What kind of insectivorous plant is. Who is he - a flower that eats flies

Along with plants that feed on minerals from the soil, there are carnivores in the world, or carnivores that feed on insects (mainly flies and midges). Many consider the flower that eats flies to be almost a horror monster. But in fact, these are simple living organisms, which nature forced themselves to adapt to the conditions of life.

Carnivorous plants are forced to be carnivorous due to the conditions of their environment

Reason for appearance

Flowers that eat flies did not immediately appear in the form we see them now. They evolved due to lack of nutrients and nitrogen in the soil. They needed something to feed on, and so they adapted to feed on animal protein obtained from insects. He completely replaced the necessary minerals and nitrogen.

The plant uses unusual traps to catch its prey. With its bright color and emitting a sweet aroma reminiscent of nectar, it attracts insects, which soon turn out to be its lunch.

Types of insectivorous flowers

Biological scientists have counted about 630 species of carnivorous plants from 19 families.

Most famous flowers who catch and eat flies:

• Venus flytrap;
• zhiryanka;
• sundew;
• slipway;
• genlisei;
• sarracenia;

Video description of predator plants:

The Venus flytrap, or dionea, is the most recognizable flower that eats insects. He is a favorite on the windowsill of many flower growers. This flower is native to North America. Its main habitat is swamps, but it can easily adapt to indoor conditions. Flycatcher leaves have denticles along the edges. As soon as the insect lands in the "mouth" of the flower, its blades immediately slam shut, like the mouth of a predator. The digestion process takes place hidden for 10 days. Then the leaf opens, gets rid of the empty shell and waits for the next prey.

Read on this topic:

Zhiryanka is considered one of the most beautiful plants that eats flies. It got its name from the mucus covering the leaves. The surface becomes shiny as if it were greased. The fatty plant emits a sweet scent that attracts insects. The leaves completely cover the digestive glands that digest the prey.

Despite the predation, Zhiryanka is one of the most beautiful plants.

The most common flower that catches flies is the sundew. Grows in mountains, swamps and sandstones. The leaves have long hairs that give off a sweet, aromatic liquid similar to dew. When a fly touches a viscous syrup the leaf of the flower curls up and digests the insect... A large sundew can even catch a dragonfly. English sundew and round-leaved sundew are common on the territory of Russia.

Stapelia is another houseplant that eats flies. It is often confused with a cactus, with which it has nothing to do. Staple flowers give off a rotten meat smell that attracts flies. They lay eggs in flowers. But the flower lives only for a day, which means that the larvae die with it, never having time to hatch.

The genlisea flower looks very cute and delicate. But this is only at first glance. It has hollow tubes containing a fragrant and sticky liquid that attracts insects. Climbing into the tube, the insect cannot get out and dies on the spot. The flower grows in Central and South America, as well as in Africa and Madagascar.

Genliseya looks like gentle and safe plant but it's deceiving

Sarracenia is another flower that eats flies. Its name is unusual. This funnel-shaped plant comes from North America and is well established in Russia as a house potted flower that eats flies. The sarracenia funnel is filled with sweet nectar, and its walls are very slippery.

When a fly climbs into a flower to feast on, it can no longer get out and dies under the influence of digestive enzymes.

Areal of plants

Despite their exoticism, insectivorous plants are found throughout the entire Earth. Most often these are swamps and areas with high humidity... The range of many species is limited to South and North Carolina (for example, the Venus flytrap), others grow only in Australia. In Russia, carnivorous plants are represented by 13 species, among which the most famous are sundew, fatwort and pemphigus. They grow in the European part, in the Caucasus and the Far East. Many species can be found not only in swampy areas, but also along the banks of rivers, lakes, on trees and stumps.

Nutrition of carnivorous plants

Most feed on insects (these are sarracenia, sundew, nepentes). But aquatic representatives, for example pemphigus, consume even small crustaceans.

There are larger representatives carnivorous plants, whose diet includes toads, fish fry, newts, lizards. So, mice and rats sometimes become prey of nepentes.

Sundew is a species that feeds on insects

Home conditions

V indoor conditions Can contain the following carnivorous flowers:

• tropical zhiryanka;
• sundew;
• Venus flytrap;
• sarracenia.

