Carnivorous-plants

Carnivorous Plants- The Flesh Eaters

You might have seen plants eating animals in the movies but the fact is they are also found in reality. Here are some carnivorous plants:

1. Venus Flytrap

Scientific Name: Dionaea muscipula

These plants are found in United States, Carolina, South Carolina, and somewhere in Florida. They usually grow in nitrogen and phosphorus-deficient environment. They feed on beetles, flies, spiders, grasshoppers, and other small flying insects. There are trigger hairs on the leaves of plants when insects come in contact with them, they trap them with interlocking their hairs.

Carnivorous Venus Flytrap

2.Pitcher Plant

Scientific Name: Nepenthes

It has round about 140 species and can be found from Southeast Asia to Madagascar and Australia. They grow in areas with poor soil conditions. They feed on flying and crawling insects. They have modified leaves called pitfall traps. Insects are attracted to them by their beautiful shape and colored cups. When insects made contact with them, they close their cups, and then insects are digested by fluids with digestive enzymes.

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Carnivorous plants Pitcher Plant

 

3.Butterworts

Scientific Name:Pinguicula moranensis

There are 80 known species of them which are found in Europe, South Asia, and some in North America and Central America. They are both herbivorous so diet ranges from arthropods to some small pollens that are enriched with proteins. They have sticky leaves for trapping of insects. They grow in nutrient-poor alkaline soils.

Carnivorous plants Butterworts

4.Corkscrew Plant

Scientific Name: Genlisea violacea

They grow in semi-aquatic environment and native to Africa, South, and Central America. These are small herbs with two leaf types. One is photosynthetic and others are for trapping of insects. They mostly ingest microscopic animals.

Carnivorous plants Corkscrew

5.Cobra lily

Scientific Name:Darlingtonia californica

They are most commonly found in California, Oregon, and Northern California. They are rare plants. They have leaves like rearing cobra that is why commonly called cobra lily. They fulfil their nitrogen requirements by carnivory. Cobra lily grows in acidic bogs. They have digestive enzymes for the digestion of insects and bugs.

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Carnivorous-plants Cobra lily

6.Sundew

Scientific Name: Drosera tokaiensis

They are of the largest genus of carnivorous plants. They are widespread among America, Europe, Asia, Australia. Because of their beautiful appearance, they are also used as ornamental plants. They have glandular tentacles topped up with sticky secretions for capturing insects. They eat bees, flies, and small bugs.

Carnivorous-plants Sundew

7.Waterwheel Plant

Scientific Name:Aldrovanda vesiculosa

They grow in clean, shallow, warm water. They are native to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. They consume invertebrates from water. The leaves (traps)are arranged around free-floating system hence the name waterwheel.

Carnivorous-plants Waterwheel Plant