cracked lens: Comment on carnivore

With the exception of Antarctica, each of the world's continents plays home to plants that supplement their nutrient uptake through the luring, capture and subsequent digestion of prey. Some produce sticky mucilage that effectively glues insect visitors to leaves, some produce miniature vacuum traps that, when triggered, suck in water borne microfauna, and one famously ensnares its victims between rapidly closing jaws. The remainder, including the most spectacular, are the pitcher plants.

The Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) are just one of a handful of genera that trap insects through the production of pitchers -- specialised urn-shaped traps. The plants largely grow as vines scattered across the Malaysian archipelago, bar a few exceptions, and the pitchers of the hundred or so different species vary tremendously. In some species, the mature pitchers measure just a few centimetres long, but those from the largest species in Malaysia and the Philippines can attain exceptional lengths of up to 40 centimetres, holding over 3 litres of liquid.

While perhaps sinister in function, the traps of some Nepenthes can be highly ornate in form and dazzling in colour, beauties that surpass many fine orchids. And some are just plain cute; Nepenthes ampullaria, pictured here in my collection, produces relatively small pitchers that form dense carpets of traps in the leaf-litter of lowland rainforests. They're somewhat atypical in shape, but have been a favourite of mine since my childhood in Asia simply for the fact that they're so unusual.

Comments on: carnivore

Lovely shot, Alastair. And so exactly you :)

Posted by matt at December 11, 2005 11:30 PM

Exotic and delightful. Great colors!

Posted by Dave at December 12, 2005 05:20 AM

Perhaps this is one of your best. Phantastic colors and a great use of DOF.

Posted by sal at December 12, 2005 12:43 PM

I used to love looking at all the 'carnivorous' plants in the garden centres. They always look so inviting yet you know some poor insect is gonna get it sooner or later. I like the different range of colours between the two pitchers.

Posted by owen at December 12, 2005 12:58 PM

great use of dof and the warm colors are also nice

Posted by mikhail at December 12, 2005 05:17 PM

That was interesting. Cool shoot with great detail.

Posted by RainKing at December 12, 2005 05:28 PM

I am vegetarian...! ;-)

Posted by Heidi at December 12, 2005 06:10 PM

Hee hee I've just discovered the comments page (having become used to your RSS feed).

Let's drink and chat soon - if not before Xmas then certainly in 2006.

Jams x

Posted by Jams at December 13, 2005 11:15 PM

Alastair, the photo is good. Your writing is even better. Dead good like.

Posted by joe_ob at December 14, 2005 03:37 PM

Very nice use of selective focusing methods in this shot.

From the looks of your portfolio, I will have to visit here more often!

Beautiful work!!

Posted by Michael Brown at December 15, 2005 04:57 AM

Cool shot. The limited DOF makes these plants look even more ominous somehow.

Posted by luminouslens at December 15, 2005 04:21 PM

Fantastic shot, the colors, textures and subject are surreal.

Posted by Ariela at December 16, 2005 12:16 AM

Not so many photoblogs feature commentary that match the quality of photos.

This site's an exception, they're both excellent.

Posted by pierre at December 16, 2005 07:49 AM

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