A pot with a predatory flower is best kept in a well-lit place. It can be a windowsill or artificial lighting (in winter, when there is a lack of sunlight). Such flowers love moist soil, so you need to avoid drought and water them in time with melted, slightly acidic or neutral water. Salts in tap water can destroy the plant. Carnivorous flowers need a moderate temperature: + 15 ... + 30 ° С in summer and + 10 ... + 14 ° С in winter.

Plant propagation

Insectivorous plants are propagated by dividing the bush or cuttings, the flowers themselves prefer pollination. In nature, insects help them, but at home they have to get used to manually transfer pollen from the stamens to the pistil. Flowering in many species occurs at the end of spring.

In nature, these flowers reproduce by pollination, but cuttings are also possible at home.

Winter care

In winter, carnivorous plants stop growing and hibernate. During this time, the flower is gaining strength for further growth and flowering. During this period, you need to continue to care for the plant, removing dried leaves and watering.

Pest control

Plants are susceptible to aphid and earthworm infestation, which can cause great harm. Will help to cope special means with insecticides. You should beware of mold that appears due to waterlogging of the soil. Ventilating and removing fallen leaves will help prevent infestation of the plant.

Useful video for caring for a predatory plant:

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Incredible facts

Among all the strange plants in the world, there are even some that consume flesh.

Well, maybe not quite flesh, but insects, but, nevertheless, they are considered carnivorous... All carnivorous plants are found in areas where the soil is poor in nutrients.

These amazing plants are carnivores, as they catch insects and arthropods, secrete digestive juices, dissolve the prey, and during this process they receive some or most of the nutrients.

Here are the most famous carnivorous plants that use different types traps to lure your victim.

1. Sarracenia

Sarracenia or North American carnivorous plant is a genus of carnivorous plants that are found in areas of the east coast of North America, Texas, the Great Lakes, southeastern Canada, but most are found only in the southeastern states.

This plant uses water lily-shaped trapping leaves as a trap... The leaves of the plant have turned into a funnel with a hood-like formation that grows over the hole, preventing rainwater from entering, which can dilute the digestive juices. Insects are attracted by the color, smell and secretions, similar to nectar on the edge of a water lily. The slippery surface and the narcotic lining the nectar encourage insects to fall inward, where they die and are digested by protease and other enzymes.

2. Nepenthes

Nepentes, a tropical carnivorous plant, is another type of carnivorous plant with a trap that uses trapping leaves in the shape of a water lily. There are about 130 species of these plants, which are widespread in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Madagascar, Seychelles, Australia, India, Borneo and Sumatra. This plant has also received the nickname " monkey cup"as researchers often observed monkeys drinking rainwater from them.

Most of the Nepentes species are tall vines, about 10-15 meters, with a shallow root system. Leaves are often visible from the stem with a tendril that protrudes from the tip of the leaf and is often used for climbing. At the end of the tendril, the water lily forms a small vessel, which then expands to form a bowl.

The trap contains liquid secreted by the plant, which can have a watery or sticky texture, and in which insects, which the plant eats, drown. The bottom of the bowl contains glands that absorb and distribute nutrients. Most of the plants are small and they only catch insects, but large species, such as Nepenthes Rafflesiana and Nepenthes Rajah, can catch small mammals such as rats.

3. Predatory plant genlisea (Genlisea)

Genlisea consists of 21 species, usually grows in humid terrestrial and semi-aquatic environments and is common in Africa and Central and South America.

Genliseya is a small herb with yellow flowers, which use a crab pincer trap... It is easy to fall into such traps, but it is impossible to get out of them because of the small hairs that grow towards the entrance or, as in this case, forward in a spiral.

These plants have two different types leaves: photosynthetic leaves above the ground and special underground leaves that lure, trap and digest small organisms such as protozoa. The underground leaves also serve as roots, such as water absorption and attachment, since the plant itself does not have them. These underground leaves form hollow tubes that are spiral-shaped. Small microbes enter these tubes through the flow of water, but cannot escape from them. When they get to the exit, they will already be digested.

