!new cp species?

[Deleted]

Okay so I live in the deserts of California...so pretty much the only cp the naturally grows here are the imbicella like plants....So after school today me and my friends were looking for a new place to hang since our last place is now a dump site.....so I was driving around the desert area on the outskirts of Redlands...when we found this really cool clearing surrounded by large piles of rocks on all sides...so we had to stop to check it out....when we were walking among the rocks on top of a bolder that had a crack in grew this weed...I walked past it and my shirt caught on it and when I went to pull my shirt away I noticed tons of crickets, beetles, and bees attached to the plant.....but my friends with out paying special care saw that I was looking at the plant so he just ripped the plant out of the rock.....he tossed it at me saying if I like the weed that much I might as well plant it at home....O I was mad at him...I don't like to mess with the plants in our local area since that affects everything around.....so anyways I went and found a place to check the plant out......I immediately noticed that it had hairs all over it sort of like drosera do and it was very sticky.....However there were small beetles that were small but more long then wide on it walking around in a sort of immune way like assassin bugs on some other cp's can......By the look of all the insects on it I would have to guess it is a carnivorous plant....However I have not seen a plant like it before so I am not sure.

Here are some pictures for the moment...they aren't great I will try to take more so that you can have a better look

[Randy Zerr]

It looks like one of the "Devil's Claw" plants.
Not native and really is a weed.


www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/Proboscidea.htm

[Not a Number]

A good site on Devil's Claws. They can be found in California, probably introduced by the Native Americans from Arizona and Baja California who use them for food and basket making.

waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0801.htm#Introduction

[bluesboy]

Hi All,
Just had to put my two cents in- if you look closely at the pictures, while it's hard to tell, I think it may be something else; Nicotiana rustica, or wild tobacco. Look at the flowers- they stongly resemble it, and really don't look Ibicella/Proboscidia-like. Also, the leaves of tobacco are highly glandualar, and do infact catch and kill insects. I doubt this is for carnivorous reasons though- tripping the hairs(trichomes) of nicotiana triggers a build up of nicotianic acid, which is among the most poisonus natural substances-a deterrant then. Also, wild tobacco grows in the region as an escaped weed, though I believe originally it was native to central/south america, and was naturalized as Native Americans brought it North, to the point where it became domesticated; thus the species Nicotiana tabaccum- that's what you smoke every time you open your Marlboros. Anyway, I could be way off in the plant ID, but without clearer pics, I figure I'd give it a go. Anyway, thanks radjess331 for the post- I think more people should chime in- the whole concept of commensal-enabled carnivory is, I believe, just as amazing as strict carnivory, and it seems were just tipping the iceberg on what is possible with these plants, and their host bugs, like with Roridula and the assassins, etc. :)Take care, Nick 'bluesboy'

[BarryRice]

Hey Folks,

I concur with Bluesboy, that you have something in the Solanaceae, and certainly not Ibicella or its allies.

However, I'm not enough of an expert on the family to go much beyond mumbling something about Solanum or Nicotianum. It should key out fairly easy with the Jepson Manual, although you might need fruit to do so.

Barry

[Randy Zerr]

On second thought.. I agree with others that this is a plant in the order Solanaceae. The flowers and general look match many of the species. Out of curiosity I looked up some web resources but can't say it's wild tobacco. Roll it and smoke it!

(entirely kidding)
Many Solanaceae plants are highly toxic

[Deleted]

Ok well it would make sense if it was a wild tobacco plant, not sure what species, but we have lots of wild tobacco species that are usually quite tall...this one is only about a foot. It is not ibicella because I have seen and know the ones that grow locally.

[gardenofeden]

May 4, 2008 6:27:41 GMT Randy Zerr said:

(entirely kidding)
Many Solanaceae plants are highly toxic

especially tobacco! ;D