This week's Photohunt theme is free. You could interpret this week's theme as a photo that shows 'Free'. Or use it as a free week to post anything you want. I've chosen to do a free - post anything you want - interpretation.
One of our hobbies is searching for wildflowers. Another hobby of my husband is carnivorous plants. We blend the two together and occasionally search for carnivorous plants in the wild. We have gone to Borneo to find Nepenthes in the wild and we found cephalotus in Australia. But I realized I have not posted about some of the carnivorous plants that can be found here in Western United States.
The most unusual local carnivorous plant is Darlingtonia californica - or California Cobra Lily. It grows in a small region from around Florence Oregon down to Mt. Shasta region in California. There is an excellent wayside just outside of Florence Oregon where you can walk on a boardwalk above the swamp and view these strange but wonderful plants. They are carnivorous and get their nutrition (nitrogen) from the insects that happen to fall into their pitcher and can not escape. The windows you see on their hood trick the insects into thinking there are openings where there are none. Amazing adaptation.
Comments (14)
Even before I learnt from your narrative that those pictured plants are carnivorous, had already got to thinking that they look like alien creatures... ;b
Posted by YTSL | July 9, 2010 10:23 PM
Posted on July 9, 2010 22:23
Carnivorous plants really seem to have their own personalities. That walk just outside of Florence Or is one of my favs.
Posted by maya | July 10, 2010 1:57 AM
Posted on July 10, 2010 01:57
Hi Marta, great theme choice for the week and beautiful photos. I can see why you are fascinated by these carnivorous plants. They are so interesting. And it is really amazaing how they trap the insects by faking little openings. Great choice. Have a great weekend.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | July 10, 2010 6:28 AM
Posted on July 10, 2010 06:28
How interesting, they truly look like aliens!!
free
Posted by Mar | July 10, 2010 8:07 AM
Posted on July 10, 2010 08:07
Very interesting kind of plants. And they indeed shape like a cobra, too bad if insects go near them they will become a free lunch hehehe. Happy weekend!
Posted by Manang Kim | July 10, 2010 9:43 AM
Posted on July 10, 2010 09:43
great choice for this week! beautiful plant.
Posted by And Miles To Go... | July 10, 2010 12:44 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 12:44
Those windows really are quite the adaptation.
Posted by Alice Audrey | July 10, 2010 1:05 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 13:05
I remember getting in trouble once, during a lecture in an outdoor education program back in high school...
The lecture was on carnivorous plants and there was a film presented. The bit on the Pitcher Plant showed a fly falling into the water in the plant. My friend and I got the giggles because it looked like a toilet. I still don't know why we thought this was hilarious (I blame having been awake most of the night in our cabin and being giddy from lack of sleep...). Of course, the lecturer didn't find it amusing one bit...
http://mudpuddle.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/photohunter-free
Posted by Anneke (Mudhooks) | July 10, 2010 1:38 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 13:38
Cobra lily - isn't that an oxymoron? Great creative take on the theme.
Posted by menehune | July 10, 2010 2:53 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 14:53
Lovely photos and interesting information :-)
Posted by CherryPie | July 10, 2010 3:00 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 15:00
Great post and photographs for the themes. There are still a few places in my state (NC)where carnivorous plants grow in the wild but they have lost so much of their natural habitat with development, that I usually see them in our botanical gardens.
Posted by Carver | July 10, 2010 5:31 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 17:31
That is simply amazing! I didn't know there were carnivorous plants in the US....figured they all came from "elsewhere"! Beautiful photos and a great idea for the theme!
Happy Weekend!
Find my entry here: http://bristolwood.net
Posted by Katya | July 10, 2010 7:41 PM
Posted on July 10, 2010 19:41
The one in the first pic actually looks menacing!
Posted by azahar | July 11, 2010 12:59 AM
Posted on July 11, 2010 00:59
Amazing photos! Cool plant. They really do look like aliens.
Posted by girasoli | July 15, 2010 10:54 PM
Posted on July 15, 2010 22:54