Venus flugfälla

Dionaea muscipula

SPECIES

1. KingdomPlantae
2. PhylumTracheophyta
3. ClassMagnoliopsida
4. OrderCaryophyllales
5. FamilyDroseraceae

Native toNorth Carolina, South Carolina

Observations recorded3,608

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