The triffid is a fictional tall, mobile, carnivorous plant species, created by John Wyndham in his 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids, which has since been adapted for film and television. The word "triffid" has become a common reference in British English to describe large, invasive or menacing-looking plants.

Fictional history

Origins

In the novel, the origin of the triffid species is explained as being the creation of the Soviet Union (portrayed as being a mysterious country), although the exact way they came to be present around the world is unknown. The main character, Bill Masen speculates as follows:

The 1962 film adaptation portrays them as extraterrestrial lifeforms transported to Earth by comets, contradicting the novel.

In the 1981 TV series, the triffids were the creation of real-life Soviet biologist Trofim Lysenko. The seeds were spread across the globe when a plane smuggling them out of Russia was shot down during the Cold War.

In the 2009 two-part TV series, the triffids are a naturally occurring species from Zaire, discovered by the West and selectively bred as an alternative to fossil fuels, to avert global warming.

Name

Triffid refers to the plant's three "legs". In the novel a dozen names beginning with tri-, with a long i vowel (as in ), had been bandied about before the term standardized on "triffid", with a short i (as in ). and rooting themselves beside houses, waiting for the occupants.thumb|upright=1.0|A triffid, on a poster for the 1962 [[The Day of the Triffids (film)|film adaptation]]

In other adaptations and sequels

The triffids portrayed on screen and in sequels often differ in appearance from Wyndham's original concept.

In Steve Sekely's 1962 film adaptation, the triffids (now given the binomial name Triffidus celestus) were designed with flaying tentacles below their stems, which they use as slashing weapons and to drag their dead prey. Also, their stinger is shown as a gas-propelled projectile, rather than a coiled tendril. Finally, the film triffids are vulnerable to sea water.

The 2009 TV adaptation shows the triffids dragging themselves with prehensile roots which can also constrict their prey. Their stalk is surrounded by large agave-like leaves and they secrete their oil (green rather than the novel's pink) from their surfaces. Their stingers, which in previous film adaptations could not penetrate glass, are powerful enough to shatter windows, like those of the original triffids of the novel. Instead of a cup they have a pink flower-like head, resembling a cross between a lily and a sweet pea, that enlarges before releasing the sting.

In the Simon Clark sequel novel The Night of the Triffids, a small number of North American triffids reach in height. Aquatic triffids also appear but remain largely unseen, with the exceptions of their stingers: the latter described as prehensile. One character in the novel, Gabriel Deeds, speculates that the vibrations made by the triffids' sticks serve as a form of echolocation.

thumb|upright=1.0|A sign in [[Kloof encouraging the elimination of the Chromolaena odorata weed]]

Other mentions of the triffids

Triffids, based on the 1981 TV design, and a triffid gun, make an appearance in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier, a 2007 graphic novel written by Alan Moore and drawn by Kevin O'Neill.

In the online videogame Kingdom of Loathing, triffids are monsters located within an area known as "the Spooky Forest".

In the mobile game for "The Simpsons" named The Simpsons: Tapped Out, one of the options to plant in Cletus' Farm are triffids, which comically bring about the 'end of humanity'.

Reference is made to the original film in "Science Fiction/Double Feature", the opening song of The Rocky Horror Show. "And I really got hot when I saw Janette Scott/Fight a triffid that spits poison and kills".

In the computer and mobile rogue-like video game Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead, Triffids are a faction composed of human-sized plant creatures that are aggressive to the player. The more dangerous version of these creatures is the "Triffid Queen", described as being cow-sized and very competent fighters with high hit points. If the player is able to defeat a "Triffid Heart", the creatures will not continue to spawn in that area of the map.

Other uses of the name

Chromolaena odorata, a serious invasive weed, is sometimes known as "triffid weed".

The Triffids were an alternative rock band from 1978-89, originating in Perth, Western Australia.

Specialised time-lapse camera rigs used to film plant movements in the 2022 television series The Green Planet were nicknamed "Triffids" after the fictional plants.

References

  • The BBC's Triffid Home page