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05-22-2009, 11:05 AM
|  | Puritanboard Botanist | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Oceano, CA, USA
Posts: 5,463
Thanks: 1,886
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| | | The lowly Bladderwort, speed king.
One of several species of my Utricularia, or Bladderworts sent up a flower spike this week. These plants are very plain, looking like short grass until they flower, and while the flower is enjoyable to look at, the interesting thing about this plant is it has the fastest speed of any plant in the world.
It lives in boggy ground, where there isn't much in the way of nutrients, so attached to it's roots are bladders. When it produces a bladder, it pumps the water out, creating a vacuum. There are triggers on the bladders, and when a mosquito larva, tadpole, nematode or some such animal brushes up against the triggers a trap door swings open at a speed of up to 1 four hundredths of a second. The prey then is sucked in with the water, dies in the trap, and the plant uses it for food.  
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Tim Vaughan
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian, OPC,
Santa Maria
California
| | The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to TimV For This Useful Post: | |
05-22-2009, 12:04 PM
|  | Puritanboard Graduate | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Thankful...
Posts: 3,238
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Incredible!
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John
Member
Christ Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah www.christpres.net |
05-22-2009, 12:35 PM
|  | Reformed Dane | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Breum, Denmark
Posts: 6,341
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Very beautiful
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05-22-2009, 01:12 PM
|  | Puritanboard Graduate | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 3,218
Thanks: 617
Thanked 1,916 Times in 851 Posts
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It's a pretty little killer. Kewl!
Theognome
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Bill Cunningham
Covenant Reformed Church, URC
Kansas City
There are three kinds of people- those who can count, and those who can't.
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05-22-2009, 02:53 PM
|  | Puritanboard Postgraduate | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Roanoke VA
Posts: 4,220
Thanks: 779
Thanked 389 Times in 277 Posts
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Beautiful.
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Donald Jacobs
Roanoke VA.
Covenant Reformed Episcopal Church.
Cum vero infirmor tunc potens sum. |
05-22-2009, 03:22 PM
|  | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bradenton, FL
Posts: 1,594
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I dig those bug eatin' plants.
Thanks Tim.
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Steve Butts - Former SBC-er
Three Forms of Unity - Bradenton CRCNA - Bradenton, Florida
(A conservative member in a conservative congregation)
"Turning away to false Theology is equal to turning away to false gods" — Francis Schaeffer (Death in the City) | |
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