We found a curious plant species on the floor of Jensen Canyon. After walking over some of it, it became obvious that this was one of Death Valley’s oddities—a carnivorous plant! Not unlike the more well-known Venus Flytrap, this low-growing plant actually traps its prey, usually unsuspecting humans on a solo hike. Tripweed grows only where there are lots of surrounding large rocks. It sends its tendrils out across the path between boulders, waiting for its prey. Tough strands snare the shoe of the traveler, causing a fatal blow to the head when the person trips, falls and hits a boulder. Then the weed invades the body, quickly reducing it to nothing. We know it completely consumes its victims since we were unable to find even a trace of any bodies. Early prospectors found small bits of gold near tripweed, apparently the indigestible gold fillings of its victims.
Here is a bighorn sheep bed. A species of tumbleweed, when it dies and dries up, is pulled from the ground by wind and tossed about, spilling its seeds. Wherever there is a depression in the ground that’s big enough, the spent weeds finally come to rest. Bighorn sheep are rumored to use these pits as comfy beds, though we didn’t see any of them on this trip.
We found a curious plant species on the floor of Jensen Canyon. After walking over some of it, it became obvious that this was one of Death Valley’s oddities—a carnivorous plant! Not unlike the more well-known Venus Flytrap, this low-growing plant actually traps its prey, usually unsuspecting humans on a solo hike. Tripweed grows only where there are lots of surrounding large rocks. It sends its tendrils out across the path between boulders, waiting for its prey. Tough strands snare the shoe of the traveler, causing a fatal blow to the head when the person trips, falls and hits a boulder. Then the weed invades the body, quickly reducing it to nothing. We know it completely consumes its victims since we were unable to find even a trace of any bodies. Early prospectors found small bits of gold near tripweed, apparently the indigestible gold fillings of its victims.
Here is a bighorn sheep bed. A species of tumbleweed, when it dies and dries up, is pulled from the ground by wind and tossed about, spilling its seeds. Wherever there is a depression in the ground that’s big enough, the spent weeds finally come to rest. Bighorn sheep are rumored to use these pits as comfy beds, though we didn’t see any of them on this trip.
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