Dionaea muscipula

Also known as Venus flytrap

carnivorous plant

AI overview

The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that actively traps and digests insects to supplement the nutrients it gets from poor soil. It's a fascinating example of how plants have evolved unique hunting strategies to survive in nutrient-starved environments.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Vulnerable

SPECIES

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyDroseraceae

Native toNorth Carolina, South Carolina

The Venus flytrap, as its name suggests, is able to catch and digest insects. Insects are attracted to the small traps by the bright pigment and the nectar secreted by a row of glands situated just below the teeth of the trap (5). On the inner lobes there are usually three trigger hairs and if an insect lands on a lobe and brushes against two of these hairs within a short space of time, the trap with snap partially shut with a speed that amazes onlookers (5). It is believed that this phenomenon is achieved by the rapid acid growth of cells on the trap's outer surface (2) (6). The teeth are now interlocked, preventing larger prey from escaping but the trap must close further to produce a tight seal if the prey is to be digested (2). It is thought that this slower closing process is triggered by chemical and mechanical signals released by the struggling prey, and is accomplished by localised areas of cell growth, such as at the hinge (2). The teeth are now pointing outwards and the trap is sealed allowing digestion to begin using digestive juices released from glands within the inner trap wall; the process of digestion usually takes 7 to 10 days (2). The trap will then open and is ab

via · Kew POWO

Article

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant native to the temperate and subtropical wetlands of North Carolina and South Carolina, on the East Coast of the United States. Although various modern hybrids have been created in cultivation, D. muscipula is the only species of the monotypic genus Dionaea. It is closely related to the waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) and the cosmopolitan sundews (Drosera), all of which belong to the family Droseraceae. Dionaea catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a "jaw"-like clamping structure, which is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves; when an insect makes contact with the open leaves, vibrations from the prey's movements ultimately trigger the "jaws" to shut via tiny hairs (called "trigger hairs" or "sensitive hairs") on their inner surfaces. Additionally, when an insect or spider touches one of these hairs, the trap prepares to close, only fully enclosing the prey if a second hair is contacted within (approximately) twenty seconds of the first contact. Triggers may occur as quickly as 1⁄10 of a second from initial contact.

The requirement of repeated, seemingly redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against energy loss and to avoid trapping objects with no nutritional value; the plant will only begin digestion after five more stimuli are activated, ensuring that it has caught a live prey animal worthy of consumption. These hairs also possess a heat sensor. A forest fire, for example, causes them to snap shut, making the plant more resilient to periods of summer fires.