• io9
  • science
  • overmind
  • kotaku
  • gizmodo
  • Profile logout login

#killertomatoes

io9

Share Cancel
   
Upload an image | Add an image URL
×

logging in
  • FAQ. Include # before tag:
  • #observationdeck,
  • #tips,
  • #calendar,
  • etc.

San Francisco, 6:43 AM
Tue Dec 8
26 posts in the last 24 hours

Team

Tip your editors:

Editor-in-Chief:
Annalee Newitz |

News Editor:
Charlie Jane Anders |

Associate Editor:
Meredith Woerner |

Assistant Editor:
Lauren Davis |

Weekend Editor:
Graeme McMillan |

Contributors:
Joshua Glenn
Stephen Goldmeier |
Ed Grabianowski |
Austin Grossman
Paul Hogan |
Lauren Davis |
Chris Hsiang |
Lynn Peril |
Ann VanderMeer
Alasdair Wilkins |

Graphic Designer:
Stephanie Fox |

Interns:
Tim Barribeau |
Julia Carusillo |
Alex Eichler |
Cyriaque Lamar |
Caitlin Petrakovitz |
Mary Ratliff |
Josh Snyder |

More:
io9 on Facebook
follow io9 on Twitter

SUBSCRIBE TO io9 RSS

New: Breaking news and daily top stories via email
1428 Subscribers
io9
  • posts about #killertomatoes more →

    Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers

    All-Knowing Ninjas Bring Back The Killer Tomatoes

  • Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of gods-n-clods gods-n-clods
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    In doing research on how to get rid of eczema, I came across this: [www.tomatoesareevil.com]
    While it is mostly mockery, there is quite a few people who believe -any- nightshade-relative plants (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, tobacco) are deadly poisonous and shouldn't have been domesticated.
     Reply
    gods-n-clods was starred gods-n-clods was unstarred
    Image of Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
    12/07/09

    @gods-n-clods: I'm cool with potatoes... mmm... yummy roots -- but tomatoes ARE evil, eggplant is icky, and tobacco kills.

    Just say no to nightshades.
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was starred Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was unstarred
    Image of gods-n-clods gods-n-clods
    12/07/09

    @Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: I cannot turn my back on the nightshade-potatoes... and I am from The Desert, where the datura holds court. I must show respect for such deadly beauty!

    (I'm still bent on those damn tomato worms though, ugh... no more roma-farming for me).
     Reply
    gods-n-clods was starred gods-n-clods was unstarred
    Image of The Curse of Millhaven The Curse of Millhaven
    12/07/09

    @gods-n-clods: What about peppers? Green, hot, flakes on pizza etc.
     Reply
    The Curse of Millhaven was starred The Curse of Millhaven was unstarred
    Image of gods-n-clods gods-n-clods
    12/07/09

    @The Curse of Millhaven: Peppers are always welcome to the party. We corral them like cattle and breed them in captivity.
     Reply
    gods-n-clods was starred gods-n-clods was unstarred
    Image of Starwatcher Starwatcher
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    You say tomato, I say, aaaaah, run for your lives!
     Reply
    Starwatcher was starred Starwatcher was unstarred
    Image of Dr Emilio Lizardo Dr Emilio Lizardo
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    "...tomatoes, ornamental tobacco plants..."

    Tomacco?
     Reply
    Dr Emilio Lizardo was starred Dr Emilio Lizardo was unstarred
    Image of schrodingers-katana schrodingers-katana
    12/07/09

    @Dr Emilio Lizardo: MOOOOOOO!!!
     Reply
    schrodingers-katana was starred schrodingers-katana was unstarred
    Image of Ruthless, If you let me Ruthless, If you let me
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    They are, however, thought to derive little benefit because they are so well-supplied with fertilisers whereas in the wild it might be an important source of food.

    Might? After reading the article it sounds more like these plants have a strong defense mechanism (sticky "hairs") that starves these insects as a side-effect. It doesn't mention any kind of active means for these plants to purposefully drop the insects onto the ground to eventually absorb left-over nutrients indirectly through their roots.

    #grumpymonday
     Reply
    Edited by Ruthless, If you let me at 12/07/09 10:01 AM Ruthless, If you let me was starred Ruthless, If you let me was unstarred
    Image of Althestane Althestane
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    Now i really want to know HOW they trap insects. What are the adaptations that hold the bugs there? And that's also a fine line these plants are balancing: they need insects to pollinate them, but if they'd end up eating them all.....
     Reply
    Althestane was starred Althestane was unstarred
    Image of Ruthless, If you let me Ruthless, If you let me
    12/07/09

    @Althestane: From the source article.

