The wild world of carnivorous plants - Kenny Coogan

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Little do they know it,

這六隻生物還沒有頭緒，

but these six creatures are each about to experience a very unusual death.

但等在牠們前面的 是很不尋常的死法。

One-by-one,

一個接一個，

they will fall prey to the remarkable, predatory antics of...

牠們將會成為捕食目標……

a carnivorous plant.

被食肉植物盯上。

Around the world there are more than 600 plant species

全世界有超過六百種植物

that supplement a regular diet of sunlight, water, and soil

在陽光、水、土壤 這些一般飲食之外，

with insects, microbes, or even frogs and rats.

還會再額外補充昆蟲、 微生物，甚至青蛙和老鼠。

Scientists believe that carnivory in plants evolved separately

科學家相信，在地球上，

食肉植物分別演化了至少六次，

at least six times on our planet,

suggesting that this flesh-munching adaptation

這意味著，對植物來說，

holds a major benefit for plants.

適應咀嚼肉類有著很大的益處。

Carnivorous plants tend to grow in places with highly acidic soil,

食肉植物通常會生長在 土壤非常酸性的地方，

which is poor in crucial nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

這類土壤缺乏重要的營養，

比如氮、磷、鉀。

In these hostile conditions,

在這些不友善的條件下，

plants that are able to lure, trap, and digest prey

能夠引誘、捕捉、消化獵物的植物

have an advantage over those that rely on soil for their nutrients.

就會比仰賴土壤來取得 營養的植物更有優勢。

Take this inhospitable bog,

以這個不親切的沼澤為例，

where pitcher plants reign supreme.

在這裡，豬籠草屬最有優勢。

Drawn to the pitcher’s vivid colors and alluring scent,

蒼蠅會被豬籠草鮮明的顏色 和迷人的香味吸引，

the fly closes in and slurps its nectar.

因而靠近，去啜食它的花蜜。

But this pitcher species has an ingredient called coniine in its nectar,

但這種豬籠草的花蜜 含有一種「毒芹鹼」成份，

a powerful narcotic to insects.

對昆蟲而言是很強效的麻醉劑。

As the coniine takes effect,

在毒芹鹼生效後，

the fly grows sluggish, stumbles, and falls down the funnel

蒼蠅就會變遲鈍、踉蹌， 然後從漏斗形的部位

into a pool of liquid at the base,

落入基部的液體池，

where he drowns.

在那裡溺斃。

Enzymes and bacteria in the liquid slowly break his body down

液體中的酵素和細菌 會慢慢分解牠的身體，

into microscopic particles the pitcher plant can consume through its leaves.

成為豬籠草可以透過葉子 吃進去的微粒子。

Occasionally,

偶爾，比較大的獵物

larger prey also tumbles into the fatal funnel of the pitcher plant.

也會落入豬籠草的致命漏斗中。

The second victim faces off with the sticky sundew plant.

第二個受害者要對抗的是 這種黏糊糊的毛氈苔植物。

The sundew’s tiny leaves are equipped with a viscous secretion called mucilage.

毛氈苔的小葉子上 有種黏稠的分泌物，

叫做黏質。

The ant is swiftly trapped in this goo.

螞蟻很快就被困在這黏性物質中。

As she struggles, enzymes begin to digest her body.

牠在掙扎時，酵素會 開始消化牠的身體。

Special tentacles sense her movement and curl around her,

特殊的觸毛感受到牠的動作， 會捲起來將牠包住，

clenching her in their suffocating grip.

牢牢抓住牠，緊到讓牠難以呼吸。

Once she asphyxiates,

一旦牠窒息了，

which can happen in under an hour,

這大概會在一小時內發生，

the tentacles unfurl again to snare their next victim.

觸毛就會再次打開， 捕捉下一位受害者。

Two down, four to go.

兩隻結束了，還剩下四隻。

The next target meets his end underground,

下一個目標在地下送命，

in the coils of the corkscrew plant.

遇上的是這種螺旋植物的盤繞。

He enters the roots through a tiny slit in search of food.

牠穿過一條小裂縫， 進入到根部去尋找食物。

But inside, he quickly loses his way through the tangled labyrinth.

但，在裡面，牠很快就在 這錯綜的迷宮中迷路了。

A forest of curved hairs prevents his escape,

一大片的彎曲茸毛讓牠無法逃脫，

guiding him into a central chamber with flesh-digesting enzymes

引導牠進入中央的空間， 那裡有著會消化肉體的酵素，

and deadly low levels of oxygen.

且氧氣的量少到足以致命。

In the murky depths of a nearby pond,

在附近池塘的黑暗深處，

a tadpole unwittingly swims into the path of the bladderwort,

一隻蝌蚪不知不覺游向 一種狸藻屬植物，

the speediest of all carnivorous plants.

它是所有食肉植物中最快速的。

She treads on the bladderwort’s trigger,

牠踩到了狸藻的觸發器，

and in milliseconds,

在幾毫秒內，

a trapdoor swings open and sucks her in.

陷阱門猛然打開，將牠吸入。

Trapped half in and half out,

被困住的牠一半在內一半在外，

she struggles to free herself

牠掙扎想要脫開，

while the part of her body inside the plant gets digested.

同時牠還在植物內部的 那部分身體開始被消化。

Over the next few hours,

在接下來的幾小時，

her writhing sets the trap off repeatedly,

牠的扭動會不斷觸發陷阱，

each time bringing her deeper into the plant

每次都會讓牠 再更深入植物中一些，

to be digested alive bit by bit.

一點一點活生生地被消化掉。

Meanwhile, this beetle is bewitched by sweet-smelling nectar.

而這隻甲蟲被聞起來 很香甜的花蜜給迷住了。

The scent draws him closer and closer

香味吸引牠越來越靠近，

until he lands on the leaves of the world’s most infamous carnivorous plant.

最後，牠降落在世界上 最聲名狼藉的食肉植物的葉子上。

His landing triggers tiny hairs on the surface of the leaves,

牠一降落就會觸動 葉面上的小茸毛，

and the jaws of the venus fly trap snap shut around him.

捕蠅草的頜顎就會 瞬間關閉，將牠關在內。

The spikes interlock to seal his fate.

尖刺互相交錯，封鎖了牠的命運。

Once closed,

葉子一旦闔上之後，

the leaves act like an external stomach that digests the beetle’s soft tissues.

就會扮演外部胃部的角色， 消化甲蟲的軟組織。

When they open again a few days later,

幾天之後葉子再度打開，

only the dry husk of his exoskeleton remains.

就只剩下牠外骨骼的乾燥外皮了。

The mayfly is the last creature standing.

最後一隻還沒死的動物是蜉蝣。

As she approaches the butterwort plant,

牠靠近了一種捕蟲堇菜屬植物，

she heads for the flowers that wave high above the plant’s globs of adhesive goo.

這種植物的團團黏質上方高處 有花搖動，牠朝著花前去。

She alights on the petals, drinks the nectar, and takes off unscathed.

牠降落在花瓣上，喝起花蜜， 再毫髮無傷地飛走。

These long flower stalks keep certain insects away from the carnivore’s traps—

這些花的莖很長，可以讓某些昆蟲 不要靠近食肉植物的陷阱——

a way of separating pollinators from food.

這是區分傳粉昆蟲和食物的方式。

Off the mayfly buzzes to live a long and fruitful life–

蜉蝣飛走了，繼續過著 豐碩的長壽生活——

oh.

喔。