Carnivorous Plants

Description

Carnivorous plants are a unique group, possessing modified leaves to trap, kill and consume small creatures. As a result they are often depicted as killers in films and literature, yet others regard them as exotic and beautiful specimens to collect and display. In this abundantly illustrated and highly entertaining book, Dan Torre describes the evolution, structure and scientific background of carnivorous plants. He also shows how they have inspired our imaginations, examining their cultural and social history and how they have been represented in art, literature, cinema, animation and popular culture. This fascinating history will appeal to the wide audience interested in these singular, arresting, beautiful yet deadly plants. 'Dan Torre takes you from Ed Wood to Pokemon, from surrealistic art to synergistic relationships between bats and plants, all without missing a beat. This is one of those books that takes an already fascinating topic - animal-eating plants - and makes it even more exciting, more weird and endlessly fascinating.' - Tim Entwhistle, Director and Chief Executive, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Australia 'We're not inclined to think of plants deriving nourishment from 'meat' and yet there are currently more than 700 recognised species of carnivorous plants. This book features exquisite images of many of them, along with the author's entertaining and comprehensive information on their evolution, structure, scientific background, and social and cultural history.' - Gardening Australia

Dan Torre is Senior Lecturer in the School of Design at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. His writing and research span a range of topics including design, animation and botanical studies. He is an avid grower and collector of plants, and the author of Cactus (2017) and Carnivorous Plants (2019), both published by Reaktion Books.

"The storytelling is exemplary. . . . Torre takes you from Ed Wood to Pok mon, from surrealistic art to synergistic relationships between bats and plants, all without missing a beat. This is one of those books that takes an already fascinating topic--animal-eating plants--and makes it even more exciting, more weird, and endlessly fascinating."--Tim Entwhistle, director and CEO, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Australia "Carnivorous Plants is one of the few books that provides sound information and interweaves various fields of knowledge that would not normally come together creating a body of work that is comprehensive. The style is easily accessible and ultimately readable and entertaining."--Randall W. Robinson, Victoria University Melbourne