4. Californian Darlingtonia (Darlingtonia Californica)

Californian Darlingtonia is the only member of the Darlingtonia genus that grows in northern California and Oregon. It grows in swamps and springs with cold running water and considered a rare plant.

Darlingtonia leaves are bulbous and form a cavity with a hole under the swollen, like balloon, a structure and two sharp leaves that hang down like fangs.

Unlike many carnivorous plants, it does not use trapping leaves to trap, but uses a crab claw type trap. Once the insect is inside, they are confused by the specks of light that pass through the plant. They land in thousands of thick, fine hairs that grow inward. Insects can follow the hairs deeper into the digestive organs, but cannot go back.

5. Pemphigus (Utricularia)

Pemphigus is a genus of carnivorous plants, consisting of 220 species. They meet in fresh water or wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species on all continents except Antarctica.

These are the only carnivorous plants that use bubble trap... Most species have very small traps in which they can catch very small prey, such as protozoa. Traps range in size from 0.2 mm to 1.2 cm, and larger traps will trap larger prey such as water fleas or tadpoles.

The bubbles are under negative pressure relative to their surroundings. The opening of the trap opens, sucks in the insect and surrounding water, closes the valve, and all this happens in thousandths of a second.

6. Chiryanka (Pinguicula)

Grease is a carnivorous plant that uses sticky, glandular leaves to lure and digest insects. Nutrients obtained from insects supplement soil that is poor in minerals. There are approximately 80 species of these plants in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The leaves are juicy and usually bright green or pink color... There are two special types cells located on the upper side of the leaves. One is known as the pedicle gland and is made up of secretory cells at the apex of a single stem cell. These cells produce a slimy secretion that forms visible droplets on the leaf surface and acts like Velcro... Other cells are called sessile glands, and they sit on the surface of the leaf, producing enzymes like amylase, protease, and esterase that aid in the digestive process. While many types of birchworms are carnivorous all year round, many types form a dense winter rosette that is not carnivorous. When summer comes, it blooms and has new carnivorous leaves.

7. Drosera

The sundew is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. They are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. Dewdrop can form root or vertical rosettes from 1cm to 1m in height and can live up to 50 years.

Sundews are characterized by moving glandular tentacles topped with sweet sticky secretions. When an insect lands on sticky tentacles, the plant begins to move the rest of the tentacles in the direction of the victim in order to further drive it into a trap. Once the insect is trapped, small sessile glands absorb it and nutrients are used for plant growth.

8. Byblis

Biblis or rainbow plant is a small species of carnivorous plant native to Australia. The rainbow plant gets its name from the attractive slime that coats the leaves in the sun. Despite the fact that these plants are similar to sundews, they are in no way related to the latter and differ in zygomorphic flowers with five curved stamens.

Its leaves have a round cross section, and most often they are elongated and conical at the end. The surface of the leaves is completely covered with glandular hairs that secrete a sticky mucous substance that serves as a trap for small insects that perch on the leaves or tentacles of the plant.

9. Aldrovanda vesiculosa

Aldrovanda bubbly is a magnificent rootless, carnivorous aquatic plant. It is usually feeds on small aquatic vertebrates using a trap.

The plant consists mainly of free-floating stems that reach 6-11 cm in length. Trap leaves, 2-3 mm in size, grow in 5-9 curls in the center of the stem. The traps attach to the petioles, which contain air that allows the plant to swim. It is a fast growing plant and can grow up to 4-9 mm per day and in some cases produce a new curl every day. While the plant grows at one end, the other end gradually dies.

The trap of the plant consists of two lobes that slam shut like a trap. The holes of the trap are directed outward and are covered with fine hairs that allow the trap to close around any victim that gets close enough. The trap closes in tens of milliseconds, which is one example. the fastest movement in the animal kingdom.

10. Venus flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula)

Venus flytrap is perhaps the most famous carnivorous plant that feeds mainly on insects and arachnids... It is a small plant with 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem.

Its leaf plate is divided into two areas: flat, long, heart-shaped petioles capable of photosynthesis and a pair of terminal lobes hanging from the main vein of the leaf, which form a trap. The inner surface of these lobes contains red pigment, and the edges secrete mucus.

