Insectivorous domestic flowers. Carnivorous plants. Victims range from insects to humans. Why do plants eat animals?
There are many strange plants in the world, but the strangest, perhaps, are predator plants. Most of them feed on arthropods and insects, but there are some that do not refuse a piece of meat. They, like animals, secrete a special juice that helps break down and digest the prey, receiving the necessary nutrients from it.
Hedrich and his colleagues are in the process of sequencing the plant's genome, comparing it to nonnuclear relatives they hope to explore. They also want to know if and how the flycatcher recognizes the insect it has caught in order to assemble a cocktail of digestive enzymes specifically designed for this purpose.
The jungle appears to be a tangle of vines, stems and leaves. The only way you move through the impenetrable green wall is with a machete. While hacking the knife, you can slowly move forward, but the work is tedious. Finally, you seem to reach the edge of the jungle. Only a few heavy vines block your path. You return the knife to swing on one, but your native guide remains your hand.
Some of these carnivorous plants can be grown at home. What exactly they are and what they are, we will tell you further.
Sarracenia
The natural habitat of this plant is East Coast North America, but today it is also found in Texas and southeastern Canada. Sarracenia catches its victims with its leaves in a flower shaped like a jug with a deep funnel and a small hood over the hole. This extension protects the funnel from rainwater, which can dilute the digestive juices inside. It contains various enzymes, including protease. The edge of the bright red water lily exudes juice that has a nectar-like aroma. This is a trap plant that attracts insects. Sitting on its slippery edges, they are unable to hold on, fall into the funnel and are digested.
The most famous species of carnivorous plants
You swing your machete and it hits the three-inch-thick blade, neatly slicing it in half. Suddenly the jungle comes alive around you. Vines on nearby trees begin to move. You step back, but it's too late. You raise the knife to cut through it, but before you can swing, another vine spins around your hand, stopping it. The third vine, as thick as a fire hose, waists you and drags you into the thick underbrush. Suddenly the jungle parts ahead and you see an orange pod as tall as a man's.
Important! Today there are more than 500 species of such plants in different parts of the planet. Most of them grow in South America, Australia, Africa. But all of them, regardless of the species, use one of five methods of catching prey: a flower in the shape of a jug, leaves closing like a trap, suction traps, sticky traps, a trap in the form of a crab claw.
It opens and you push into it dark interior. deep in a sticky liquid that burns the skin. “Sir, you should have listened!” Strange story, but could it be true? Is there flora that traps animals and consumes meat? Do humanoid plants really exist?
Well, the first one is, of course, true. There are many plants in the world that eat meat. The great biologist Charles Darwin was fascinated by them and spent fifteen years of his life studying them. All plants, unlike animals, are capable of producing their own food. They take carbon dioxide from the air, water from the ground, light from the sun and make food through a process called photosynthesis. In addition to sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, plants also need certain minerals to survive. They usually remove their roots from the soil.
Nepenthes
A tropical plant that feeds on insects. It grows as a vine, growing up to 15 meters in length. Leaves form on the vine, at the ends of which one tendril grows. At the end of the tendril, a flower in the shape of a jug is formed over time, which is used as a trap. By the way, this natural bowl collects water that monkeys drink in their natural habitat. For this it received another name - "monkey cup"
The liquid inside the natural cup is a little sticky, sometimes just liquid. Insects simply drown in it and are then digested by the plant. This process occurs in the lower part of the cup, where special glands are located to absorb and redistribute nutrients.
However, plants living in wet areas such as swamps have a problem. The water in these areas carries away many of the nutrients that plants need to grow. Some plants have found a solution to this problem by becoming carnivorous, which means “meat-eating.” Instead of getting the minerals they need from the soil, they trap animals, mostly insects, and take nutrients from the body of the unfortunate victim.
Darwin originally called these insectivorous animals. Scientists later decided that plants consumed enough animals to use the term carnivore. Meat plants use several different mechanisms to capture their prey. Corn plants have leaves that grow into a vase-like container with a hood that hangs over the hole. The edge of the hood is covered with sweet nun, which attracts insects. Inside this cap are descending hairs that guide insects further into the plant and slippery wax surfaces that are difficult for prey to kill.
Did you know? The famous naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who in the 18th century created the system of classification of living nature that we still use today, refused to believe that this was possible. After all, if the Venus flytrap actually eats insects, it violates the order of nature established by God. Linnaeus believed that plants catch insects by chance, and if the unfortunate insect stops twitching, it will be released.Plants that feed on animals cause us inexplicable anxiety. Probably the fact is that this order of things contradicts our ideas about the universe.
