Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous Plants You Didn’t Know Existed!

 
Not all plants are vegetarian… Despite the irony, there are plants that hunt other living things for their meat! Some are skillful camouflage experts, others use all sorts of dirty tricks and tricks… Get ready! Wear a good pair of boots and take note, as today we’ll be examining forests, rivers and other lands, looking for carnivorous plants you might not have known!
Pineapple eat meat! (Brocchinia reducta)

There is no common name for this carnivorous bromeliad, a plant that belongs to the same family as pineapples, thick-leaved cactus, and Spanish moss. Morning glory is one of the most common plant families in the Americas. His name hasn’t rung yet? Its most famous fruit will do just that: pineapple! Who is part of this family? However, not everything seems… Some species in this family are carnivores, such as Brocchinia reducta. It is native to southern Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, found in nutrient-poor soils. This plant closely resembles a pineapple, with leaves forming a “cup” around the center. Its leaves are covered with scales, which reflect UV rays, and since many insects are attracted to UV rays, this is the perfect solution. The water in the middle of the plant has a sweet smell, which further attracts insects. As if that wasn’t enough, these scales are slippery, causing insects to fall on their glass.

Pineapple eat meat! (Brocchinia reducta)

Capella bursa-pastoris

Sometimes to catch your prey you have to be a master of camouflage… Some flowers have evolved perfectly into this concept, and they may surprise you. Specimens like the Capella bursa-pastoris, otherwise known as the “shepherd’s purse,” are living proof. It can be found in Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, preferring cold climates, as in the British Isles. It is a small plant, with a trunk as long as your forearm. Its nickname “shepherd’s purse” is due to the shape of its fruits, which resembles the shape of a bag. These fruits or seeds secrete a compound known as “mucus”, which is used by many carnivorous plants, and whose purpose is to trap insects. However, it only secretes this fluid during one stage of its life cycle, which is why it is a carnivorous plant.

Toilet plant (Nepenthes lowii)

Toilet plant (Nepenthes lowii)

Some plants have very strange aspects, sometimes it is inevitable to give them a nickname, sometimes very funny. Among the montane forests of Borneo, Nepenthes lowii is one of those unfortunate, though not without reason. This specimen has been called the “sanitary factory”, not least because its appearance is reminiscent of a toilet with a lid on; but also because of the way it feeds… This plant has a jar-shaped pouch that can hold up to 2 liters of water. It also has glands that produce nectar in large quantities. This nectar has quick laxative properties, as well as attracting shrews. These rodents take advantage of foraging in trees, while marking their territory with their droppings … falling into the tree’s jars, and in this way they seek to forage. In an area where mosquitoes are scarce, this plant has managed to survive, though not in the most hygienic way…

 Toilet plant (Nepenthes lowii)

Plants also go to war (Phragntic australis) Sheep devoured by… Plants! ?? !! (Rubus fruticosus) Plants have a life of their own! (Drosera stenopetala) Alien plants ?? (Hydnora africana) Insect soup (Pinguicula gigantea).

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