Photo from open sources
In nature, everything is harmonious if an animal or plant kills another living creature, it is only because it is necessary for the existence of this representative of flora or fauna. However, among there are not so many predator plants, which is why they generally cause special interest in yourself. But the amazing tree of Pisonia, which grows on coral islands and reefs of the Pacific and Indian of the oceans, shocking botanists with their mystery – it kills birds just like that …
In Pisonia seed pods grow – long, with hooks, covered with disgusting mucus. And these terrible pods capture any bird that sits on this scary tree. They literally cling to the feathered body, holding it tight with their “glue” and hooks. As a result of such captivity, the bird simply dies from hunger. And these are not some isolated cases, but the most ordinary practice for Pisonia, why the carnivorous plant was even nicknamed bird tree.
But scientists are not surprised by this, but by the fact that Pisonia is for life and continuation of the offspring there is no need for such a predatory cruelty, because its seeds grow well and without of this.
Tree-breeders never revealed their secret
Canadian botanist Alan Burger (Alan Burger), representing Victorian University, spent ten months at the end nineties of the last century to reveal this secret. Going to the coral island of Cousin in the Seychelles, this a tireless researcher made a lot of observations and experiments, to identify why decomposing birds are needed for Pisonia, which nutrient-rich bodies play a role in seed development tree-breeder. Despite all the efforts of the scientist, he never managed to find a solution to this amazing mystery of nature. That’s what he wrote in his report:
Strange, but if Pisonia did not kill the birds, they would brought her much more benefit by fertilizing the tree with her litter and spreading its seeds. The corpse, which the seeds do not even use becomes a waste of biological resources. It seems that a tree kills birds for its own pleasure, as they say, just as some do mentally abnormal people. This is the only known case. among predator plants when killing is unjustifiable if not say the main thing: we do not loan (and will we know when?), why Does Pisonia Really Do It? For almost a year I “asked” her about this, but the mysterious tree did not want to dedicate me to her a terrible secret …
Birds Plants
