This image from a scanning electron microscope shows the upper leaf surface several nematodes (arrows), stalked glands, and adherent sand grains (arrows). Image Rafael Oliveira PNAS
Title partially inspired by the post below about careers and non careers, but mostly by this newly discovered plant that chows down on annelids — correction from comments, Phylum Nematoda, aka roundworms:
(MSNBC) — The rare plant Philcoxia minensis is found in the tropical savannahs of Brazil, areas rich in biodiversity and highly in need of conservation. Although some of the plant’s millimeter-wide leaves grow above ground as expected, strangely, most of its tiny, sticky leaves lie beneath the surface of the shallow white sands on which it grows.
Nematodes aren’t annelids :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode
Wow, you’re right Pete! They have their very own phyla. I did not know that. Fixed!
They have their very own *phylum* (singular). And it’s “Nematoda”, not “Nemotoida”. :-)
(“Nemotoida” does bring to my mind a very amusing vision of a modern-day Captain Nemo with Internet followers:
Nemo: “Every right-thinking person needs to forsake ‘civilized’ society and live in a submarine!”
Nemotoid #1: “+1000!”
Nemotoid #2: “Bought my two-man submersible today and my wife loves it! Well, she’ll learn to, eventually!”
Non-Nemotoid: “Wow, Nemo, with your penchant for violence and libertarianism, you should move to Somalia.”
Nemotoid #3: “Duh! Where do you think he’s posting from, noob? He’s holding a $75 million oil tanker hostage _right now_! THAT’S. SO. KEWL!!!!”)
Ascaria in particular has quite a horrific cycle of you manage to eat some (Do Not Google if you have a weak stomach or are a victorian lady without a nearby fainting couch)