Weird Plants - Hardcover

by Chris Thorogood (Author)

This extraordinary compilation showcases weird, mysterious, and bizarre plants from around the world, presented in an updated edition with a striking new format.

Plants trick, kill, steal, and kidnap, and this unique book explores a fascinating world in which plants have turned the tables on animals. Chris Thorogood showcases these plant behaviors, the interrelationships among plants, the interdependencies between plants and animals, and the intrigue of plant evolution.

All types of weird and sinister are featured in this book, from carnivorous plants that drag, drown, and consume unsuspecting insect prey; giant pitcher plants that have evolved toilets for tree shrews; flowers that mimic rotting flesh to attract pollinating flies; and orchids that duplicitously look, feel, and even smell like a female insect to bamboozle sex-crazed male bees. Familiar plants such as the Venus flytrap and bird of paradise are featured, along with a host of the unfamiliar, such as the parasitic devil's guts, the monkey-face orchid, and a tropical tree with flowers that resemble a pair of ruby red lips.

Weird Plants is illustrated throughout with a unique collection of lifelike oil paintings by the author, who has encountered these weird plants around the world.

Author Biography

Chris Thorogood is deputy director and head of science of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum. He is a wildlife artist, botanical illustrator, and an international bestselling author of popular titles and specialist field guides, including Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Eastern Mediterranean, also published by Kew.