The leaf lobes move abruptly, snapping shut when its sensory hairs are stimulated. The plant is so developed that it can distinguish a living stimulus from a nonliving one... Its leaves collapse in 0.1 second. They are bordered by cilia, rigid, like thorns, which hold the prey. As soon as the victim is caught, the inner surface of the leaves is gradually stimulated, and the edges of the lobes grow and merge, closing the trap and creating a closed stomach, where the prey is digested.

Nature has created this world to be very diverse and amazing. This is especially true for plants. She was able to create vegetable world that cannot be seen in a city flower bed or at home on a windowsill are carnivorous plants. These flowers are carnivorous and feed on living flesh. Such plants are located in places where the soil contains almost no nutrients.

These plants catch their prey, then secrete a special juice, which begins to digest the prey. After that, the plant receives all the substances necessary for life.

This plant belongs to insectivorous plants and grows in North America and Texas.

The trapping leaves of this flower are in the shape of a water lily, which is a trap. The leaves form a funnel that rises above the plant like a hood, and does not allow rainwater to enter the water lily, so as not to dilute the digestive juice.

Insects fly for the scent and color that gives off the edge of the flower. They mistake it for nectar, but the sliding surface and the intoxicating substance help the insects get inside. Then they die in the digestive juice.

This plant belongs to other carnivorous plants. Nepentes uses water lily-shaped leaves instead of a trap. Scientists have 135 varieties of this plant, and most of them grow in China and Indonesia.

Most of these plants are long fifteen meter vines, with a very small root system. The antennae, located along the entire length of the stem, form a small vessel that grows rapidly, enlarges and turns into a predatory bowl.

Inside the bowl is a sticky liquid that lures insects. At the bottom of the trap there is a gland that distributes all the nutrients to the plant.

This plant feeds on insects, but there are some subspecies that have larger bowls and can feed on small rodents and even rats.

This plant is rare, as it grows in Northern California, and only in areas with flowing ice water.

The leaves of this plant are bulbous with a hole located under two long and sharp leaves that look like fangs.

This plant does not use its leaves to trap insects, it uses the trap like crab claws. Insects fly to the specks of light that form the canine leaves, and as soon as it gets inside, it begins to wade along the hairs that grow deep into the plant, and can no longer get out.

This plant uses its own for hunting. sticky leaves... It grows in Asia and America.

Its leaves are very juicy, green or pink in color. Each sheet contains two types of cells. One species forms a sticky mucus that attracts insects and keeps them from sweating. And the second type is the sessile glands, they form special enzymes that help digest insects.

All the substances that were obtained from insects feed the poor soil on which Zhiryanka grows.

This plant is the most popular and famous of all carnivorous plants. Its diet usually includes flies and small spiders. This plant has 5-7 leaves, and they are located on a thin and small stem.

The leaves of this plant are divided into two halves, of which the trap consists. The outside of these traps contains a special pigment that secretes a sticky liquid. When the insect hits the liquid, the leaf hairs pick up the signal and the leaf lobes collapse.

The closing speed of the shares is only 0.1 seconds. On the edge of the leaves there are dense cilia that do not allow the victim to get out. After that, the lobules are tightly closed, thereby forming the stomach, in which the digestive process takes place.

These amazing abilities were awarded by the nature of the plant so that they could survive even in the worst conditions.

10 most dangerous carnivorous plants video

Read one more thing amazing plant — .

Carnivorous plants quite widespread throughout the world. In nature, there are 450 species of such plants, which are combined into six families. Insects form the basis of their diet, therefore carnivorous plants are often called insectivores.

Predatory plants are a miracle of nature. They are surprisingly adapted to life in areas characterized by a lack of nutrients in the soil. These plants have become predators! The need to survive requires them to be able to catch live prey.

Predatory plants obtain food in five ways. Some of them use trapping leaves, which have the shape of a jug, others use sticky traps, the next use traps of the crustacean type, fourth use sucking traps, and the fifth use slamming leaves.

Carnivorous plants have developed many ways to lure insects. For example, in some carnivorous plants, the edges of trapping leaves are bright red, while in others, the inner walls of the leaves secrete a sugary substance that attracts insects.