Why some plants became predators
At the bottom of the vase-like structure is a pool of chemicals that will digest insects if they enter. Different versions of the plants use different methods to get victims into their pools. For example, the yellow trumpet has a substance in its nectar that paralyzes any insect that eats it. Once the victim takes a sip, it soon falls into the pool and is digested.
Other plants, such as sundews, use nectar to entice insects to land on leaves covered in sensitive hairs. Each hair has a tiny bead of sticky liquid on top. When the insect lands, it sticks to the hair it touches. As the victim struggles, other hairs are bent and applied to provide even more security. The sticky liquid soon enters the insect's breathing holes and it suffocates. Digestive juices soon follow, and the sticky liquid and soft parts of the victim's body are soon dissolved so that they can be reconstituted and used on the plant.
This insectivorous plant has about 130 species, which grow mainly on Seychelles, Madagascar, Philippines, as well as in Sumatra, Borneo, India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China. Basically, the plants form small trap pitchers and feed only on insects. But species such as Nepenthes Rajah and Nepenthes Rafflesiana do not disdain small mammals. This meat-eating flower quite successfully digests mice, hamsters and small rats.
Perhaps the strangest and most famous carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap. It is sometimes topped with a long stem bearing small white flowers. These plants are so strange that folklore has it that they come from outer space and only grow near areas of meteor impact craters. The truth is that the flycatcher does not come from the second planet from the sun, but from the Northern and South Carolina. Its strange leaves have a forehead at the end that looks like a small green clamshell with teeth.
How to grow at home
There are two sensitive hairs inside the shell of the mollusk. If the insect lands on the forehead and touches both hairs, or touches one of the hairs twice in a short period of time, a trap occurs. The two sides of the cot quickly close against insects. The “teeth” intertwine, making sure the animal cannot escape. After the trap closes, glands on the inner surfaces of the shell release digestive juices.
Carnivorous plant Genlisea
This seemingly delicate herb grows mainly in South and Central America, as well as in Africa, Brazil and Madagascar. The leaves of many plant species, of which there are more than 20, secrete a thick gel to attract and hold prey. But the trap itself is located in the soil, where the plant lures insects with the help of attractive aromas. 
The trap is a hollow spiral tube that releases fermented liquid. They are covered from the inside with villi directed downwards from the exit, which does not allow the victim to get out. The tubes also act as plant roots. On top, the plant has neat photosynthetic leaves, as well as a flower on a stalk about 20 cm. The flower, depending on the species, can have different colors, but yellow shades predominate. Although Genlisea is an insectivorous plant, it feeds mainly on microorganisms.
Are any of these carnivorous plants capable of posing a threat to humans? It grows in tropical forests South-East Asia in the form of a vine up to 50 feet long. Jugs sometimes grow in length. However, Nepents does not pose a threat to humans. Actually local residents found ways to make them useful. The jars can be cleaned and used to cook rice, while its long strong vines serve as ropes.
How do carnivorous plants feed?
If no carnivorous plant known is large enough to consume a human, where did the idea of artificial plants come from? When in full bloom, it can reach a height of over nine feet and smells like a mixture of rotting flesh and excrement.
Darlingtonia californica
Only one plant is classified in the genus Darlingtonia - Darlingtonia Californian. You can find it in the springs and swamps of California and Oregon. Although it is believed that this rare plant prefers running water. The trap is the leaves of the plant, which are red-orange in color. They are shaped like a cobra's hood and have a light green pitcher on top with two leaves hanging from the end. The jug, where insects are lured by a specific aroma, has a diameter of 60 cm. Villi grow inside it towards the digestive organs. Thus, an insect that gets inside has only one way - into the depths of the plant. It can no longer return to the surface. 
The pungent odor attracts bees, which enter the flower until they are covered in pollen. They are then released to fertilize other plants. It is notoriously difficult to obtain titanum that will bloom outside of its native Indonesia, and botanical gardens around the world have often been tried for decades without success. When the plant blooms, it moves quickly. It can grow up to 4 inches per day. The period when the “flower” is open lasts only about two days.
Ironically, humans are much more dangerous to carnivorous plants than plants are to humans. The pitcher plant and Venus flycatcher live in wetland areas that are being destroyed by human development. Also, the popularity of these plants also works against them. Collectors of commercial plants have deprived the area of veneros in an attempt to provide them to consumers. Also, many species of North American pitcher plants, the leaves of which are sought after by florists, have been so destroyed by collectors that they may disappear completely from the wild.
