No-one’s Ark: Magnificent Sundew
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
This is an extract from Human Nature: How to be a Better Animal, part of Chapter 6’s list of ten animals that I would choose to save first.
I’m going to say right away that I am not a plant person. Tree-hugger perhaps, but if it doesn’t have eyes or a heart or a nose, then it’s off the books for me. I’m not proud of my anti-plant bias, but the reason for it is simple to devine. Plants don’t move or do anything much interesting on time scales we can appreciate. The exception being carnivorous plants, some of nature’s deadliest hunters, amongst which the sundew counts itself.
To picture a sundew, imagine a cartoon octopus with flailing legs. Turn those legs into bright red stems, and add thousands of tiny droplets of sticky fluid to the broad leaves. It’s a start. Basically, unwary insects fly into the sundew’s coated stems, and the plant grabs hold of them tightly whilst digesting them alive. That’s not a nice way to die, even if you get to be eaten by a beautiful plant.
It was a picture of the aptly-named magnificent sundew that caused it to be found; a picture on Facebook of all places. It started when a plant enthusiast living in a remote mountainous region of Brazil went for a walk. On this particular walk, he came across a very attractive plant that he took some pictures of and posted onto social media. One year later, and through a long bread-crumb trail of sharing on Facebook and via friends of friends, these images happened to arrive in front of a young researcher in the town of São Paulo nearby. They appeared different from any of the sundews he had previously seen, so he set out on an expedition to meet with the enthusiast who had found it and scientifically describe the finding. It was a new species, completely unknown to science, found thanks to the worldwide web.
That very same year, another new species- a type of flying green insect called a lacewing- was found by a scientist trawling through photos on Flickr. This is so far removed from our sense of high-brow, rigorous academia that it’s almost comical. But the fact remains that scientists are increasingly reliant on everyday people exploring and posting their findings to improve our knowledge. The magnificent sundew was found on a single mountain peak at 1500m elevation. Its habitat is completely surrounded by cattle ranches and plantations. The odds were very much against its discovery, and still remain stacked against its survival. Yet with the knowledge that it exists, there’s a slim chance that we’re able to conserve it one way or another.
Sundews famously live in some of the least plant-friendly soils on Earth, gaining the essential nutrients they require to survive by eating small insects. They’re successful simply because they have little or no competition, similar to how ravens are able to lord it over tips and rubbish heaps. The remarkable thing about sundews, however, is this ability of theirs to react in human time to their surroundings. These are predatory plants, and just as cool as that title makes them sound. We’ve even discovered one sundew species that reverse-engineers its insect-snatching mechanisms to alarm its flowers against hungry moths that could damage them. The slightest touch and the flower closes, leaving it wrapped up in its petals, safe from harm.
Flies live life in the fast lane with a higher metabolism that means they perceive time passing in a sort of slow-motion. That’s why the inane buzzing critters are so hard to swat. Plants have low metabolisms, live longer, but also perceive time as fast-forwarded as a result. So whilst you need bucketloads of patience to watch a tree growing, the tree sees itself shooting out of the ground much faster. That fact alone is enough to win a plant a spot on my list.
In Melbourne, Australia, 70,000 trees were each given separate email addresses to inspire the public to connect with the greenery. The results were touching, and popular trees received love letters from admirers across the globe. “You are the gift that keeps on giving,” said one. Another continued: “I was struck, not by a branch, but by your radiant beauty.” From another: “You inspire me to live life to the fullest, and pursue my dreams.” Plants, on the whole, are hard to fully appreciate, but plants that respond to your emails… well, that’s a little easier.
The magnificent sundew joins my ark as a statement that the plant kingdom ought never be forgotten: likewise for the fungi, bacteria and other microscopic life that struggles on all around us. Taking the time to look a little closer can lead to unexpected breakthroughs, and technology can be a potent force for good.
