VFT size & mothers-in-law
Marj Boyer (Marj_Boyer@mail.agr.state.nc.us)
Fri, 11 Oct 96 17:08:09 EST
(1) On the recent comment about Venus flytraps in the field being
under grass cover, where they're sheltered from sun & wind, we (some
North Carolina botanists) have been doing a study on VFT's in the
field in relation to fire frequency. We've found that as the grass
cover thickens, the VFT's gradually dwindle in size, down to
practically nothing (single-leafed plants less than dime-size with
1/8" traps), and disappear altogether. When fire or other disturbance
clears away the cover and exposes the plants to sun & moving air, the
VFT's promptly get big & fat & happy. They grow in areas where fire
once occurred naturally (ignited by lightning, fueled by the grass)
every 1-3 years. Three years without fire is pretty trying to VFT's,
as a very dense layer of dead grass can build up in that time.
(2) As one who just attained mother-in-law status (and I was very fond
of my own mother-in-law, too) I take GREAT UMBRAGE at all the
misogynist talk about mother-in-law-vores. I'd go for a megaVFT that
would swallow fathers-in-law, though.
Marj Boyer