Does a 'Audrey II' or any other human eating plant really exist?
Plants That Eat Flesh!
The plant was also described by a former U.S. Governor in his book about exploring Madagascar, in which the tribes and missionaries were all aware of said same plant and deemed it a God. However it is now known that the Mkodo tribe, Karl Liche, and the said account of sacrifice were all fabrications for story purposes.
However, many believe that it's possible that such a plant, or plants, exist. As with the animal kingdom, not all plant species have been discovered and classified, and it is here that cryptobotany comes in. It is the study of exotic plant life said to only exist in folklore, myths and legends or literature, with a focus on those said to have harmful or beneficial interactions with humans.
However, it’s known that the plant doesn't grow to large sizes and it’s more likely that the creatures get caught in the process of trying to get to water in the pitcher and perhaps drown.
Fact and Fiction
Legends dictate that it sprays an acidic poison compound and when rooted the soil around said plant is poisonous as well, with stories depicting human and animal skeletons near the plant after straying too close. It is said to bear fruit that has an antidote to the poison. Descriptions of said plant are varied, some tribes describing a shrub while others say it’s as tall as an oak.
Still, fiction continued to entice us with stories of murderous plants, with The Day of the Triffids, a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by John Wyndam, being released in 1951. Their origin is unknown, but it is theorised by the main character that they may be the result of genetic experiments by the Russians and not an organic species. The novel was made into a film in 1962.
Stories of blood-thirsty plants abound through out literature. Are these stories just fictionalised re-countings of possible plants that actually may exist somewhere in unexplored regions of the world's jungles and rainforests?
Are there species of plants not yet known to botany that could hunger for the taste of human blood?
Put together by Ashley Hall 2013