Vad utvecklades venus flytrap från
Among the wonders of the natural world are plants that eat animals, and the best known example is the Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula. In Charles Darwin’s book on insectivorous plants, he described the plant and its ingenious design in great detail, but did not offer even a clue about its possible evolution (Darwin, , pp. ). He even called the plant “one of the most wonderful plants in the world” (p. ).
This carnivorous plant is found growing in peaty sandy soil mainly in one small place, the extreme far east coast of North Carolina (Schnell, , p. 85). It catches its prey, mostly ants, beetles, spiders and other crawling arachnids, with a complex, well designed, mitt-shaped trapping mechanism located at the terminal portion of the plant’s leaf (Ellison, ; Ellison and Gotelli, ).
The trap is triggered by tiny hairs on the mitt’s surface. When an insect or spider brushes against one of its six hairs, the trap closes, but normally only if a different hair is contacted within twenty to forty seconds of the first one (Schnell, , p. 90). The redundant triggering requirement serves as a safeguard against wasting energy due to closing from stimuli such as rain, dust or wind. Truly,
The Venus flytrap is the best known carnivorous plant out there. It has been featured in countless science fiction movies, series, and books. Since its discovery, it has amazed scientists and aficionados alike. Charles Darwin even described it as the “most wonderful plant in the world.”
I have grown Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants in my home for several years, and I always like learning more about them. Today, I have put together some very curious and unique facts about these amazing plants.
Even though most people have heard about Venus flytraps, very few actually know some facts about these fascinating plants. With this in mind, I have created a list of some curious Venus flytraps facts:
- Venus flytraps are an endangered species
- Venus flytrap can digest meat
- They are native to North and South Carolina
- Red Venus flytraps exist, and they are beautiful
- Their most common meal is not flies
- They are the state carnivorous plant for North Carolina
- Venus flytrap produce white flowers
- Venus flytraps do not consume pollinators
- There are over 50 varieties of Venus flytrap
- Venus flytraps choose their prey carefully
- Prey trapped inside a Venus flytrap dies by dr
Earth News
Matt Walker |
A Venus flytrap awaits its next victim
The origin of the voracious Venus flytrap has been uncovered.
The flytrap, and one other carnivorous snap-trap plant which grows underwater, evolved from a more conventional relative that had sticky leaves.
Over time, the plants added elaborate structures and weapons such as trigger hairs and teeth to trap and immobilise their meaty prey, botanists say.
Ultimately, the need to hunt and eat ever larger animals drove the plants' evolution, säga the scientists.
Carnivorous plants come in many forms, and are known to have independently evolved at least six separate times.
The Venus flytrap acts like an djur, it moves fast and eats fresh meat |
For example, pitcher plants create tube-like leaf structures into which insects tumble and become trapped, while other plants have sticky surfaces that act like flypaper.
But among all these plants, two species stand out: the venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) and the waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa).
Both are known as snap-traps because they actively hunt animals, snapping shut specially adapted leav