‘Pitcher Plant’
We’ve all heard about pitcher plants and Venus fly traps; carnivorous plants that trap insects and sometimes bigger animals to get their nutrients. Most vegetarians probably don’t concern themselves with these plants since they would never consider eating them. But what if they were to find out that some of their beloved vegetables were responsible for the deaths of animals?
Although Nepenthes Attenboroughii would be a pretty badass name, it is actually the name of a recently-discovered plant in the Philippines.
Apparently not all heroes come in human form.
This plant lives by the tenets of unvegans everywhere, because it is no ordinary plant. In fact, it is a giant pitcher plant. When people think of plants that eat animals, Venus Flytraps or Little Shop of Horrors are typically the first things that come to mind. Well, Venus Flytraps are child’s play compared to Nepenthes Attenboroughii, which is capable of consuming entire rodents.
From The Wizard of Oz to The Lord of the Rings, talking trees have been a part of fantasy for a long time. Well, perhaps these thoughts should finally be freed from the land of myth. I recently discovered an old article thanks to this article in The Huffington Post.
It is entitled “Do Trees Communicate for Mutual Defense?” by Larry Gedney and although it’s from way back in 1986, the article cites a lot of research I had never heard of before. According to the research, trees under attack are able to communicate to each other to warn them about the danger. Once warned, the other trees can then defend themselves, such as by producing a chemical to ward off attacking insects.