Karnivoren: Die Welt der Fleischfressenden Pflanzen (Carnivores: The World of Meat-Eating Plants) by Thomas Carow is perhaps the most stunning book of images dedicated to carnivorous plants in print; and I don't doubt that Carow had to remove his fair share of leeches in the process, and take his Chloroquine and Primaquine with the Germanic precision afforded his photography. The author himself is also a well-known dealer in carnivorous plants in his native Germany; and, together with fellow nurseryman, Andreas Wistuba, have described a number of Heliamphora species, including H. chimantensis, H. folliculata, and H. sarracenioides.
All of the carnivorous genera are well-represented in cultivation and their native habitats; and the landscapes from Venezuela's tepuis, the bogs of North America, the mountain ranges of Northern Europe, to Malaysia's mist-shrouded Mount Kinabalu, are just as impressive as the exotic plants themselves. Also, there is a certain "spartan" quality to Carow's field images that is fairly rare; too many natural history books still border on a game of "Where's Waldo?" when seeking out their subjects. The text -- though entirely in German -- is quickly forgotten once you see these images culled from Carow's twenty years of photography in the stickier parts of the world.
Keep in mind, Karnivoren is definitely on the pricey side -- EUR 37.29 (currently about 60 bucks) -- but who needs two kidneys and an odd adrenal gland anyway? They're overrated at best.
Plus, das Fettkraut sounds far more threatening and predatory than having to deal with a tiny pot of limp-wristed "butterworts" . . .
