Carnivorous orchids

From: Richard Jobson (r.jobson@botany.uq.edu.au)
Date: Fri May 21 1999 - 02:13:31 PDT


Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 19:13:31 +1000
From: "Richard Jobson" <r.jobson@botany.uq.edu.au>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg1768$foo@default>
Subject: Carnivorous orchids

Hi John,
I fished out a paper on "carnivorous orchids" of Central American
Jungles. No mention of sticky glands just a build-up of ants in
hollow spaces in the plant?. Isotopic studies found the nutrients
from the dead ants rapidly entered the plant. Whether the plant
absorbs these nutriets via enzymes or microbes was
undetermined. Further studies were about to begin but I have heard
nothing since. The article by Paul Simons - "Carnivorous orchid
feeds off it's own rubbish tip", New Scientist - 5th August 1989.
Another article was in the Flytrap News Vol 6, No. 1, 1992.
An orchid with sticky glandular leaves sounds interesting. Who
knows more about this one?
Cheers,
Richard Jobson.



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