Product Description

Plants that trap and eat animals: an amazing phenomenon that has inspired awe since before the days of Darwin. The victims may be flies and butterflies, small crustaceans, or even vertebrates the size of rats.

Lured into the danger zone by optical, tactile, and olfactory strategies, the prey succumb to ingenious traps and face their doom. But unlike plants that temporarily catch insects for pollination, the true carnivores go considerably further: they digest them for the nutrients they need to survive in extremely inhospitable sites on land and in water.

Anyone captivated by the unearthly beauty of the "flowers of evil" will treasure this stunning, encyclopedic exploration, which also includes animal-trapping mosses and fungi, as well as advice for growing and buying carnivorous plants and an extensive international bilbliography. It is an essential reference for hobbyist, naturalist, and collector alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69870 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
"A curious world, indeed, is brilliantly described in this definitive guide."
(Library Journal )

“This is an exquisite book, truly covering both biology and cultivation of carnivorous plants.”

Review
"This is a simply marvellous book—the definitive work on this most fascinating miscellany of amazing plants."
—Professor Sir Peter Crane FRS
Former Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
University Professor, The University of Chicago

From the Inside Flap
Plants that trap and eat animals: an amazing phenomenon that has inspired awe since before the days of Darwin. The victims may be flies and butterflies, small crustaceans, or even vertebrates the size of rats.

Lured into the danger zone by optical, tactile, and olfactory strategies, the prey succomb to ingenious traps and face their doom. But unlike plants that temporarily catch insects for pollination, the true carnivores go considerably further: they digest them for the nutrients they need to survive in extremely inhospitable sites on land and in water. Drosophyllum lusitanicum can digest a mosquito within 24 hours. The common butterwort, Pinguicula vulgaris, digests small snimals within two days; a whole fly will disappear in Drosera anglica in four days.

This exquisite book, copiously illustrated with closeup photography, provides detailed descriptions—including trapping mechanisms, digestion, and prey—and cultivation information for key species in 17 genera and 10 families. Most notably, it includes the first comprehensive listing of some 630 known carnivorous plant species, described in fascinating detail, with identification history and geographic distribution species by species. Physiological and ecological wonders abound in clear and accessible explanations by four author-scientists who work at the leading edge of research.

Anyone captivated by the unearthly beauty of the "flowers of evil" will treasure this stunning, encyclopedic exploration, which also includes animal-trapping mosses and fungi, as well as advice for growing and buying carnivorous plants and an extensive international bibliography. It is an essential reference for hobbyist, naturalist, and collector alike.

Customer Reviews

There are Better Carnivorous Plants Books than this one
I will give credit to the authors on a well researched, biologically detailed book that covers the different Carnivorous Plant families. I was looking forward to getting and reading this book but was disappointed after reciving it.

I feel this is a good introductory book on the topic so if you know nothing at all about Carnivorous Plants then a purchase may be all right for you. Most of the material in the book is found in other books of CPs. So if you have other books on CPs that you like, then this becomes redundant.

I am very spoiled by two books in my collection on the topic of CPs. The first is the SAVAGE GARDEN by Peter D'Amato, and the second is PITCHER PLANTS OF THE AMERICAS by Stewart McPherson.I recommend both of these instead of the one I'm reviewing. Between the two of these you should have all you need on cultivation, biology, evolutionary trends, and notes on many species of Carnivorous Plants.

The Best Comprehensive Guide to Carnivorous Plants
This book covers all the basic aspects of Carnivorous Plants from their taxonomy, through ecology, physiology and evolution to how to grow them. I would say it is the one essential text for all enthusiasts. The text is illustrated with many amazing photographs and micro-photographs. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It even makes a fascinating coffee table book for the uninitiated.