Photo: Venus fly trap
Photo: Pitcher plant.We went to see the little Shop of Horrors play at Scoil Mhuire last week. We have been to see quite a few plays over the years but I must say that this one was certainly one of the most enjoyable. There was so much work involved and looking at the programme I see that there were well over 100 people involved in some way -probably a lot more when you think that someone showed you to your seats and sold you a raffle ticket! The cast were terrific and were equal to anyone that has played at the An Griannan in Letterkenny! For those of you not lucky enough to have seen the performance, it is a story about a plant from outer space that eventually has a very detrimental effect on some people in a place called Skid Row, a downtrodden area in the centre of a city. The plant, called Audrey II starred in a 1960 movie and the remake in 1986 as well as in the stage play. Audrey II is described as being the product of a hybridisation between a "butterwort" and a Venus flytrap. I suppose you could say the plant was carnivorous!
CARNIVEROUS PLANTS
A plant is said to be carnivorous if it attracts, captures, and kills animal life forms. It must also digest and absorb the nutrients from the prey to qualify as a carnivorous plant, (sounds like the Audrey II to me.) Many non-carnivorous plants have also evolved to be attractive for other reasons than food. For example, flowers attract insects, birds, and other creatures including humans for pollination and to spread their seeds. Some plants (such as orchids, and water lilies) temporarily trap insect pollinators to ensure pollen transfer, then releasing them to finish the job. Some plants trap and kill insects with their sticky leaves (but do not digest the prey). All plants absorb nutrients either through their roots or leaves. However, even though these plants do some of the things that carnivorous plants do, they do not fulfil all of the criteria necessary to qualify as a carnivorous plant. Only plants that attract, capture, kill, digest, and absorb prey such as the pitcher plant, the venus fly trap and Audrey II are truly carnivorous.
In recent years people have been realising that nature is not quite so clear-cut as we would like. Some plants are not quite carnivorous, but are not quite non-carnivorous, either! For example, there are sticky plants that harbour insects on them. These insects crawl freely on the plant and eat the small creatures trapped by the sticky leaves. The predators excrete on the leaves, and the plant absorbs nutrients from it. Other plants rely on bacterial decomposition to break down the captured prey. Are these intermediate cases carnivorous? Or should they be called semi-carnivorous or sub-carnivorous? Scientists and philosophers are still pondering these questions. Meanwhile, Audrey II’s babies are slowly taking over the world!
Horticultural.
CARNIVEROUS PLANTS
A plant is said to be carnivorous if it attracts, captures, and kills animal life forms. It must also digest and absorb the nutrients from the prey to qualify as a carnivorous plant, (sounds like the Audrey II to me.) Many non-carnivorous plants have also evolved to be attractive for other reasons than food. For example, flowers attract insects, birds, and other creatures including humans for pollination and to spread their seeds. Some plants (such as orchids, and water lilies) temporarily trap insect pollinators to ensure pollen transfer, then releasing them to finish the job. Some plants trap and kill insects with their sticky leaves (but do not digest the prey). All plants absorb nutrients either through their roots or leaves. However, even though these plants do some of the things that carnivorous plants do, they do not fulfil all of the criteria necessary to qualify as a carnivorous plant. Only plants that attract, capture, kill, digest, and absorb prey such as the pitcher plant, the venus fly trap and Audrey II are truly carnivorous.
In recent years people have been realising that nature is not quite so clear-cut as we would like. Some plants are not quite carnivorous, but are not quite non-carnivorous, either! For example, there are sticky plants that harbour insects on them. These insects crawl freely on the plant and eat the small creatures trapped by the sticky leaves. The predators excrete on the leaves, and the plant absorbs nutrients from it. Other plants rely on bacterial decomposition to break down the captured prey. Are these intermediate cases carnivorous? Or should they be called semi-carnivorous or sub-carnivorous? Scientists and philosophers are still pondering these questions. Meanwhile, Audrey II’s babies are slowly taking over the world!
Horticultural.
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