I agree about the clumsy launch but unfortunately I know for a fact that they aren't that hard to get close to.....having had one launch his way into the path of my car on a back road a couple of years ago One minute he was on the side of the road, then one huge hop into the road, and a launch AT the car, $500 damage I admit I did not check for vomit or aroids at the time astroJim and Erin Grace Thomasville, GA jegrace@rose.net -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jim McKenney Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 11:06 AM To: john@johnlonsdale.net; 'Pacific Bulb Society' Subject: Re: [pbs] I've 'seen' everything now - Dracunculus vulgaris John, if a turkey vulture was indeed the culprit, the "attack" no doubt occurred on the ground. The bird would have landed, walked up to the plant, sniffed around and gone for the stink. Your daughter probably didn't see a turkey vulture on the ground: it's very hard to get close to one on the ground (probably because although they are among the most graceful, seemingly effortless gliders when in the sky, they are hilariously clumsy in launching themselves into flight from the ground). Also, this might be a good time to point out to other aroid fanciers that one should not approach a vulture on the ground: they are known to vomit when threatened by approaching animals. Opinion seems to be divided between those who think they vomit to quickly lighten their load and thus get airborne more quickly and, on the other hand, those who think they vomit, projectile vomit, in the direction of the approaching threat. I'm not about to volunteer for the field work to elucidate this one. In my experience, the stink in these aroids comes from the distal part of the spadix. Perhaps I should say the stink which humans perceive. That may not be the same stink which other animals home in on. But if it was a turkey vulture, and if turkey vultures smell the same thing we do in these plants, then I would expect the spadix in particular to have been attacked. Then again, after having expectations of a nice rotten steak and then experiencing the disappointment of tasting a Dracunculus spadix, perhaps the overwrought turkey vulture took out his wrath on the spathe, too. Too funny... The spathe of Dracunculus and Amorphophallus make macabre floral ornaments - just nip off the distal part of the spadix and throw it away and you will be able to enjoy the spathe odor-free in the house. Too bad they don't bloom at Halloween. I'm quite cross with my local turkey vultures for not having provided me with the honor of being first to report this bizarre event. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where I'm thinking about my next post which will also concern a strange aroid. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/