Wednesday, January 29, 2014

meat eating plants

There is a new exhibit at the Royal Botanical Gardens and I wandered in this afternoon to have a quick peak. It felt a little odd, and lonely,  to be the only person there, but then it was after 4pm on a weekday. A bitterly cold, bone-chilling day. I will have to go back when there are kids around as these events are aimed at families with lots of interactive, hands on activities and it is fun to watch the children with their reactions. Some staff were on hand, checking the glassed enclosures and the animals inside before leaving for the day. One part of the exhibit involves a dizzying array of animals with unique mechanisms for defending themselves while the other part involves carnivorous plants with real examples next to gigantic mechanized versions that are meant to make you feel like you are bug sized.
the real and imaginary world of carnivorous plants

Two signs hanging from the rafters with "monumental sculptures that render viewers bug-sized, while interactive and interpretive elements educate and entertain"





The trumpet pitcher plant lures its prey - ants, flies, wasps, bees, beetles, slugs and snails -  into a tubular leaf by scent, nectar and colour. Once the insect lands on the slippery edge, it falls down the tube to seal its fate.



































The sundew thrives in swamps and bogs. Their prey amounts to around one creature per month, usually mosquitoes or smaller insects, but occasionally dragonflies or butterflies can fall victim to the sticky residue on the leaves.


signs, signs

15 comments:

  1. Interesting plants....I remember my mom used to have a little miniature flytrap plant.

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    1. Yep, they had one of those venus flytraps there, too. You could buy a miniature one in the gift shop (but I thought they were rather expensive)

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  2. The arboritum at UC Berkeley in California has a plant that blooms once in a 100 years amd the aroma is hideous. People came from everywhere a while back to there for the big moment. Plamts are funn.

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    1. ah, the corpse flower. I went racing down to Niagara Falls a couple of years ago when that one bloomed. What a sight!

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  3. These are the most fascinating. I have always wondered how through the years they adapted to nature as they have done. But one little or not so little bug a month...now that really befuddles me. I would think they would eat more than that. Guess not.

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    1. you'd think more insects would land on them, but I guess they are clusters and small, so everyone gets a chance to land a bug.

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  4. I like the signs, not so sure about the plants though ;)

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  5. Beautifully artistic signs, but I am even more so fascinated by the red glass trumpet plants (?)

    ~Lindy

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    1. I'll have to go back with a different camera to try to get a wider view of everything.

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  6. Wonderful signs in an Art Nouveau style. Carnivorous plants are always fascinating.

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    1. art nouveau is a favourite of mine, probably why I was almost more attracted to the signage than the giant plants :)

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