Question about pest mammals and bulbs

Question about pest mammals and bulbs
J.E. Shields (Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:33:45 PST)

Thanks for the link, David.

Bulbs in the Amaryllis Family also contain physiologically active (i.e.,
toxic) alkaloids that serve as deterrents to animal predation. So I wonder
why Doug's daffodils in the mountains keep disappearing? The only predator
that occurs to me is bulb flies, which are not deterred by alkaloids.

Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

At 12:33 PM 1/4/2009 +0000, you wrote:

One idea
(http://science.jrank.org/pages/279/…)
is that the Amaryllis family (daffodils, snowdrops) contain needle like
crystals (raphides) as a defence against being eaten.

I presume this explains why tulips in the garden are eaten and snowdrops
left kicking around on the surface are untouched.

One often sees the poisonous plants in a field of animals left untouched
rather than lots of carrion - they're not stupid.

--
David Pilling
email: david@pilling.demon.co.uk
web: http://www.davidpilling.net/
post: David Pilling P.O. Box 22 Thornton Cleveleys Blackpool. FY5 1LR UK
fax: +44(0)870-0520-941

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Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA