Filed under: Byblis — Tags: — David @ 10:16 pm
WHAT ARE BYBLIS

Byblis is a beautiful plant that is also known by some as the rainbow plant. When placed in sunlight, its dew-covered stems and leaves sparkle with multicolor hues. In the absence of sunlight, its dews appear as frosted sprays of water. A true beauty and wonder of nature!

Byblis liniflora Byblis liniflora flowers B. lamenta

The plant has been associated with passion and Greek mythology. Byblis is the granddaughter of Apollo, who fell in love with her twin brother. When he rejected and fled from her, she wept bitter tears and turned into a fountain. Observing the plant closely, you’ll notice the gruesome sight of insect carcasses stuck on its dews: those gullible insects that were enticed by its beauty and promise of a moment’s bliss.

The plant has long narrow stems and thin, fine branches. The rainbow plant is a delicate plant that trails along the ground or lean on other plants for support.

HOW DO THEY CAPTURE INSECTS

Small insects are trapped in the sticky dews the plant produced. The narrow stems and thin, fine branches act like a spider’s web. When an insect is caught in this “spider web” it would try to struggle free. However, the more it struggles, the more glue covers its body. In the end the insect dies of exhaustion or suffocation. A second type of gland on the leaves secrete digestive juices that dissolve the soft parts of the insect.

In the wild, rainbow plants play host to assassin bugs that have a symbiotic relationship with the plant. The assassin bugs help kill bigger insects and the bug’s secretion may benefit the plant. In return the assassin bugs do not need to travel far to find food.

WHERE CAN I FIND BYBLIS

Rainbow plants can be found in Australia and New Guinea. The climate where they grow is Mediterranean-like, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Other locations where they are found are tropical and warm throughout the year.

Find out more

To find out more about Byblis, check out the discussion board here.

 



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