The carnivorous plants - Core things you need to know about them
Some plant are considered to be carnivorous because they are known to trap animals (small animals - most especially insect), kill them then extract most of the nutrient they need from the animal.
Some people like me might be curious or shocked on hearing this first time but the truth is this plant are actually real.
You might also be wondering how it is possible that is do plant have teeth, can they even move to kill animals or how will they even get them digested.
Actually, these plant has different strategies of trapping animals and there are just only five strategies discovered which i will be sharing below.
1. Pitfall traps: Most of the carnivorous plant that exhibits this characteristic mostly looks like a cone or possess a long internal chamber which is called a pitcher. Most of the time water is trapped in this pitcher which kills any prey who slide into the pitcher because the top of the pitcher is covered by waxy flakes which are slippery.
Once the animal is dead, digestive enzymes act on it then break it down into an absorbable form for the plant
Image Source
That ☝ is an example of a pitcher plant which is named Heliamphora
2. Flypaper: The flypaper is a very attractive sticky trap which attract insect (most especially the hungry ones). Meanwhile, carnivorous plants having this characteristics are very sensitive which means once an insect is trapped on the flypaper, the plant roll over then squeezy the caputured insect to death.
In the process squeezing also the sticky substance on the trap also act as a digestive enzymes which break's down the animals into nutrients absorbable for the plant.
Also, below 👇 is an of a plant exhibiting the flypaper named drosera capensis
3. Snap Traps: The snap trap is the fastest trap carnivorous plant ever exhibit but unfortunately, research found only two plant exhibiting this fast snap trap and this plant are namely The Venus fly trap and the waterwheel plant.
Actually, this trap looks more or moves like the butterfly wings but this case they oscillates once because they are flying no where.
Meanwhile, this plant are very sensitive as well and traps any animal (insect) who get into the trap by closing up the trap, kill the insect then extract all the available nutrient.
Also, this 👇 is an example of snap trap I'm talking about.
Image Source Venus flytrap
4. Bladder trap: The bladder trap are formed in most aquatic carnivorous plant by forming a vacum which attract small organism, then trap them inside the vacuum which their digestive enzymes break's down the organism to an absorbable for the plant.
Example of this plant is the Utricularia which is right here 👇
Image Source
5. Lobster traps: This is the last I will be talking about but it one of the trickest.
Carnivorous plant that exhibit this characteristics tricks animals (insect) inside and keeps directing the animals towards the digestive system until they are completely trapped inside the chamber. Example of this plant is the Genlisea violacea
Source
Thanks for coming around. Also a bounty has been placed on this post for all commenters. To more about bounty, kindly visit @steem-bounty blog.
I love the venus flytrap! Just an cool and fun to look at easy to manage indoorplant!
Well written article!
Yeah they are cool to manage indoors but very dangerous when they grow bigger.
How it Work You can Check Here
Thanks:)
Interesting one @christianolu
These beautiful yet deadly plants always excites me, I am always interested in such fast digestive or highly active enzymes. Thanks for sharing.
The digestion make not be as fast as you think anyway.
Thanks for coming around :)
Great photos looking very clear.
Thanks
Sometimes I wonder why we have carnivorous plants but it got me that some insects and rodents are pests and this plants serves as insecticides. This helps free the house from pests. This is just my angle on this topic.
Yeah they really serve as insecticide but the bigger ones should not plant in the house..
Thanks for your coming around :)
I think the most familiar kind of carnivorous plant I have ever seen is the Snap Trap.
Yeah I just saw one as well and that's what lead to this article :)
I've always wanted to have plant like that, but i never had one. I thought that it is very hard to keep this plant healthy
Nope they are not hard to rear because they feed on their own and don't always bother you.
Thanks for the comment :)
Nature offers so many fascinating stories! This sure is one of them!
Yeah was shocked as well because I just saw it for the first time two days ago.
The interesting thing is some are beautiful some are ugly but they all eat animals. Mostly insects anyway. Good post @christianolu. Most educative.
Not just insect but bigger ones eat both rodent and amphibians..
Estas plantas son muy hermosas pero mortales, cualquiera se equivoca SALUDOS
Saludos too