The Pitcher Plant and the Venus Fly Trap are carnivorous plants. They are often portrayed in an evil role in various cartoons or movies. However, for a carnivorous plant specialist whos pen name is "Charlotte Legaut", these plants are both cute and quite interesting.
Legaut recently had his book Carnivorous Plants published on Taiwan. Born in 1969, Legaut began to develop an interest in plants when he was 10 years old. While he was young, he planted and grew all sorts of grasses, flowers and plants around her home. One day he became especially attracted by the attractive colors of carnivorous plants and began to engage in research on them. This study has latest now for nearly 30 years.

In an expression of love for his carnivorous plants, Legaut has transformed the attic in his house to a greenroom. In the space he has hung all sorts of plants and has also installed an automatic sprinkler system. Each hour on the hour the water sprays down from the ceiling. What he did not anticipate is that after the plants had been sprinkled over a period of time, water began to leak to the floors below.

Legaut also decided to buy a refrigerator that he would use specifically to store plants that did not do well in the heat. Over time, he felt that there was not enough room in the refrigerator to house all the plants, and so he decided to partition the room and make one part of it air-conditioned. Legaut said, "From the standpoint of my parents, it was hard for them to believe that the plants I was taking care of in many cases were treated better than people!"

In addition to growing the plants on his own, Legaut said what he liked most was to go to the native lands of the plants and observe them in their natural habitat. Each year, he would spend many months in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia. The travels were not always easy. He had to take precautions to guard against mosquitoes as well as poisonous snakes. Often he had to go days without having access to a shower. He would also often have to climb up on rocks. One hand would be holding on to the cliff while he would use his other hand to snap pictures to document things. Even though it was all quite tough, Legaut said the experiences were exhilarating.

Having to hang off of rocks to take pictures was not, however, the most dangerous part of her travels. Legaut said that the biggest danger was personal safety. He said that there was one time when he and a Malaysian friend of his went exploring together. The two of them were driving and were having a laugh along the way. Suddenly, they saw a man on the side of the road holding out his hand, wanting to grab a ride. Legaut said that he was ready to stop the car and help out the man when his friend shouted to step on it and get away. "He was holding a knife in his hand and concealed it behind his back," he said. Partially in disbelief, Legaut steered the car so he could have a better look at the man. To be sure, he was holding a knife in his hand.

Legaut travels overseas and therefore is not often home. In these circumstances, who tends to his plants? Legaut said that before he goes overseas, he will place plants that do not like the cold or the heat in specific places. However, when it comes to typhoons, cold snaps or other sudden changes in the weather, he has to ask his parents for assistance.

He said that his parents are in fact quite capable in handling the task. In the event that one of the plants dies while he is away, his parents will quickly remove any trace of it. "After all, there are so many plants. I simply cannot remember all of them. I am not able to remember which was placed where. At most, I would notice that there is an empty pot," he said.

Then there is the problem of how to make sure that there are insects in the house that serve as food for the carnivorous plants. If an insect flies into a Pitcher Plant, will the plant actually prevent the insect from escaping? A bit impatient, Legaut said, "All of this sort of talk is a misconception!"

In fact, in an effort to attract even more insects, these plants will emit a fragrant smell. He said that many insects catch a whiff of the scent and move toward the plant. Legaut added that there are even rows after rows of ants that are literally waiting to die.

As for the depiction in cartoons in which insects fall into a Pitcher Plant and then a part of the plant covers them, Legaut stressed, "There is nothing of the sort." He said that the function of the over flap of the Pitcher Plant is purely to serve as a means for the scent of the secretions created by the plant to be emitted. This is important as it attracts insects. He said that the insects will come and try to settle on the over flap. However, the mucus on the flap is too slippery. The insects are unable to catch their balance and end up falling into the body of the plant.

He said that the flap will not close over them at all. Legaut said that the flap in fact is not even big enough to protect the plant from rain. There are digestive enzymes in the bottom of the plant that help to digest the insects. Meanwhile, if rain falls into the body of the plant, it will also help in drowning the insect.

In addition, Legaut said that when some vendors sell the Pitcher Plant here, they will commonly stress that the variety has the largest pitcher of this type of plant. He said that actually, the pitcher of the Pitcher Plant can be as large as 30 to 40 centimeters. Legaut said that even rats can be attracted in and smothered to death. However, for the pitcher to grow to such an enormous size would require the support of many meters of vines. He said that the small plants that people buy at the market will not grow to this size.

Legaut added that perhaps what attracts people most to carnivorous plants is that the plants have a unique form to them and beautiful flowers. In addition, there is a deep contrast in color with the leaves of the plant. He said that there are a variety of ways in which carnivorous plants seize hold of their prey. In some cases, there is mucus that is secreted on the leaves of the plant. Once an insect steps on the mucus, it becomes stuck. The leaf then begins to wrap itself around the prey.

Legaut added that some carnivorous plants are more the Pitcher Plant, which secretes fragrant mucus to attract insects. In some cases, the leaves of the plant will also be quite lustrous in attract prey. Once the insect lands on the leaf, they will slide down into the pitcher. Some carnivorous plants use insect capturing sacs that are attached to their nodes that suck and hold on to prey. In these cases, however, most of the insects are less than one millimeter in length. There are even some plants that have designed what amounts to a maze. After small insects enter the maze, they are unable to find their way out.

And then again, some of the carnivorous plants are like the Venus Fly Trap. Once insects come into contact with the tiny still hair-like protrusions or cilia, this causes the edges of the lobes to mesh together, preventing the prey from escaping.

Legaut said that once the prey is captured by the plant, digestive secretions are then used to absorb them. The closing of the lobes of the plant around prey enables it to digest the insect and provide the nutrients needed for the plant to live. Actually, eating the insects is merely a different source of nutrients for the plant.