Flesh-Eating Plants

Lasher · Post by **Lasher** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:18 pm

So, what’s the deal with flesh-eating plants? When I was 10, a relative gave me a couple of potted “Venus Flytraps”. A weird gift, but by far the most thoughtful and interesting one I’ve gotten. Back then I didn’t really question the science of them: I was too busy catching flies to ensure my babies’ survival. They died on family vacation, apparently due to lack of water…

Here’s some background on the Flytrap:

“The Venus Flytrap was first studied in the 17th and 18th centuries, when societal mores were a bit more puritanical than they are today, and were somewhat obsessed by human urges and sins. Women in particular were often portrayed as temptresses, greedy for power. The botanists of this time apparently found a parallel between the trap of the plant -- capturing and digesting insects -- and certain aspects of female anatomy and behavior. Thus, the story goes that they named the plant after Venus, the pagan goddess of love and money.”

I was reading some poetry by William Blake Titled “The Fly,” and recalled my days of feeding flies to my plants. Here’s the poem:
Little Fly,
Thy summer's play
My thoughtless hand
Has brushed away.

Am not I
A fly like thee?
Or art not thou
A man like me?

For I dance
And drink, and sing,
Till some blind hand
Shall brush my wing.

If thought is life
And strength and breath
And the want
Of thought is death;

Then am I
A happy fly,
If I live,
Or if I die.

I started to question the morality of my actions. I mean, I eat animals and all, but that’s different… Dig this: The flytrap can differentiate between edible food and non-edible food, and nobody knows how it manages to open and close its mouth. Call me crazy, but I’m convinced that there is far more to flora than we give it credit for. Oh, and [url="http://www.plantoftheweek.org/image/dionaea.jpg"]here is a picture[/url]...

Anyway… I suppose I’m not really asking a specific question on purpose, largely because I don’t know what to ask. Just say your piece, and for all the many scientists out there, go ahead and talk your jargon… It seems interesting to me, so… Penny for your thoughts, I guess.

Chimaera182 · Post by **Chimaera182** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:25 pm

I remember owning a couple Venus flytraps when I was a kid. I thought they were cool. Of course, I wasn't really doing much to get flies for them. I stuck other things in the trap to see it close, but it never did.

Which actions were you questioning? Feeding flies to a venus fly trap? Flies which breed like a million from two pair of flies, and you happened to feed like a dozen to a plant which required them to survive?

Phreddie · Post by **Phreddie** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:36 pm

Flesh eating pants? :speech: :mischief: of Ravvvv!!!!!!!

any way on topic:

From what i remeber from my us history teacher in the eigth grade (meaning from when i wasnt sleeping in class), Venus Fly Traps are native to North Carolina (w00t) and are an endangered plant, or they were, it is apparently illegal to go and take them out of the swamps and ogs of lower NC, and very few exist outside of NC, altohugh a few are grown and sold commrecially form what i understand, il have to go and look that up on wikipedia, but thats what i remember for now, ill be back with mroe accurate info.

krunchyfrogg · Post by **krunchyfrogg** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 7:13 pm

Osiris · Post by **Osiris** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:17 am

Flesh eating plants usually grow in areas where the soil is very nitrate poor. Since nitrates are needed to make proteins and DNA, the plants get what they need by trapping insects. On the inside of the trap are two fine hairs. If both of them are nudged (such as by an insect crawling around on the trap), it closes on the insect and then digests it at leisure.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:18 am

[QUOTE=Osiris]Flesh eating plants usually grow in areas where the soil is very nitrate poor. Since nitrates are needed to make proteins and DNA, the plants get what they need by trapping insects. On the inside of the trap are two fine hairs. If both of them are nudged (such as by an insect crawling around on the trap), it closes on the insect and then digests it at leisure.

[/QUOTE]

Since they need nitrates, why don't they simply evolve to capture and eat humans carrying bacon home from the supermarket?

Phreddie · Post by **Phreddie** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:22 am

Have you ever eaten raw human before fable? its dusgusting, and doesnt go well with bacon.

The fly traps and a few other rare species are only so big, they eat insects, but i wonder... if say,... a squirrel fell into the trap, would the squirel be strong enough to scape, would the trap be able to close, or would the squirrel killl the trap and die in the process?

Lestat · Post by **Lestat** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:04 am

[QUOTE=Phreddie]if say,... a squirrel fell into the trap, would the squirel be strong enough to scape, would the trap be able to close, or would the squirrel killl the trap and die in the process?[/QUOTE]Yes, no, no.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:11 pm

I am sorry for the spam, but I wanted to share this since it is quite funny.

I had SYM's main page up, and my son started using my computer. He read the title of this thread and initially thought it said:
"Flesh Eating Pants"

Phreddie · Post by **Phreddie** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:18 pm

[QUOTE=dragon wench]I am sorry for the spam, but I wanted to share this since it is quite funny.

I had SYM's main page up, and my son started using my computer. He read the title of this thread and initially thought it said:
"Flesh Eating Pants"

[/QUOTE]
Hes not the only one... look at my first post in this topic...

altohugh now i wonder, if the fly traps could be made larger and stronger, think the bionic Venus Flytrap, would they make good security systems, instead of locked doors, you would just have to know where to tickle the little bugger.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:54 pm

lol! Sorry Phreddie,
I hadn't seen that. I blame it on my pre-coffee state

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:54 am

We know where a close relationship with a carnivorous plant ends :speech:

Feed Me (Git It) Lyrics

[AUDREY II]
Feed me! Feed me! Feed me!
Feed me, Seymour
Feed me all night long
That's right, boy
You can do it
Feed me, Seymour
Feed me all night long
'Cause if you feed me, Seymour
I can grow up big and strong

Would you like a Cadillac car?
Or a guest shot on Jack Paar?
How about a date with Hedy Lamarr?
You gonna git it.

Would you like to be a big wheel,
Dinin' out for every meal?
I'm the plant that can make it all real
You gonna git it

I'm your genie, I'm your friend
I'm your willing slave
Take a chance, just feed me and
You know the kinda eats,
The kinda red hot treats
The kinda sticky licky sweets
I crave

Come on, Seymour, don't be a putz
Trust me and your life will surely rival King Tut's
Show a little 'nitiative, work up the guts
And you'll git it

[SEYMOUR]
I don't know. I don't know
I have so, so many strong reservations
Should I go and perform mutilations?

[AUDREY II]
Think about a room at the Ritz
Wrapped in velvet, covered in glitz
A little nookie gonna clean up your zits
And you'll git it

[SEYMOUR]
Gee I'd like a Harley machine,
Toolin' around like I was James Dean,
Makin' all the guys on the corner turn green

[AUDREY II]
So go git it
If you wanna be profound
And you really gotta justify
Take a breath and look around
A lot of folks deserve to die

[SEYMOUR, AUDREY II]
If you want a rationale
It isn't very hard to see
Stop and think it over, pal
The guy sure looks like plant food to me.

[SEYMOUR]
He's so nasty, treatin' her rough,

[AUDREY II]
Smackin' her around and always talkin' so tough.

[SEYMOUR, AUDREY II]
You (I) need blood and he's got more than enough

[AUDREY II]
So go git it!

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:21 am

[QUOTE=Fiona]We know where a close relationship with a carnivorous plant ends :speech: [/QUOTE]

So we're gonna be sellin mutant house plants in the near future?!

:laugh: :speech: