Abstract

Carnivorous plants are a unique botanical group, possessing modified leaves to trap, kill, and consume small creatures. As a result they are often depicted as killers in films and literature—from Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors to the world-dominating plants of The Day of the Triffids—yet many people regard carnivorous plants as exotic and beautiful specimens to collect and display.

In this abundantly illustrated and highly entertaining book, Dan Torre describes the evolution, structure, and scientific background of carnivorous plants. Examining their cultural and social history, he also shows how they have inspired our imagination and been represented in art, literature, cinema, animation, and popular culture.

From the Venus flytrap—a species endemic to the Carolinas—to pitcher plants, this fascinating history of these singular, arresting, beautiful, yet deadly plants is certain to be devoured.
“The storytelling is exemplary. . . . Torre takes you from Ed Wood to Pokémon, from surrealistic art to synergistic relationships between bats and plants, all without missing a beat. This is one of those books that takes an already fascinating topic—animal-eating plants—and makes it even more exciting, more weird, and endlessly fascinating.” — Tim Entwhistle, director and CEO, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Australia
“Carnivorous Plants is one of the few books that provides sound information and interweaves various fields of knowledge that would not normally come together creating a body of work that is comprehensive. The style is easily accessible and ultimately readable and entertaining.” — Randall W. Robinson, Victoria University Melbourne
Dan Torre is a senior lecturer in the School of Design at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of Cactus, also published by Reaktion Books.