Rewarding lives

Seneca wrote: A happy life is one which is in accordance with its own nature.

Falsehood is unbecoming, unknown among plants. Or is the subterfuge of camouflage for avoiding ill-treatment a falsehood? What about inviting insects to touch and serve as pollinators? And insects lured to be eaten by a carnivorous plant?

In this picture two mature, but small plants, Conophytum truncatum and Crassula tecta, flower harmoniously side by side, each in accordance with its nature. The Conophytum produces small yellow and red candle-like flowers, the petals to spread in stronger sunlight; the Crassula has produced a dense inflorescence upon a long, pinkish stalk.

Both enjoy the hospitality of a paraffienbos, Pteronia fasciculata, tall enough to give them shelter, allowing them to mature safely over years, living in a shared and peaceful micro-environment (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; www.brainyquote.com).