Droseraceae is a family of carnivorous flowering plants, also known as the sundew family. It consists of approximately 180 species in three extant genera. Representatives of the Droseraceae are found on all continents except Antarctica.
The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. It catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves, which is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces.
The genus Heliamphora contains 23 species of pitcher plants endemic to South America. The species are collectively known as sun pitchers, based on the mistaken notion that the heli of Heliamphora is from the Greek helios, meaning "sun". In fact, the name derives from helos, meaning marsh, so a more accurate translation of their scientific name would be marsh pitcher plants. Species in the genus Heliamphora are carnivorous plants that consist of a modified leaf form that is fused into a tubular shape. They have evolved mechanisms to attract, trap, and kill insects; and control the amount of water in the pitcher. At least one species produces its own proteolytic enzymes that allows it to digest its prey without the help of symbiotic bacteria.
Aldrovanda vesiculosa, commonly known as the waterwheel plant, is the sole extant species in the flowering plant genus Aldrovanda of the family Droseraceae. The plant captures small aquatic invertebrates using traps similar to those of the Venus flytrap. The traps are arranged in whorls around a central, free-floating stem, giving rise to the common name. This is one of the few plant species capable of rapid movement.
Drosera regia, commonly known as the king sundew, is a carnivorous plant in the sundew genus Drosera that is endemic to a single valley in South Africa. The genus name Drosera comes from the Greek word droseros, meaning "dew-covered". The specific epithet regia is derived from the Latin for "royal", a reference to the "striking appearance" of the species. Individual leaves can reach 70 cm (28 in) in length. It has many unusual relict characteristics not found in most other Drosera species, including woody rhizomes, operculate pollen, and the lack of circinate vernation in scape growth. All of these factors, combined with molecular data from phylogenetic analysis, contribute to the evidence that D. regia possesses some of the most ancient characteristics within the genus. Some of these are shared with the related Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), which suggests a close evolutionary relationship.
Adrian Slack was a landscape gardener, plantsman, author and authority on carnivorous plants. He won 5 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, and authored two books: Carnivorous Plants and Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them.
Pyrophytes are plants which have adapted to tolerate fire.
Aldrovanda is a genus of carnivorous plants encompassing one extant species and numerous extinct taxa. The genus is named in honor of the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi, the founder of the Botanical Garden of Bologna, Orto Botanico dell'Università di Bologna. Aldrovanda vesiculosa has been reported from scattered locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Thigmonasty or seismonasty is the nastic response of a plant or fungus to touch or vibration. Conspicuous examples of thigmonasty include many species in the leguminous subfamily Mimosoideae, active carnivorous plants such as Dionaea and a wide range of pollination mechanisms.
The Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), the largest such organization in the world. It is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.
A protocarnivorous plant, according to some definitions, traps and kills insects or other animals but lacks the ability to either directly digest or absorb nutrients from its prey like a carnivorous plant. The morphological adaptations such as sticky trichomes or pitfall traps of protocarnivorous plants parallel the trap structures of confirmed carnivorous plants.
Dionaea muscipula 'Bohemian Garnet' is a cultivar of Dionaea muscipula, the Venus flytrap. It is an F2 cross between Dionaea 'Royal Red' and Dionaea 'Sawtooth' that was published in the September 2007 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. In the description of this cultivar, Miroslav Srba noted that it maintains the red coloration of the 'Royal Red' cultivar and most morphological characteristics of 'Sawtooth'. Srba also detailed the smaller size at just 4-6 cm across and the production of many offshoots as novel characteristics that warrant cultivar status. The cultivar name was coined by Srba to honor the country of origin, the Czech Republic (Bohemia), and can be written as Dionaea 'Český Granát'.
Utricularia calycifida is a small to medium-sized terrestrial perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. calycifida is endemic to northern South America and can be found in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants still generate some of their energy from photosynthesis. Carnivorous plants have adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic bogs. They can be found on all continents except Antarctica, as well as many Pacific islands. In 1875 Charles Darwin published Insectivorous Plants, the first treatise to recognize the significance of carnivory in plants, describing years of painstaking research.
Dionaea muscipula 'Wacky Traps' is a cultivar of Dionaea muscipula, the Venus flytrap. Dionaea muscipula 'Wacky Traps' was a clone produced by Cresco Nursery in the Netherlands through tissue culture. This particular clone was discovered in a tray of a bunch of mutants by Mike Ross. It has also been called "Bart Simpson," coined by Ed Read, because of the resemblance of the plant to the animated character's spiky hair. The plant is an extremely slow grower. It has abnormally thick traps and petioles, which are probably the reason why 'Wacky Traps' has trouble closing its traps quickly. It takes several minutes trap closure even with repeated teasing of the trigger hairs.
Drosera falconeri is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera. It is endemic to the Northern Territory of Australia.
Dionaea muscipula 'Sawtooth' is a cultivar of Dionaea muscipula, the Venus flytrap that has deeply divided "teeth". It was formally described and registered as a cultivar in 2000.
Das Taublatt is a triannual German-language periodical based in Bochum and the official publication of Gesellschaft für fleischfressende Pflanzen im deutschsprachigen Raum, a carnivorous plant society based in Germany. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, and new taxon descriptions. The journal was established in 1984. It publishes in full colour on glossy paper, with each issue numbering around 52 pages.
The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants is a carnivorous plant cultivation guide by Peter D'Amato, horticulturist and owner of California Carnivores nursery. It was originally published in 1998 by Ten Speed Press, and reprinted in 2004. A revised edition was released in July 2013.
Plant arithmetic is a form of plant cognition whereby plants appear to perform arithmetic operations – a form of number sense in plants.
