All of us are used to the predator-prey relationships between cats and mice, foxes and rabbits, lions and zebras...but what about plants? Can a plant be a predator too? The most famous carniverous plant is the Venus Flytrap. There are others out there too that enjoy tasty meat snacks. About the size of a quarter, the red sundews have sticky droplets that attract insects to their leaves, where hairs fold over the prey and begin the digestion process. Then there is the famous poisonous pitcher plant! The large pitcher plant has a long, trumpet-like tube that rises from the ground. The plant secretes a sweet smell that entices insects to travel down into the plant’s tube, where they are unable to escape The butterwort is a plant with purple flowers that catches prey on its sticky, greasy leaves. Once stuck, the insect is digested by the acid in the slimy substance coating the plant. Another carnivorous plant is a bladderwort, which has both water and land varieties. The plant’s “bladders” are air-filled balloons with trap doors. As an insect releases the trap door, water fills the bladder, sucking the insect in with it. Our nightmares about attacking plants might not be so far fetched... Plant predators? So disturbing!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |