Almost all carnivorous plants are located in locations the soil has a very small valuable nutrients and minerals. Certain plants inhabiting these types of conditions created an adaptation for obtaining nutrients and minerals, they take it from animal proteins. Generally, they kill, digest and absorb nutrition substances from the body of small animals they are able to capture. There are over 450 species of carnivorous plants, which belongs to 6 families, all endowed with various traps, nearly all secrete digestive juices and some execute gradual or fast movements than can be seen by people. These amazing plants are classified as carnivorous since they trap insects as well as arthropods, develop digestive juices, dissolve the victim and absorb some, or most, of their nutrition with this procedure. Some of these plants sometimes look too cute to be as deadly, but they are. Start knowing these fantastic plants in this list of Top 10 Fascinating Carnivorous plants on the planet.
10. Cobra Lily - Darlingtonia
Also known as the California pitcher plant or cobra plant, is a species of carnivorous plant, native to Northern California and Oregon. This plant growing in bogs and seeps with cold running water. The name "cobra lily" comes from the resemblance of its tubular leaves to a rearing cobra, complete with a forked leaf - varies from yellow to purplish-green - that appear like fangs or a serpent's tongue. To drive their target into the trap, Cobra Lily carefully hides the small exit hole from trapped insects by curling it underneath and providing a number of translucent fake exits. Upon attempting many times to go away through the fake exits, the insect will become tired and fall down into the trap. The slippery walls surfaces together with hairs prevent the trapped victim from escaping.
9. Trigger plants - Stylidium
Most Stylidium species are endemic to Australia. Their habitat includes grassy plains, open heaths, rocky slopes, sandplains, forests, and the margins of creeks and water holes. Stylidium species with glandular hairs on their sepals, leaves, flower parts, or scapes have been considered to be protocarnivorous because the tip of the hair produces a sticky mucilage, a mixture of sugar polymers and water that is capable of attracting and suffocating small insects. The ability to trap insects may be a defensive mechanism against damage to flower parts.
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| Stylidium debile Triggered by Rkitko |
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8. Rainbow Plants - Byblis
Byblis are native to western Australia. Often named as the rainbow plants for the appealing appearance of their mucilage-covered leaves in bright sunshine. Just like the majority of carnivorous plants, Byblis species normally grow in bogs and marshes. They usually like seasonally moist sandy soil in partial or direct sunlight. Byblis traps its preys by applying the sticky glands surrounding its petals. The vibrant coloration of the flower attracts insects then after they land on its petals, it is going to be hard, for the victims to escape the adhesive trap.
7. Cephalotus - Cephalotus
Cephalotus is a genus which contains only one species, Cephalotus follicularis. Cephalotus follicularis is a small, low growing, herbaceous plant native to Australia continent. Habitat of this interesting plant is on moist peaty sands seen among swamps or along creeks as well as streams, however it is tolerant of less damp conditions. Much like many other pitcher plants, the round mouth of Cephalotus possesses a spiked arrangement that enables the prey to enter, but prevents its escape. The lid over the entrance, prevents rainwater getting into the pitcher and thus diluting the digestive enzymes inside. Insects stuck within this digestive liquid are ingested by the plant. The lid carries translucent cells which confuse its victims because they look like patches of sky. Population of Cephalotus in the wild continues to be decreased by habitat devastation and overcollecting, it is therefore categorized as Vulnerable species by the IUCN.
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| Cephalotus follicularis in situ / SW Australia Coast by Holger Hennern |
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| Cephalotus follicularis PD |
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6. Sun Pitchers - Heliamphora
The genus Heliamphora also known as Sun Pitchers contains 23 species of pitcher plants endemic to South America. The largest percentage of plants in the genus Heliamphora cannot create their own digestive enzymes however depending alternatively on the enzymes of symbiotic bacteria to break down their victim. They do, however, attract victim by using unique visual and chemical signals and capture and kill the victim with a typical pitfall trap.
5. Butterworts - Pinguicula
Pinguicula, or butterworts, are a group of carnivorous plants probably originated in Central America, as this is the center of Pinguicula diversity. They grow in nutrient poor, alkaline soils. Some species have adapted to other soil types, such as acidic peat bogs, soils composed of pure gypsum, or even vertical rock walls. This carnivorous plant use sticky, glandular leaves to lure, capture and digest insects. The nutrition from the insects complement the poor mineral amount of the soil. There are approximately 80 species that can be found all through North and South America, Europe and Asia. The leaves of the butterwort are succulent and normally bright green or pinkish in color. There are two specific kinds of cells found at the top part of the butterwort leaves. One is called a penduncular gland, and contains secretory cells on top of an individual stalk cell. These cells create a mucilaginous secretion which forms clear droplets across the leaves surface area, and also acts like flypaper. The other cells are called sessile glands. They lie flat on the leaves surface area and create enzymes including amylase, esterase and protease, which help in the digesting procedure. Where several butterwort species are carnivorous throughout the year, many kinds form a limited winter rosette, which is actually not carnivorous. Once summer arrives, it brings with it new blooms along with a brand new set of carnivorous leaves.
4. Trumpet Pitchers - Sarracenia
Sarracenia also known as Trumpet Pitchers is a group of carnivorous plants consisting of 8 to 11 species of North American pitcher plants. The genus is a member of the family Sarraceniaceae, which also include the closely related genera Darlingtonia and Heliamphora. Sarracenia is native to the eastern seaboard, Texas, the Great Lakes area and southeastern Canada, with most species growing only in the south-east United Statest. Sarracenia normally live in permanently wet fens, swamps, and grassy plains. These habitats are generally acidic (low pH) with soil that contains sand and Sphagnum moss. Sarracenia's leaves have evolved into a funnel to be able to capture insects, breaking down their victims with proteases along with other enzymes. The insects are lured by a nectar-like secretion on the lip of pitchers, as well as a mixture of coloring and smell. Slippery footing at the pitchers' rim, aided in at least one species by a narcotic drug lacing the nectar, may result in victims to fall inside, where they die and are absorbed by the plant for a nutritional supply.
3. Venus Flytrap - Dionaea muscipula
The Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant indigenous to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States. Typically found in nitrogen- and phosphorus-poor locations, like bogs and dampen savannahs. The Venus flytrap is not a tropical plant which allowing it to tolerate moderate winters. Actually, Venus flytraps that do not pass through a certain time of winter dormancy would certainly get weak and die within a period of time. The leaf blade of Dionaea muscipula is separated into two parts: a flat, long, heart shaped, photosynthesis capable petiole, and a pair of terminal lobes, hinged at the midrib, forming the trap which is actually the true leaf. The internal surface areas of these lobes have a red coloring and the edges secrete mucilage. These lobes demonstrate quick plant movement by snapping shut at the time of specific sensory hairs are stimulated. The plant is very sophisticated that it is able to know the difference between live stimulation and non-living stimulation. The lobes snap shut in just about 0.1 seconds. They are fringed by stiff thorn-like protrusions or cilia, which fine mesh with each other and prevent large prey from escaping. Immediately after prey is not able to escape and the internal surfaces of the lobes are continue to getting stimulated, the edges of the lobes fuse together, sealing the trap and creating an enclosed “stomach” which is where digestive function together with absorption can take place.
Venus flytrap capturing prey, source
Wikipedia
Also known as The Sundews, Drosera make up one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with no less than 194 species.These members of the family Droseraceae attract, trap, and digest insects with the use of stalked mucilaginous glands coating their leaf surface areas. The range of the Drosera genus stretches from Alaska in the north to New Zealand in the south. The concentration of diverseness are Australia, with approximately 50% of most identified species, and South America and southern Africa, each with more than 20 species.
Drosera inhabit swamps, peat bogs and shrubland. The leaves contained very sensitive tentacles which on their top possess a sticky fluid like a water droplet which is rich in sugars, attracting insects. In the event that an insect attracted by the shinny droplets lands on the leaves and hit the tentacles, they bond it and the movements made in the attempt to run away will bend the tentacles toward the insect, wrapping it and immobilizing it even more strongly. Sooner or later, the prey may succumbs to death from exhaustion or through asphyxiation since the mucilage covers them and clogs their spiracles, within 15 minutes. The tentacles begin to secret the digestive juices and in 1-2 days the insect is totally ingested.
1. Tropical Pitcher plants - Nepenthes
Nepenthes, popularly termed as Tropical Pitcher plants or Monkey Cups, is a genus comprises about 140 species, and also numerous natural as well as some cultivated hybrids. They were ranges from South China, southward to Australia and New Caledonia. The major diversity happens on Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines, with lots of endemic species. A lot of them are plants of hot, moist, lowland locations, however the largest percentage are tropical montane plants, receiving warm days but cool to cold, humid nights year round. A few are considered tropical alpine, with cool days and nights close to freezing. The term "monkey cups" represents the actual fact that monkeys are usually noticed drinking rainwater from these kind of plants.
Nepenthes trap has a liquid of the plant's own production, which is usually watery or even syrupy, and is utilized to drown the victim. The lower part of the trap has glands which soak nutritional elements from caught victim. Along the upper inside part of the trap is a slippery, waxy covering making the escape of its victim almost impossible. Surrounding the entry to the trap is a "lip" which is slippery and usually quite colorful, attracting victim, but giving an unsure footing. Above the lip is a lid; in most species, this prevents rainwater from diluting the fluid within the pitcher, the underside in which there may contain nectar glands which attract prey.
Nepenthes species generally produce two forms of pitchers, referred to as leaf dimorphism. Appearing close to the bottom of the plant are the large lower traps, which in most cases sit on the ground. The upper or aerial pitchers are often smaller, coloured differently, and have different features from the lower pitchers. Prey generally consists of insects, however the largest species could occasionally capture small vertebrates, like rats and lizards. In addition there are records of cultivated plants trapping small birds.
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| Nepenthes villosa by PD |
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