Venus flytrap


The most famous of the carnivorous plants is Dionaea muscipula, but its Russian name is Venus flytrap. According to one version, this plant predator was named after the Roman goddess because its trap leaves are shaped like a female genital organ.

The trap itself is located on a short stem and outwardly resembles an open shell of mollusks. Along the edges of the valves, one row of denticles is located, comparable to long eyelashes... However, all this is only an entourage, the real weapons are glands and trigger hairs. The glands are located along inside eyelash teeth and secrete a sweet-smelling nectar, which is so difficult for insects to pass by. When the victim crawls inside the trap, triggers come into play - they react to touch. The trap does not close immediately, only a few successive touches to the triggers (and there are three of them on each flap) are able to close the trap. Dionea, having received an insect in her trap, begins the process of digestion. The same glands that produced nectar begin to abundantly secrete digestive juice, in which the insect drowns. Usually, it takes several days to digest, after which the valves open again, revealing to the world only the chitinous shell of the victim.

Sundew


Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) is practically the only carnivorous plant growing on the territory of the former Soviet Union... It is found mainly in the northern and central regions of our country. The photo shows that it owes its name to small droplets of sticky liquid that are on the hairs covering the leaves of this plant. These droplets shine in the sun and look very much like dew. It is in them that the digestive enzyme is contained, which allows the sundew to digest insects, and thus receive the necessary nutrition even on scarce peat soils.

It is very interesting to watch how the sundew catches insects. Unlike the Venus flytrap, the sundew does not close its trap. And the point is again in the droplets covering the leaves. They are sticky enough to keep an insect inadvertently seduced by the sweet scent of this plant.

After the insect has adhered, the leaf begins to slowly curl up, surrounding its prey with more and more transparent sticky liquid. After the leaf is completely curtailed, the digestion process begins, which usually takes several days. After the completion of this process, the leaf unfolds and again becomes covered with droplets.

Nepentes


The spectacular and original pitcher belongs to the genus Nepenthes, which includes several dozen plant species of the Nepenthaceae family. Unusual shape this flower immediately attracts attention. Even once you see a photo of a nepentes, you can fall in love with it completely and irrevocably. But its main feature is that nepentes is a predator flower. Its attractive, brightly colored jugs contain a liquid that allows the flower to digest and use as insect food.

Sarracenia


Sarracenia, or North American carnivorous plant, is a genus of carnivorous plants that are found in areas of the east coast of North America, Texas, the Great Lakes, southeastern Canada, but most are found only in the southeastern states.

This plant uses trapping water lily-shaped leaves as a trap. The leaves of the plant have turned into a funnel with a hood-like formation that grows over the hole, preventing rainwater from entering, which can dilute the digestive juices. Insects are attracted by the color, smell and secretions, similar to nectar on the edge of a water lily. The slippery surface and the narcotic lining the nectar encourage insects to fall inward, where they die and are digested by protease and other enzymes.

Darlingtonia

Californian Darlingtonia is the only member of the Darlingtonia genus that grows in northern California and Oregon. It grows in swamps and springs with cold running water and is considered a rare plant.

Darlingtonia leaves are bulbous and form a cavity with an opening under the balloon-like structure and two sharp leaves that hang down like fangs.

Unlike many carnivorous plants, it does not use trapping leaves to trap, but uses a crab claw type trap. Once the insect is inside, they are confused by the specks of light that pass through the plant. They land in thousands of thick, fine hairs that grow inward. Insects can follow the hairs deeper into the digestive organs, but cannot go back.

Genlisei


Genlisea consists of 21 species, usually grows in humid terrestrial and semi-aquatic environments and is common in Africa and Central and South America.

Genlisea is a small herb with yellow flowers that uses a crab pincer trap. It is easy to fall into such traps, but it is impossible to get out of them because of the small hairs that grow towards the entrance or, as in this case, forward in a spiral.