    Among them are plants such as ornamental tobaccos, and some species of potatoes and tomatoes which have sticky hairs which trap aphids and other small invertebrates. It is thought that rather than devour the prey directly the dead bodies decay slowly and the nutrients fall to the ground where they are taken up by the roots.

    Sounds like the murderous parts stay away from the sexual parts. Always a good design...
     Reply
    Ruthless, If you let me was starred Ruthless, If you let me was unstarred
    Image of Godmars Godmars
    12/07/09

    @Ruthless, If you let me: Really? Don't most plants spread their seeds and pollen by animals and insects brushing against them?
     Reply
    Ruthless, If you let me promoted this comment Godmars was starred Godmars was unstarred
    Image of Ruthless, If you let me Ruthless, If you let me
    12/07/09

    @Godmars: Right. Pollen and seeds are located in the flower (sexual organs). This is where they want the insects, hence the pollen/scents/nectar to attract them to the flower.

    Elsewhere in the article it says the hairs are found on the leafs and sometimes the stems (murderous organs.) Plants don't want them there, eating up their chlorophyll rich energy producing parts. (The same reason a rose will have thorns, [just that the thorns are for larger herbivores.])
     Reply
    Ruthless, If you let me was starred Ruthless, If you let me was unstarred
    Image of Althestane Althestane
    12/07/09

    @Ruthless, If you let me: I now have a visual image of a large herbivore munching on a not so thorny rose, only to fall over dead. Fast forward 10 months and there's a small mound of not-so thorny roses growing in and around the bones of a large herbivore.
     Reply
    Althestane was starred Althestane was unstarred
    Image of RoboBagins RoboBagins
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    So the Solanaceae aka "Deadly Nightshade" family is carnivorous?

    Double Respect.
     Reply
    RoboBagins was starred RoboBagins was unstarred
    Image of Dr.Quatermass: Before I reply Dr., I want you to knwo that I eat poop. Buckets of it. Dr.Quatermass: Before I reply Dr., I want you to knwo that I eat poop. Buckets of it.
    12/07/09

    @RoboBagins: Word.
     Reply
    Dr.Quatermass: Before I reply Dr., I want you to knwo that I eat poop. Buckets of it. was starred Dr.Quatermass: Before I reply Dr., I want you to knwo that I eat poop. Buckets of it. was unstarred
    Image of aubreyf aubreyf
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    When I say tomato, you say killer.
     Reply
    Edited by aubreyf at 12/07/09 9:19 AM aubreyf was starred aubreyf was unstarred
    Image of j1mbo j1mbo
    12/07/09

    @aubreyf: Tomato!!
     Reply
    Chip Skylark of Space promoted this comment j1mbo was starred j1mbo was unstarred
    Image of Chip Skylark of Space Chip Skylark of Space
    12/07/09

    @j1mbo: Killer!

    Go meat!
     Reply
    Chip Skylark of Space was starred Chip Skylark of Space was unstarred
    Image of evildead1971 evildead1971
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    i for one welcome my new potato underlords
     Reply
    evildead1971 was starred evildead1971 was unstarred
    Image of The Curse of Millhaven The Curse of Millhaven
    12/07/09

    In reply to Some Vegetables Are Vicious Killers
    Now I know why I have fewer rabbits after I put in my tomatoes.
     Reply
    The Curse of Millhaven was starred The Curse of Millhaven was unstarred
    Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

Login

Enter your username and password.

Please enter a username.
Please enter your password.
logging in
Login via Facebook | Sign Up | Forgot Password?

Reset Password

Please enter your email address to have your password reset.

Please enter your email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
requesting password reset

Register

Registering will give you a user profile and the ability to add other users as friends. To become a commenter, however, you need to audition.

Want to know more? Consult the Comment FAQ and legal terms.

Please enter a username.
Please enter a password.
Please confirm your password.
Passwords are not identical.
Please enter a valid email address.
registration sent, waiting for reply

Submit Your Comment

You don't need to login to comment. Just enter your email address below.

See how your address will be displayed in the Comment FAQ.

Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
logging in

Login with your Facebook or io9 account.

Sign up here.



  • Archives
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Legal
  • Help
  • Report a Bug
  • FAQ
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.