Little Bog of Horrors
June 5, 2008 by Bird
Filed under Blog, Flora, Hikes And Walks, On My Travels, Summer
Much of Skye consists of boggy moorland, a habitat I know next to nothing about. I was so blown away by the profusion of orchids and sedges that it took me a little while to spot the locally common (but thrillingly unfamiliar to me) sundews. These tiny plants with their elegant succulent leaves sporting glistening red nectar tipped hairs are so small you’d be forgiven for not spotting them. On a sunny day however, large colonies of the plant are clearly visible, glowing warmly like alien jewels in the mud. Once I’d discovered one colony and knew what to look for, I glanced about in surprise, suddenly realising that I was completely surrounded by them for some distance.
That is when I began to feel glad that I am several feet tall and human, because this dainty botanical wonder is carnivorous.
Sundews inhabit soils with poor nutritional value and in order to obtain the minerals they need, they have evolved the ability to lure and capture small insects using their mobile, sticky tipped tentacles. Attracted to the bright colours and sweet, glistening dew an unlucky fly will become stuck, the tentacles of the plant slowly enveloping and smothering its victim. The plant then exudes enzymes which will digest the insect and extract valuable minerals. Some sundews are even capable of enfolding their prey completely in their mobile leaves.
I felt fairly certain that the plants I had seen were round leaved sundews and oblong leaved sundews, but upon further research I’m no longer sure about the oblong leaved ones. Oblong leaved sundews are supposed to be rare in Skye, yet the ones I had seen were staggeringly common, suggesting that they could in fact be Great sundews. It may seem like splitting hairs to you but I’m a keen amateur plant geek and I care about the details. Plus, if I really was lucky enough to see huge numbers of a rare plant in an unusual place, I really should report it. I only wish I knew for sure.
Anyhow, that’s the science bit over. I will now invite you to imagine that you are 5 mm tall. You have struggled through head high spongy moss and swum through carnivorous beetle infested waters. Somehow, the gigantic, whirring dragonflies have failed to spot you. Eventually you spy an island, a safe place, and greatfully haul yourself up a blade of grass onto it. Huge bog-myrtle trees tower over you as you pick your way toward a patch of bare mud, and the air is filled with an oddly enticing sweet scent. A dried sedge stalk trips you up, and you stumble headlong into something…sticky. You look up, horrified, and see the questing scarlet tentacles tipped with sickly sweet goo, and no matter how you struggle, the supple, asphyxiating leaves are getting closer and closer….
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that mother nature is kind, be greatful that you are the size you are, and above all, don’t have nightmares!
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I love this post and photos! Carnivorous plants are always interesting but sundews are probably the most beautiful of the group.
Nice to meet you Mike, and thank you! I just checked out your site and it is fabulous, I really don’t know where to begin looking, there is so much to see. I’m going to have to devote a decent bit of time to exploring!
I am totally loving your photography!!!! Wow. Magical!!! Do you sell prints? I would love to have these images on the walls all around me.
Absoluetly AMAZING photographs! When small, we had similar but more circular shaped plants like this growing on the side of a creek. I used to feed them ants
The creek has long dried up and haven’t seen anything similar until now!
Terrible spelling (me)!
Wow Anonybird, I wish I’d had sundews to play with when I was a child! The ones I saw were eating midges but they couldn’t get through them fast enough as far as I’m concerned. And downt wurry abowt da speling, I kno I zbel funy sometimez wen i coment on uther peepls blogs
xxx
Welcome Mysteryranch! Thank you for your VERY kind words
You know what, I had never thought of selling my photos, I just use a point’n'shoot camera and I never thought the quality was good enough for enlargements. But now you gave me the idea, who knows? 
Please tell me what a “midge” is … is it a mosquito?
Urrrggghhh! Anonybird, a midge is a tiny fly that likes to chew on…ME! They live in huge swarms, a bit similar in habit to mosquitos but very small and there are far too many of them. there will be a post coming up about them soon!
PS:- arn’t you up a bit late?
I love these photos. The plant is so interesting. Your title is great, too!
Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I fed this plant when I was teenage.
It successfully caought a fly
Your photoe is great, all present such a horror macro images.
See you!
atsuo
Bird, your photos are fantastic, and the sundews beautiful in a very dangerous sort of way (if you’ve the scale to be concerned). Ah, nature in it’s infinite variety truly is a wonder–thanks for shining a light on this boggy corner of it all!
Hello Sandpiper, Atsuo and Greg! Thank you all!
Atsuo, I am most envious that you got to know these plants in your teenage years, my trip to Skye was the first time I ever saw them.
And I agree about the variety and wonder of nature Greg, it’s never dull to watch is it. There will always be new surprises.
Being a tiny person 5mm tall sounds a great idea for a children’s book, in which they also learn about wild flowers. (loved it)
henry
Thank you Soulmerlin! I used to do educational wildlife walks with children, and the “imagine yourself the size of a spider/woodlouse” idea went down very well