CONTENTS introduction PLANTS ON THE DEFENSE A Quick-Change Artist Triple Trickery Playing Dead Faking It Give and Take 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 MAKING MORE PLANTS Exploding Flowers Kidnapped Masterful Deceptions What Is That Smell Seeds in Disguise Seed Hitchhikers No Cheaters Allowed 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 For Lianna Simone whose smile lights up my world E K To Linda for finding her green thumb A B
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD Food Thief With a Little Help from My Friends Gotcha Plant or Toilet Super Suckers 34 36 38 40 42 44 WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PLANTS glossary index selected sources 46 48 48 48
INTRODUCTION Have you ever thought of plants as sneaky or tricky Probably not But would you believe there are plants that trick insects into being their bodyguards Or plants that are masters of disguise or play sick to avoid being eaten There are even some sneaky ones that do the eating themselves Why do plants need to be so tricky For three reasons to defend themselves to get food and to reproduce In other words their trickery is all about survival Of course plants don’t actually think about being tricky They don’t have brains But many scientists believe that plants adapt in ways that actually fool plants and animals even the two-legged kind humans As you read about the incredible adaptations in these pages you’ll realize there’s a lot more going on with plants than you thought Prepare to be surprised as you leaf through the pages of this book 4
