Venus flytrap origins uncovered

bbc ^

[JoeProBono]

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, say 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 animal, it moves fast and eats fresh meat Botanist Don Waller 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 leaves to trap any hapless creature that crosses them. The Venus flytrap closes around an insect in just 0.3s or faster, while the waterwheel use thin translucent traps to snare copepods and other aquatic invertebrates.

[SunkenCiv]

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