Pemphigus (Utricularia)
The genus of these plants, which includes 220 species, got its name for great amount bubbles from 0.2 mm to 1.2 cm, which are used as a trap. The bubbles have negative pressure and a small valve that opens inward and easily sucks insects into the middle along with water, but does not release them out. The plant feeds on both tadpoles and water fleas, as well as protozoan single-celled organisms. The plant has no roots because it lives in water. It produces a peduncle with a small flower above the water. It is considered the fastest predator plant in the world. Grows in moist soil or water everywhere except Antarctica. 
Having money or a cactus on your porch is so predictable. More and more plant lovers are awakening to a more exciting - if strange - gardening option. Welcome to the world of carnivores that you probably read about in school. Nurseries now sell them to a dozen enthusiastic gardeners. They need little care, are watered from time to time and can catch their prey. When her mother travels, Riddi must look after them. It was a burden she hated until her mother finally got the pitcher. I have kept it in my living room and my cousins and friends spend a lot of time looking at the mosquito eating plant.
Butterwort (Pinguicula)
The plant has bright green or pink leaves coated with a sticky liquid that lures and digests insects. The main habitat is Asia, Europe, North and South America.
Important! Today, the popularity of carnivorous houseplants has increased so much that botanists keep secret the places where such plants were discovered. Otherwise, they are immediately ruined by poachers who are engaged in illegal production and trade in insectivorous plants.
The surface of butterwort leaves has two types of cells. Some produce a mucous and sticky secretion that appears on the surface in the form of drops. The task of other cells is to produce special enzymes for digestion: esterase, protease, amylase. Among the 73 plant species, there are those that are active all year round. And there are also those that “fall asleep” for the winter, forming a dense, non-carnivorous rosette. When the ambient temperature rises, the plant produces carnivorous leaves. 
It is very funny! - she exclaims. Sean Lalvani, who breeds and sells these plants from his nursery, says he has seen a surge in the number of people looking for these exotic plants: I've had these plants for years. But in the last few years, due to social media platforms, many young people are getting into gardening. And they want cool plants like Venus flytrap, pitcher plant and Dutch trumpet that look cool. And for a newbie, what's better than a plant that you can see while getting your prey?
Usability Another reason for the popularity of these plants is that they tend to attract bugs and mosquitoes and, as a result, do not cause any natural damage to your home. Eshan Bhardwaj, who runs a nursery and mails plants, says they are reliable plants and even when he mails them to clients in different cities, they last for at least five days. Lalvani feels the same. "Although these plants may seem delicate, all they need is adequate water and light and they will thrive."
Sundew (Drosera)
One of the most beautiful domestic carnivorous plants. In addition, it is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants. It includes no less than 194 species that can be found in almost every corner of the world, except Antarctica. 
Most species form basal rosettes, but some species produce vertical rosettes up to a meter in height. All of them are strewn with glandular tentacles, at the ends of which there are droplets of sticky secretions. The insects they attract land on them, stick, and the rosette begins to curl up, trapping the victims. Glands located on the surface of the leaf secrete digestive juice and absorb nutrients.
He gives the example of a Dutchman's trumpet. If you have a bungalow, you can simply plant them around your lawns and walls. They will climb like a vine and reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home. Here are a few plants that will instantly catch your attention!
Butterfly care: They prefer a moist environment, so indoor spaces with shade and soft sunlight are ideal. Hunting mechanism: they secrete mucus on the leaves and catch small insects. Corn plant care: They are hardy plants and need to be watered regularly and avoided from very harsh sunlight. Hunting Mechanism: They have a trapping mechanism by which they trap insects inside a pitcher that contains digestive enzymes to consume the prey.
Byblis
Byblis, despite its carnivorous nature, is also called the rainbow plant. It is native to Northern and Western Australia, and is also found in New Guinea on marshy, moist soils. It grows as a small shrub, but can sometimes reach 70 cm in height. It produces beautiful flowers of purple shades, but there are also pure white petals. Inside the inflorescence there are five curved stamens. But a trap for insects are leaves with a round cross-section, dotted with glandular hairs. Like sundews, they have a slimy, sticky substance at the ends to lure prey. Similarly, there are two types of glands on the leaves: those that secrete bait and those that digest food. But, unlike sundew, biblis does not secrete enzymes for this process. Botanists are still conducting debate and research regarding the digestion of food by plants. 
Just place it in a tray with water and add water every day. Hunting mechanism: Whenever the fly launches the tiny hairs, the wide, fleshy leaves close, trapping the fly. Hunting Mechanism: It has a translucent back and the edge of the jar produces nectar to lure prey. It also has fine hairs that form a trap for insects.
Hunting mechanism: Its huge flowers resemble pitcher plants and attract prey, which it uses for pollination and prey. Directions: Read the following passage and answer the following questions. If necessary, refer to the text to check your answers.
