Canandaigua Botanical Society - a disclaimer

I was invited to many Canandaigua Botanical Society events by Maya Hobday since I first moved to Canandaigua in 1999. I enjoy the walks, the presentations, the meals, and the socializing with other folks I meet at the Botanical events, yet I was often uncomfortable getting to every event. At first, I found the wealth of information to be overwhelming and intimidating. Eventually I decided to not worry about learning EVERY bit of information that was shared by the presenter or other knowledgeable members. Instead, I just enjoy the gatherings of Botanical Society folk and try to hold onto just one or two bits of information that I find particularly helpful or interesting from each event. I now look forward to getting together with the Canandaigua Botanical Society. I always learn useful information about the botanical world around us and also enjoy getting to know a bit more about other Canandaigua Botanical Society members. There’s never been a “test” of knowledge learned at a Canandaigua Botanical Society event, yet there’s always a wealth of knowledge to gain. Please come join and enjoy us! Please also know that the notes written here on our Blog offer just a glimpse of what is shared and experienced at the actual Canandaigua Botanical Society events.
- Laura Ouimette

PLANTS WITH AN ATTITUDE IMAGES

I was able to gather a few carnivorous plant images from the internet...















From http://www.botany.org/carnivorous_plants/ the Butterwort, Bladderwort, and Venus Fly Trap

From http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/carnivorous-plants.html: the Sundew and Pitcher Plant








PLANTS WITH AN ATTITUDE

Canandaigua Botanical Society presentation
November 14, 2009

Dr. Bruce Gilman has been an Ontario County Botanist for the past 33 years. To many of the students at FLCC he is known as “THE PLANT MAN”.

The Plant Man speculated what might be considered plants with attitudes. Although prickly plants (honey locust), plants that harm us (poison ivy), and plants with an ego (ironwood/muscle wood) may indeed be plants with attitudes…Dr. Gilman focused his talk on carnivorous predatory plants.

The Plant Man (aka Dr. Gilman) discussed the classification, evolution, ecology, and feeding of Butterwort, Bladderwort, Sundew, Venus Fly Trap, and Pitcher Plant in our area of the world.

The Butterwort is rare and protected in NY State. It grows on rocky shores and ledges and can be found at Lethchworth State Park. The Butterwort, a perennial, has stalk leaves using a sticky flypaper like trap to collect insects and pollen grains.

Bladderwort is a free floating submersed plant with leaves underwater and a snapdragon like yellow flower in autumn. The submersed leaves have tiny bladders that suction up nutrients (water fleas) which stimulate hairs on the bladder. The closing of the trap doors can be heard as a crackling noise.

The Venus Fly Trap can be found along the coastal Carolinas. This plant uses a snap trap where two leaf jaws snap close creating a cage for the insect that stimulate two or more hairs on the outer edges of the leaves. The insect is then slowly digested by enzymes and absorbed by the leaf. A Venus Fly Trap leaf generally takes on three victims before it turns black and dies.

There are about 152 species of Sundew that can be found in temperate tropical bogs. The Sundew has glandular hairs which glisten like dew in the morning sun. It has stalked glands on the hairs coming off of the leaf. The digestive juices of the Sundew plant increase in production once its prey has been captured.

The Pitcher Plant is perhaps the most aggressive carnivorous plant using the scent of decaying meat and the color of blood red deep purple flowers to attract its prey. This plant has a hollow leaf with waxy surface and a pool of rain water used to drown its prey. The female Pitcher plant has an inverted umbrella where insects breed.

The Plant Man concluded the presentation with a short clip from the 1960’s movie, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS where we giggled at the enormous plant gobbling up its prey of a floral shop robber.

PLANTS WITH AN ATTITUDE

Canandaigua Botanical Society presentation
November 14, 2009

Dr. Bruce Gilman has been an Ontario County Botanist for the past 33 years. To many of the students at FLCC he is known as “THE PLANT MAN”.

The Plant Man speculated what might be considered plants with attitudes. Although prickly plants (honey locust), plants that harm us (poison ivy), and plants with an ego (ironwood/muscle wood) may indeed be plants with attitudes…Dr. Gilman focused his talk on carnivorous predatory plants.

The Plant Man (aka Dr. Gilman) discussed the classification, evolution, ecology, and feeding of Butterwort, Bladderwort, Sundew, Venus Fly Trap, and Pitcher Plant in our area of the world.

The Butterwort is rare and protected in NY State. It grows on rocky shores and ledges and can be found at Lethchworth State Park. The Butterwort, a perennial, has stalk leaves using a sticky flypaper like trap to collect insects and pollen grains.

Bladderwort is a free floating submersed plant with leaves underwater and a snapdragon like yellow flower in autumn. The submersed leaves have tiny bladders that suction up nutrients (water fleas) which stimulate hairs on the bladder. The closing of the trap doors can be heard as a crackling noise.

The Venus Fly Trap can be found along the coastal Carolinas. This plant uses a snap trap where two leaf jaws snap close creating a cage for the insect that stimulate two or more hairs on the outer edges of the leaves. The insect is then slowly digested by enzymes and absorbed by the leaf. A Venus Fly Trap leaf generally takes on three victims before it turns black and dies.

There are about 152 species of Sundew that can be found in temperate tropical bogs. The Sundew has glandular hairs which glisten like dew in the morning sun. It has stalked glands on the hairs coming off of the leaf. The digestive juices of the Sundew plant increase in production once its prey has been captured.

The Pitcher Plant is perhaps the most aggressive carnivorous plant using the scent of decaying meat and the color of blood red deep purple flowers to attract its prey. This plant has a hollow leaf with waxy surface and a pool of rain water used to drown its prey. The female Pitcher plant has an inverted umbrella where insects breed.

The Plant Man concluded the presentation with a short clip from the 1960’s movie, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS where we giggled at the enormous plant gobbling up its prey of a floral shop robber.

Plants With An Attitude attendance

The November 14th presentation presented by Dr. Bruce Gilman was attended by:

Renee Conde; Tom & Kathie Crocker; Robert, Caroline, Charlie & Philo Gray; Bob Guthrie; Maya Hobday; Peggy Kane; Dick Kent; Leona Lauster; Maureen Lynch; Lauralee & John Maas; Jim Miller; Laura, Bethan & Thomas Ouimette; John & Mary Purdy; Judy Robinson.

Thanks to John and Mary Purdy for providing refreshments!

Thanks to the Daily Messenger!

24 people attended the Canandaigua Botanical Society presentation by THE PLANT MAN. Thanks to the Daily Messenger for the following article running in Friday's paper:

Daily Messenger Friday, November 13, 2009

WEEKEND
WATCH:
Carnivorous
plants 101
and more
Messenger Post
You can’t say there’s nothing
to do this weekend. Holiday
bazaar season is in full
swing. There’s Christmas
shopping to start, holiday
decorations to put up, and
yep, leaves left to rake. Not in
the mood for any of those?
How about spending some
time learning about carnivorous
plants at Finger Lakes
Community College. For that
and other events, read on.
Hungry plants
Learn about the intriguing
adaptations of carnivorous
plants in our region at a lecture
by Bruce Gilman, professor
of environmental
conservation and horticulture
at Finger Lakes Community
College and the director of
the Muller Field Station. The
talk will take place at 10 a.m.
Saturday in Room C-220 at
FLCC, which is on Marvin
Sands Drive (off Lakeshore
Drive) in Hopewell. It is free to
attend.