The Trip:
Portugal is home to a fairly small number of carnivorous plants. However, the few carnivorous plant species it has, it has well!
Of course, foremost in the minds of carnivorous plant aficionados is that this is often thought of as the home of the spectacular
sticky-trap plant, Drosophyllum lusitanicum.
This plant has a unique trapping mechanism. Many people think of it as merely being another sticky-flypaper plant, such as
Drosera and other genera. But Drosophyllum is different. Instead of
trapping bugs by holding them tightly to the plant, Drosophyllum vomits globs of mucous onto its prey
but allows the prey to move on (if it so chooses). Bugs being bugs, the prey inevitably try to clean themselves off, and in the process
come into contact with more glands. In time, the bug tumbles down the nearly vertical leaves, until it becomes covered with slime
and drowns.
How horrible!
This trip report includes video, in addition to the photography. This is the first time I have tried video, and I hope you enjoy the
YouTube links provided throughout. My video work is, shall we kindly say, primitive. However, perhaps it adds a bit more to the trip
report, in spite of its glaring weaknesses?
Start the photo-essay about Portugal!