These plants have two different types of leaves: photosynthetic leaves above the ground and special underground leaves that lure, trap, and digest small organisms such as protozoa. The underground leaves also serve as roots, such as water absorption and attachment, since the plant itself does not have them. These underground leaves form hollow tubes that are spiral-shaped. Small microbes enter these tubes through the flow of water, but cannot escape from them. When they get to the exit, they will already be digested.

Pemphigus


Pemphigus (Utricularia) is a genus of carnivorous plants, consisting of 220 species. They are found in fresh water or wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species on all continents except Antarctica.

They are the only carnivorous plants that use the bubble trap. Most species have very small traps in which they can catch very small prey, such as protozoa. Traps range in size from 0.2 mm to 1.2 cm, and larger traps will trap larger prey such as water fleas or tadpoles.

The bubbles are under negative pressure relative to their surroundings. The opening of the trap opens, sucks in the insect and surrounding water, closes the valve, and all this happens in thousandths of a second.

Zhiryanka


Toad (Pinguicula) - belongs to a group of carnivorous plants that use sticky, glandular leaves in order to lure and digest insects. Nutrients from insects supplement mineral-poor soil. There are approximately 80 species of these plants in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The leaves are juicy and usually bright green or pink in color. There are two special types of cells on the upper side of the leaves. One is known as the pedicle gland and is made up of secretory cells at the apex of a single stem cell. These cells produce a slimy secretion that forms visible droplets on the surface of the leaves and acts like a velcro. Other cells are called sessile glands, and they sit on the surface of the leaf, producing enzymes like amylase, protease, and esterase that aid in the digestive process. While many types of birchworms are carnivorous all year round, many types form a dense winter rosette that is not carnivorous. When summer comes, it blooms and has new carnivorous leaves.

Biblis


The Byblis, or rainbow plant, is a small species of carnivorous plant native to Australia. The rainbow plant gets its name from the attractive slime that coats the leaves in the sun. Despite the fact that these plants are similar to sundews, they are in no way related to the latter and differ in zygomorphic flowers with five curved stamens.

Its leaves have a round cross section, and most often they are elongated and conical at the end. The surface of the leaves is completely covered with glandular hairs that secrete a sticky mucous substance that serves as a trap for small insects that perch on the leaves or tentacles of the plant.

Aldrovanda bladder


Aldrovanda Vesiculosa is a magnificent rootless, carnivorous aquatic plant. It usually feeds on small aquatic vertebrates using a trap.

The plant consists mainly of free-floating stems that reach 6-11 cm in length. Trap leaves, 2-3 mm in size, grow in 5-9 curls in the center of the stem. The traps attach to the petioles, which contain air that allows the plant to swim. It is a fast growing plant and can grow up to 4-9 mm per day and in some cases produce a new curl every day. While the plant grows at one end, the other end gradually dies.

The trap of the plant consists of two lobes that slam shut like a trap. The holes of the trap are directed outward and are covered with fine hairs that allow the trap to close around any victim that gets close enough. The trap closes in tens of milliseconds, which is one of the fastest movement in the animal kingdom.

Cephalotus


Cephalotus is the only and unique predator from distant Australia. Despite their tiny size (adult plants usually grow to only 7-10 cm), cephalotuses are incredibly attractive and interesting. The plant perfectly copes with the role of a hunter, in this it is helped by some tricks. Slippery edges of jugs, sharp thorns-growths that prevent insects from getting out of the trap, and special cells devoid of pigment on the lid of the jug, which let light through and create a deceptive impression of "open sky".

And of course, the deadly digestive fluid at the bottom of the trap. Such is the insidious and cunning little cephalotus. However, from the outside, he seems defenseless and requires care and attention. And this is also his little trick.

Heliamphora


Heliamphora is a predatory beauty from South America... Its name comes from the places in which it lives, "a jug of swamps" - this is how "Heliamphora" is translated. Indeed, most of all, the plant looks like bright jugs grown in inconspicuous gray swamps.

The method of hunting heliamphors is simple and straightforward. The predator attracts insects with nectar, which is produced in the so-called nectar spoon located on the hood of the jug, and when the insect sits on the jug, it literally rolls down the smooth slippery walls inward, where digestion takes place. As they say, all ingenious is simple.

This is how you think about it before planting a flower at home.