Species of Carnivorous Plants

Not all plants sit still and absorb sunlight.

While many of us think of plants as unassuming life forms that use only sunlight and water, some plants are a bit more complex in their diet. Carnivorous plants have parts that work to catch prey and use the nutrients for their own health. The Venus flytrap reigns as one of the most famous carnivorous plants, plenty of other species can even be kept in gardens.

Venus Flytrap

Venus flytraps are known for their intimidating traps that look like they have teeth. Unlike most carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps physically catch their prey when the trap shuts around insects that touch it. Trapping is made possible by the hairs that surround the trap and resemble teeth. Anything that touches these hairs causes the trap to shut around the insect, which is then broken down for nutrients.

Sarracenia

Sarracenia are exotic carnivorous plants that feature large leaves and a large colorful trap. Ants and other small insects climb into the trap and wind up stopped and killed by bacteria inside. The sarracenia plant breaks down these insects and uses the nutrients to boost its health.

Brocchinia

Brocchinia plants are green and have large leaves that surround a hole in the center. These plants get insects to come into their center because of a smell they emit. Once the insects are inside, wax and acid produced by the plant help to keep the insects put and break them down for digestion.

Rainbow Plants

Gaining their name from their colors, rainbow plants are also called byblis plants. Rainbow plants are unusual because they trap small prey without actually consuming it. Insects come along and eat the prey and then the rainbow plants take in nutrients produced by the bugs when they disperse waste.

Corkscrews

Corkscrew plants, whose official name is genlisea, use their carnivorous traps for more than just claiming victims. The traps help the plant take in water and stay in place since they do not have roots. The traps are underground and consume tiny prey such as protozoans.

Bladderworts

Utricularia are carnivorous plants also called bladdeworts. They get their nickname from the bladder-looking part of their flower that traps and digests small organisms that get near it. The trapping bladder operates by using water to move. These plants live in freshwater climates like South America and Australia.

References

• Sarracenia.com: The Carnivorous Plant FAQ
• BestCarnivorousPlants: Carnivorous Plants
• NationalGeographic: Carnivorous Plants
• Botany.org: Sarracenia