Depending on various climatic conditions and ecosystems, a lifeforms adapts. Take for example a Cactus in desert. Its adaptation is such that loss of water from its body it minimized. We can find many of such adaptations and various life forms existing on earth. One of them is Carnivore Plants. These plants can be found where soil has less nutrient. These aren't flesh eating plant but insectivore plants, nothing being less than a carnivore. First references to such kind of plants can be found in Charles Darwin's book "Insectivorous plant."
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| Utricularia aurea , image author: Meneerke bloem | Wikimedia Commons |
Utricularia
Utricularia also known as bladderwort is only genus of carnivore plant which make use of bladder to trap the insects. Though most of their preys include protozoa and other minute creature, some species are known to be trapping water fleas and tadpoles. These plants are mostly aquatic ie found in fresh water or wet soil. The trap mechanism is vaccum driven bladder and considered the most sophisticated mechanism known in Plant kingdom.
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| Nepenthes_ampullaria | Wikimedia Commons |
Nepenthes
Nepenthes has a pitfall or pitcher type structure found in tropical regions of China, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia Seychelles. They are popularly known as 'Monkey cups', since its found monkeys drinking water collected inside the pitcher. These plants are creepers and can creep as high as 15m. The Pitcher contains digestive watery liquid used to drown insects. Lower portion of plant absorbs the nutrients from the insect. The Larger species, Nepenthes Rafflesiana and Nepenthes Rajah is known to be trapping small mammals like rats.
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| Drosera Admirabilis, Image author : Denis Barthel | Wikimedia Commons |
Drosera
Drosera are also known as Sundews, is the largest genera of carnivore plants with 194 plants. This plant is characterised by thick gluey substances called mucilage covering its tetacles.When insect lands on it, these tentacles moves toward the insect and traps it. It then digests the insect and absorbs its nutrients. The insect dies of exhaustion. Drosera or Sundews can be found in every continent.
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| Genlisea violacea Denis Barthel | Wikimedia Commons |
Genlisea
Genlisea also known as corkscrew plant found in semi aquatic ecosystem. These plants are herbs with yellow flower and lack roots.These plants use modified underground leaves to trap the insects and also perform duties of roots, while leave over the ground contain chlorophyll. Leaves underground form tube like structure with forward propelling shape. When water flows, small microbes fall inside these tubes but cannot come out. They are then digested and absorbed.
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| Venus Flytrap | Wikimedia Commons |
Venus Flytrap
Venus Fly trap is the well known carnivore plant though distributed only on east coast of US. It feeds on insects and arachnids. A trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When insect crawls into the trap, the trap closes as soon as different hair inside the traps are contacted. The trap then flattens to form a bladder and the digestive juices are released.
Venus Flytrap can be sold at flourist or you can buy the seeds which takes 5 years to reach its maturity and further live upto 20years.
