VietNamNet Bridge – Saigon’s players are now hunting for the plants with bizarre shapes, called “carnivorous plants.” The new hobby is really attractive to them, while it is not too costly.

Mai Son in district 7 in HCM City who has been collecting carnivorous plants for the last many years, said there are many carnivorous plant varieties, but Pitcher plant proves to be the most popular.

The plant looks like a teapot. The sweet scent from the plants entice prey to fly towards the plant. And when they perch on the “teapot,” the leaves would shut tight, discharging a kind of slimy substance which kills the prey. When the prey is assimilated, the plant would open again, ready for attracting new flies.

Also according to Son, there is a kind of plant which looks like the head of a snake. When a prey comes close to the plant, it would be swallowed immediately.

Meanwhile, the yellow trumpet applies a special way to entice prey. The leaves of the yellow trumpet tree contain a sweet substance very favored by insects. However, when they eat the substance, they would be killed and turn into the nutrition to feed the plant.

The flytrap plant catches prey with a substance like an adhesive. The more the prey struggle to escape the plant, they it would be glued to the plant and die because of exhaustion.

Nguyen Mai Hoa in district 4 in HCM City takes pride about his collection of carnivorous plants.

Hoa said he began growing the plants in 2007 when he visited a friend in the city and saw some pitcher plants, which he was told that they could catch mosquitoes.

“I really like these plants. They can both decorate the house and kill insects,” he said.

Hai Ha, an experienced collector, said that the plants would be more colorful and beautiful when they lack nutrition, because they need to be attractive to the flies. When the preys fall into trap, the plants would “process” the prey, turning them into the food to keep the plants alive.

Minh Tuan in Thu Duc district said people like these plants because they believe that if putting the plants in the southeast of the house, the plants would help bring good lucks. Meanwhile, it is very easy and cheap to grow the plants.

Nguyen Minh Son, the owner of an ornamental shop in HCM City said that the popular carnivorous plants available in the markets are all the imports, which are selling at 250,000-600,000 per plant. Meanwhile, the plants with strange shapes would be priced at 1-1.2 million dong.

However, scientists have warned that there are always latent risks to the people’s health.

Dr Dinh Duy Khang from the Biotechnology Institute said that during the indigestion process, the plants would generate some substances harmful to humans.

Khang said that people may be allergic to the strange substances. Besides, the plants also generate the substances harmful to the environment, especially when the plants are put inside the houses.

Scientific documents have recognized many cases, where people got allergic to the fragrance of the plants. This would make them itch. Therefore, Khang said people should learn more about the origin and the possible impacts of the plants on the environment and humans. Carnivorous plants are really very attractive, but one should not be harmed by their beauty.

According to Dr Vo Van Chi, there are some 500 carnivorous plant varieties in the world.

Ha Yen