A towering South American plant that is believed to kill animals with its spikes and use their decaying bodies as fertilizer is about to bloom in England. A rare Puya chilensis was planted at a greenhouse in Surrey about 15 years ago. However, despite its intimidating description, the tall, spiked plant is considered a threatened species. The Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley has been feeding the plant a diet of liquid fertilizer. “In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spines to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and decay at the base of the plant, providing it with the grizzly equivalent of a bag of fertiliser,” reads a description on the RHS website, which adds that the plant emits a “gruesome scent.” But does the plant actually trap and eat sheep? Other sources have simply said it is “believed” that the plant traps small animals with its spikes. After the animals die of starvation, the plant is "believed" to then use their decaying bodies as fertilizer to feed itself. "I'm really pleased that we've finally coaxed our Puya chilensis into flower," horticulturalist Cara Smith said in a press release on the RHS site. Regardless of whether it actually traps sheep, the plant does have sharp spikes that can grow up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide. However, it’s not all death and danger for this plant. Its flowery blooms reportedly provide nectar for bees and birds. The Puya chilensis blooms annually in its native land of Chile, but this is the first time it has done so after more than a decade of cultivation efforts from the RHS. "We keep it well fed with liquid fertiliser as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic,” Smith said. "It's growing in the arid section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike." |
據(jù)美國(guó)雅虎新聞網(wǎng)6月21日?qǐng)?bào)道,日前,英國(guó)皇家園藝協(xié)會(huì)從南美洲引進(jìn)的“食羊植物”智利普亞菠蘿在該協(xié)會(huì)位于薩里郡的溫室中生活了15年之后,終于成功開花。 智利普亞菠蘿是一種生活在智利的高大植物,最大能夠長(zhǎng)到12英尺(約為3.66米)高、5英尺(約為1.52米)寬。它不僅有龐大的體積,而且體表長(zhǎng)滿極其鋒利的尖刺,有人說它能夠靠這些尖刺來捕獲羊等動(dòng)物。“食羊植物”這一稱呼正是來自于這種說法。 皇家園藝協(xié)會(huì)在其網(wǎng)站上對(duì)普亞菠蘿這種令人可怕的特性進(jìn)行介紹,稱這種植物周身散發(fā)著“恐怖的氣息”,“在位于南美安第斯山脈的自然棲息地里,它體表長(zhǎng)有的鋒利尖刺能夠困住羊等動(dòng)物,這些動(dòng)物會(huì)被活活餓死,并慢慢腐爛,然后成為它的天然肥料”。 據(jù)悉,在“老家”智利,普亞菠蘿每年開花一次,但在引入英國(guó)后,這還是它首次開花。 園藝家卡拉·史密斯表示:“我們精心照料它,用液體肥料澆灌……我們把它種植在溫室的干燥區(qū)域,并且要避免孩子們和羊等動(dòng)物靠近它。” 相關(guān)閱讀 巴黎印發(fā)游客服務(wù)手冊(cè) 旨在改善排外形象 斯諾登曝美國(guó)國(guó)家安全局曾密集攻擊清華大學(xué) (翻譯:變色龍 編輯:Julie) |