Aldrovanda vesiculosa
When amateur gardeners inquire about the name of a flower that eats insects, they rarely learn about Aldrovandum vesica. The fact is that the plant lives in water, has no roots, and therefore is of little use in home cultivation. It feeds mainly on crustaceans and small aquatic larvae. 
As traps, it uses thread-like leaves up to 3 mm in length, which grow in 5-9 pieces around the circumference of the stem along its entire length. Wedge-shaped petioles filled with air grow on the leaves, which allows the plant to stay close to the surface. At their ends there are cilia and a shell-shaped bivalve plate covered with sensitive hairs. As soon as they are irritated by the victim, the leaf closes lengthwise, capturing it and digesting it.
The stems themselves reach a length of up to 11 cm. Aldrovanda grows quickly, adding up to 9 mm per day, forming a new curl every day. However, as the plant grows at one end, it dies at the other. The plant produces single small white flowers.
Venus flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula)
This is the most famous predator plant, which is widely cultivated at home. It feeds on arachnids, flies and other small insects. The plant is also small; after flowering, the plant will grow 4-7 leaves from a short stem. It blooms with small white flowers collected in a raceme. 
Did you know? Darwin conducted many experiments with plants that feed on insects. He fed them not only insects, but also egg yolk and pieces of meat. As a result, he determined that the predator becomes more active when it receives food weighing equal to a human hair. The most surprising thing for him was the Venus flytrap. It has a high speed of closing the trap, which literally turns into a stomach while the victim is being digested. It takes at least a week for the plant to reopen.
The long leaf is divided at the end into two flat, rounded lobes that form a trap. The inside of the lobes are colored red, but the leaves themselves, depending on the variety, can have different colors, not just green. Bristly processes grow along the edges of the trap and secrete mucus that is attractive to insects. Sensitive hairs grow inside the trap. As soon as they become irritated by the victim, the trap instantly slams shut. The lobes begin to grow and thicken, flattening the prey. At the same time, juice is released for digestion. After 10 days, only the chitinous shell remains. Over the entire period of its life, each leaf digests on average three insects.
Carnivorous plants are a very popular type of houseplant today. True, mostly novice flower growers know only the Venus flytrap. In fact, you can grow other interesting exotic and carnivorous plants at home. Some grow exclusively in water, but most will require a pot and poor soil. It was the nutrient-poor soil that created such amazing plants in nature that feed on insects and even small mammals.
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Carnivorous plants are a true floral miracle. Under natural conditions, they live in places where the soil lacks nutrients, so in the process of evolution they have developed a unique flora survival mechanism - catching and eating live prey. For most carnivorous plants, insects are their “food”. Carnivorous plants mainly use 5 in various ways catching prey, while the method of fishing does not depend on the type of plant itself. Currently, more than 500 species of carnivorous plants are known throughout the world: they can be found in various parts of our planet. Most currently known carnivorous plants grow in Africa, Australia and South America. But not all carnivorous plants prefer the humid and hot tropical climate.
Carnivorous plants are common all over the world; the carnivorous plant of our latitudes is the round-leaved sundew. Sundew is one of the typical representatives of this kind of plants; it can be found not only in Europe, but also here - in middle lane Russia. It grows mainly in swamps or marshy, damp areas with a predominance of acidic soils.
It is easily recognized by the small shiny droplets located across the entire surface of the leaf. These droplets are very similar to dew, hence the name of this plant. But although at first glance the sundew seems completely harmless and even fragile, it is a predator plant, and it is with the help of these sticky droplets that it catches its “victims,” luring them with its aroma and bright color. The droplets help it not only attract the insect, but also digest it, since they contain a digestive enzyme.
Another common species of plant predator is the Venus flytrap, which is found mainly in western North America. It is a low, almost creeping plant with wide, serrated leaves that are open like a trap. An insect attracted by the aroma lands on the leaf, and the trap instantly slams shut. In this way, trap leaves can hunt up to seven times, then they die and are replaced by other leaves, which in turn become traps. On our website you can view photographs and videos of almost all known varieties of carnivorous plants, find out their full names and other information.
In addition, we offer you to buy any carnivorous plant you like, because now breeding them at home is not a big problem. Carnivorous plants are becoming increasingly popular among exotic lovers. And this is not surprising, because carnivorous plants are truly unique phenomenon nature, which you can observe right at home. In addition, you will be able to get to know not only the carnivorous plants growing in our latitudes, but also more exotic tropical carnivorous plants. After all, with proper care, they feel great not only in the hot tropics, but also in any apartment. If you truly love nature and want to discover its secrets, then do not delay purchasing such amazing plants!
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