developed a unique survival mechanism, namely the ability to catch and digest live prey. Although insects are the main food for most, some of the largest forms are able to feast on small rodents, toads and even birds.
Currently, science knows more than 500 species of predatory plants, and all of them can be divided into three groups, which differ from each other in the way of hunting.
Promotional video:
The first includes trap plants, and above all - the Venus flytrap, the leaves of which have special thorns and instantly slam when an insect hits them.
The second group is plants with Velcro. The most prominent representative of such carnivores is the sundew, the most common predator plant on our planet.
Finally, the third group includes predators, the leaves of which are shaped like a jug, inside of which there is a caustic ferment liquid.
All these flowers, doomed to lead a carnivorous life, have a kind of digestive system. It has long been known that plants react to music, to manifestations of external aggression, have a memory and are even able to distinguish between people. A lot of experiments on supersensitive devices, such as a psychogalvanometer (analogue of a "lie detector") and an emotionometer (an emotion meter) have proved that flora is not at all as simple as it seems to us, and if evolution followed a different path, perhaps the Earth would not have dominated man, but plants, as in the famous novel by John Wyndham "The Day of the Triffids."
PREDATORY TROPICS
The danger of carnivorous plants has often been played up in films and literature, but we all perceive this threat as horror stories and fiction. Indeed, with all the insidiousness that green monsters are endowed with, we have nothing to worry about, because they do not pose a serious danger. At least those whose existence is generally recognized and not hidden, so as not to injure our fragile psyche.
Despite the fact that there are practically no virgin and untouched corners on our planet, scientists are not aware of all types of predatory plants. The existence of many predators from the flora kingdom is still disputed, although there is documentary evidence from prominent researchers.
In 1970, on the border of Brazil and Guyana, the Brazilian naturalist Mariano da Silva discovered a tree that ate raw meat. The main dish in the diet of the plant predator were monkeys, which were attracted by a special smell. After inhaling the scent, the primates fell into a trance and began to climb the trunk of the predator, not realizing how close death was. At the very top of the tree, the leaves closed, literally wrapping the animals in a dense cocoon, and at the same time the prey did not even attempt to escape, as if it was in a drug intoxication. Digestion lasted for about three days, after which the tree "spat" the gnawed bones on the ground.
Another carnivorous plant, the landoctopus, or "devil's snare", was discovered by naturalist John Dunstan back in 1892 in Nicaragua. During one of the walks in the rainforest, Dunstan lost sight of his dog, and then heard the desperate squeal of the dog. Rushing into the thicket, the scientist was amazed to find that the four-legged pet was lying on the ground, entangled in black thick stems of an unknown plant, and the compression force was such that blood almost immediately appeared on the body of the animal.
Dunstan managed to free the dog by cutting off the bonds, but despite this, the dog died a few hours later. Upon a detailed examination of the plant, unknown until then, it became clear that its incredibly flexible stems are equipped with many suction cups, with the help of which the predator sucked out all the liquid from the victim.
The Zulu were in awe of the "umdglebi" - the killer tree, to which human sacrifices were made up to the 20th century. It was first described by missionary John Parker in 1892. According to him, "umdglebi" has the ability to exude carbonic acid gas, which is extracted from the soil. The Zulu tree is constantly surrounded by a cloud of poisonous gas, and it is possible to escape from it only by being on the leeward side. At the same time, "umdglebi" does not eat meat, but kills completely senseless from the point of view of natural expediency.
It is possible that some species of woody predators have already been exterminated by humans, and some continue to desperately hide from chainsaws and machetes. Be that as it may, it should be remembered: do not underestimate the possibilities of any form of life striving to survive, and this fully applies to plants, moreover, able to kill …
ROOM MONSTERS
No one knows what the future holds for the flora and fauna of the planet. In the meantime, carnivorous plants from hot countries are massively moving to temperate latitudes, settling in the apartments of exotic lovers.
Roses are no longer in vogue, and instead of banal flowers it is now customary to give something special. As an unusual present, a pot with a hungry flower is perfect, and the feeding process will become a real home attraction.
The first attempts to "domesticate" insectivores began in the 1960s, after the release of the low-budget film "Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), in which a giant Venus flytrap devours humans. Of course, the events of the picture were a clear exaggeration - the sizes of these plants are completely safe for humans and pets.
Now various types of carnivores are bred in nurseries, for example, in Denmark, from where they come to Russia and the CIS countries. Enthusiasts hold exhibitions and seminars on keeping and breeding predatory plants, and in good weather they even walk their wards.
It should be noted that the retail price of domestic monsters is low and starts at 600 rubles per copy. Given the availability and fairly simple care, it can be predicted that soon, in five years, carnivorous plants will grow not only on the windowsills of exotic lovers, but also among ordinary average citizens.
Andrey Rukhlov