Triffids
Appearance
Triffids have a straight stem, springing from a woody bole which is shaggy with little rootlet hairs. This bole is roughly spherical with three bluntly-tapered projections extending from the lower part. At the top of the stem is a funnel-like formation which has a tightly-wrapped green whorl within, resembling a rolled fern frond. This whorl is sticky and can lash out as passing animals. It carries a sting which can kill a full-grown man; the poison is carried in sacs at the base of the sting.
The stem does not snap but is weak enough to be crushed.
They have three small, bare sticks which grow straight up beside the stem. These create a rapping noise which are some form of communication. It is clear from experiments that they can hear or, at least, sense vibrations in the air.
There are also short sprays of leathery green leaves.
At the age of a year, they reach a height of about half their full growth which averages a little over 2 meters/7 feet in Europe, reaching a maximum of about 2.4 meters/8 feet. In the tropics, they grow taller with a maximum of 3 meters/10 feet.
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Drawings of triffids by John Wyndham |
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Movement
Triffids are the only known plant capable of locomotory movement. They can lift themselves about 30cm/1 foot off of the ground on the three projections on their boles. They walk rather like a man on crutches, sliding two projections forward and then lurching so that the third came level with them. At each 'step', the stem whips violently back and forth. The speed is about average human walking pace.
Feeding
Triffids are primarily carnivorous, digesting any insects that are caught in the sticky area within the cups. But they are also capable of assimilating larger animals by killing them with their stings and absorbing them as they decompose with the sting. The sting is carried in the coiled whorl within the cup. They can reach up to 3 meters, more if the plant leans before striking. Triffids are very sensitive to nearby movement and can be very dangerous to unwary passers-by.
It is noticeable that triffids tend to aim at the most vulnerable areas, usually the head.
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From an early book cover |
From the 1962 film poster |
From the 1981 BBC series |
Propagation
The triffids propagate by expanding the dark green pod just below the cup until it bursts, broadcasting white seeds into the air. The usual season for this in Europe is late August. Ninety-five per cent of these seeds are fortunately infertile.
Farming
Right from early times, triffids have been farmed for their oils and juices. Originally, the sting was docked (it takes about two years for the sting to regrow) but, when it was found that the quality of the oil is better with the sting intact, this habit was stopped. Consequently the triffid keepers had to wear protective clothing.
As well as the oil, mashed triffids can be eaten - normally by cattle but, in emergency, by humans.
Origin
It is unclear where triffids originally came from. Bill Masen believed that they were:
...The outcome of a series of ingenious biological meddlings – and very likely accidental at that. (chapter 2)
They apparently evolved (or were developed) in Russia, the first experimental triffid station being in the district of Elovsk in Kamchatka. During an attempt to smuggle seeds from the Soviet Union to the West, the aircraft carrying them was destroyed, broadcasting the seeds into the atmosphere. Consequently they began to appear all around the world.