Pervy Plant Lovers :: Rated PG-13

It's not what you are thinking.  This post is not about some form of warped dendrophilia or about something akin to SNL's Molly Shannon (if you click on the link, it starts at 00:22).

This post is about dirty-minded botanists from the 1700's, namely John & William Bartram, Peter Collinson, William Darlington, Arthur Dobbs, John Ellis, and Daniel Solander, and a carnivorous plant known as the Venus Flytrap or the Dionaea muscipula.

According to author Barry Rice (referenced below), "When they looked at the plant, they saw in its amazing behavior and attractive form (two red, glistening lobes, surrounded by hairs, sensitive to the touch), something that reminded them of female genitalia of their own species." Disclaimer: The first time I saw a Venus Flytrap it never crossed my mind to think of it as something resembling the female genitalia.

Thus, Venus, for the goddess of love and flytrap, for its capabilities.

Venus the goddess of love is known as the daughter of Zeus and Dione.  Hence, the genus name Dionaea.  The species muscipula, however, does not refer to a fly trap but to a mousetrap.  It is thought that John Ellis chose both genus and species name to put down in history their appreciation of the plant as similar to a love-goddess capturing mammals inside her.

My specimens are D. muscipula clone#5, purchased from the Pitcher Plant Farm.  The leaves are more green than red so they might not be getting enough sunlight or they are still too young.  They seem to be slow-growing.  None of them have flowered yet.  Not a single fly trapped.

They are quite difficult to grow. The medium should be kept moist at all times. It can only be watered with rain water or distilled water, otherwise, it would slowly die. The fact that my plants are still alive for more than five months is an achievement in itself. Congratulations to me :-)

Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) closing after one of the trigger hairs is stimulated. By Markus Nolf of http://www.thinkoholic.com/

More of Macro Monday on Lisa's Chaos.

Comments

[Don't Bug Me!]

Hmmmm, lips maybe, but female genitalia? Erm, I suppose, being female, I don't get see them close up, so I wouldn't really know?!? *cough*

[kelli]

awesome shot. These plants are so cool

[Donna]

You learn something new every day.

[Ellada]

Female genitalia ??? I don't think so.

And Congratulations to you for the achievement.

[Jay]

And there was me thinking that the Venus' part of the name referred to the shell like shape of the leaves - as in 'Venus arising from the waves'! I can just imagine those botanists all gathered around this new plant in a gangly, schoolboyish group, killing themselves with laughter and making smutty jokes. Maybe they'd been away from home too long.

Great post! I love the animation.

[Hootin' Anni]

Okay....I'll never look at a flytrap again without thinking of your post!!!

My Macro is http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/2010/11/elusive-butterfly-of-love.html . Butterfly of LOVE. Do find time to stop by and say hello if you can!!!

[The Plant Chaser]

@DBM: Don't worry, I think you need an active imagination to see what the gentlemen of yore saw.

@Kelli and Ellada: Thank you!

@Donna: Yes, we do.

@Jay: Officially the reason for the name is "...and from the beautiful Appearance of its Milk-white Flowers, and the Elegance of its Leaves, thought it well deserved one of the Names of the Goddess of Beauty, and therefore called it Dionaea."

Behind the scenes, there are records of exchanges of the following comments:

1) Bartram wrote to Collinson on 29 August 1762 that "my little tipitiwitchet (what they called the VFT) sensitive stimulates laughter in all ye beholders".

2) Collinson wrote to Bartram about their newlywed friend Dobbs: "It is now in vain to write to him for seeds or plants of Tipitiwitchet now He has gott one of his Own to play with".

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Anni! You snuck in. Of course I will drop by to see your macro. Have just started doing the rounds.

[Christina Sweden]

wonderfful story and interesting facts. Had one a while ago and was thrilled by the speed it shut down over the poor insect

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Christina! I have yet to see my VFT's trap an insect, any insect.

[Cathy]

Thank you for this lesson! I didn't know this and your pictures are wonderful!! Have a grand day!

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Cathy! Thank you for dropping by.

[magiceye]

wow! amazing!

[Heather @ Dusty Bay]

Fantastic post - thanks!

[The Plant Chaser]

@magiceye: Thanks for the visit. I will be sure to drop in on you and Mumbai in the future.

@Heather: Thanks for visiting. I just passed by your blog and enjoyed your mums.

[Yoshi]

Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting. It appears to me that this is too green to look like female genitalia... Nice macro shots and interesting story:)
Have a nice day.
Yoshi.

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Yoshi! I think the variety with more pink/red is what Bartram, Collinson and Ellis discovered. But still, it takes a bit of imagination.

There is a picture on Barry Rice's page (link in my references for this post) which might give a better idea of what the men saw before.

[dona]

Your photos are always amazing, and Dionaeas are amazing as well!

[Birgitta]

So cool! Great and special photos!

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Dona and Birgitta! I'm glad you liked my photos. Thanks!