March 29, 1996 Contact: Erik Stokstad or Robert Irion (408/459-2495)

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS JOIN SPRING FLOWERS AT UC SANTA CRUZ ARBORETUM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--A new carnivorous plant bog has added some bite to the flowery displays of the Arboretum at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Kids are not the only ones enthralled by the insect-devouring plants, says Steve McCabe, a curator at the Arboretum. "Most everybody likes the carnivorous plants--they're just so weird."

An early spring trip to the Arboretum will also delight visitors with the dashing aerial displays of hummingbirds, courting their mates above the vividly flowering landscape. An up-close look at the Arboretum's extensive collections, established in 1964, reveals a fantastic world of strange plants from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. For those who like to feel more at home with their shrubbery, the Arboretum features many hardy California natives, enticed into bloom by the recent rains.

The new display recreates the murky bogs of the U.S. Gulf Coast, where plants prey on insects to make up for the nutrient-poor soil. Nestled among granite boulders, the Venus's-flytrap is the most famous carnivorous plant in the Arboretum bog. The thumbnail-sized flytrap waits for its prey with pairs of specialized leaves cocked open like bear traps. When an unsuspecting insect lands on the plant and trips three hairs in a row, the leaves snap shut. The Venus's- flytrap clamps its trap by squirting water into cells that swell and fold the leaf over--dooming the victim to death by slow digestion.

Most conspicuous in the bog are foot-high pitcher plants. Their reddish veined leaves have evolved into long vertical tubes that jut up out of the granite sand like snorkels. Insects slide down the slick sides and perish in a pool of digestive juices. The cobra lily, native to the Pacific Northwest, has even evolved a hood on top of its pitcher to prevent rain from diluting its bug-digesting soup. Some pitcher plants also have curved hairs to prevent insects from crawling out. "It must be pretty scary for the insect," says McCabe. "It can't figure the way out and slowly gets dissolved."

Short squat sundews capture their meals with leaves like flypaper. Special glands ooze glistening drops of nectar, glue, and digestive enzymes. The sweet-smelling but deadly mix lures insects to the leaves. Once the struggling insect is stuck fast, the entire leaf slowly curls around it in a tight embrace.

In a different spot, the Arboretum displays specimens of Nepenthes, a vinelike carnivorous plant with even more versatile foliage. The ends of the leaves twist into tendrils, which in turn balloon into sausage-shaped pitchers. In the wilds of Madagascar, Nepenthes plants can grow to 50 feet and--legend has it--can even catch rats.

While carnivorous plants patiently wait for their next victims, the Arboretum's resident hummingbirds sip nectar and scout for mates. Hundreds of fragrant shrubs and trees draw Anna's hummingbirds, Allen's hummingbirds, and other colorful species. Visitors can see for themselves the floral feast of the hummingbirds by visiting the Arboretum's unique gardens of the Southern Hemisphere. Be prepared for bizarre plants with exotic flowers. "It feels like you've gone into a different world," says McCabe. "They're so unusual."

In the Australian garden, paths wind between more than 150 kinds of bushy Grevillea with oddly serrated leaves. The flowers of Banksia plants resemble toothbrushes; others look like corn on the cob or spiders' legs. And the bird-pollinated Protea, native to South Africa and called "pink mink," flowers with feathery petals. Many plants are now blooming in an eye-catching display of yellow, orange, and red. "There's always something going on in the Australian garden," says McCabe.

The Arboretum is open to the public every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for self-guided tours. Docents work at Norrie's gift shop Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The Arboretum entrance is on Empire Grade in Santa Cruz, one-half mile west of UCSC's main entrance on High Street. Admission is free. For more information, call the Arboretum at (408) 427-2998.

Editor's note: A color slide of several sundews is available; call Robert Irion at (408) 459-2495.

This release is also available on the World Wide Web at UCSC's "Services for Journalists" site (http://www.ucsc.edu/news/journalist.html).

Press Releases Home | Search Press Releases | Press Release Archive | Services for Journalists

Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu