Sure, plants can be cute. With a little potted plant growing in your desk, you can make your place a little livelier and eco-friendly as well! Some even give them as a gift to house blessings and to patients in the hospital. So, they can be cute and sweet. But then, nature has its way of turning these innocent potted plants into one of the most scariest plants in the world. And they are not only scary through their looks but also their diet, because these plants are meat-eating! Yes, carnivorous plants, which can even consume an animal as large as a rat, are plenty in the tropical forest. Some of these plants even look too cute to be as deadly, but they are. So, get to know these amazing plants in this list of Top 10 Scariest Carnivorous Plants!
1. Venus flytrap
A vibrantly coloured plant, Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most famous carnivorous plants in the world. A stem of it grows with as much as 7 leaves that feed on insects and arachnids. The leaves are split in halves and are surrounded by sharp blades. Around the middle, the red pigmented inner area are composed of thousands of sensory hairs that signals if a prey lands on it. By then, it quickly snaps shut [see top image] and its edges secrete mucus until the prey is digested and absorbed. [More here and here] [Video]
2. Drosera
Drosera, or most commonly known as sundew, is one of the largest families of carnivorous plants, accounting to almost 194 species. It got its name from the dew covering its tentacles, which attracts possible preys such as insects flying around. Once these insects land on the glands, they will be trapped by the sticky mucus on the glands and the plant will continue secreting enzymes to dissolve the insect. The glands also often bent in, rolling the prey to as many glands as possible, hastening the process of digestion. [More] [Drosera World website] [Video]
3. Cephalotus
Cephalotus is a carnivorous plant from Australia. It is also known as the Australian Pitcher plant. This plant works its way by attracting the prey, and once it lands on it, it will fall on its pitcher-shaped lobe, which is considered as its stomach. Inside, it will digest its prey through secretion of enzymes and mucilage. The opening rim of the plant is also constricted by a collar to ensure that the prey will not be able to escape. [More here and here] [Video]
4. Butterworts
An innocently looking plant, Butterworts (Pinguicula) is one of the most deadliest carnivorous plants in the world. Its genera is composed of at least 80 species, scattered along North and South America, Europe, and Asia. This plant is composed of sticky, glandular leaves that traps insects attracted by its beautiful flowers. Once trapped, it will digest the insects by secreting enzymes from the glands scattered all over its leaves. This plant is like a living flytrap! [More] [Pinguicula website] [Video 1] [Video 2]
5. Cobra Lily
The Cobra Lily (Darlingtonia californica), also known as the Cobra Plant or the California pitcher plant, is usually found in streams of fresh water. Unlike pitcher plants that stores water inside their lobes to drown their prey, cobra lilies seep up the water from the soil to their tubular body. It works by luring an insect inside its big porous head and traps it inside by secreting mucilage. It further prevents escape through its downward-pointing hairs. When the prey gets tired of struggling, it will fall into a pit of water to drown. [More] [Video]
6. Mouse-eating pitcher plant
Found mostly in Asian countries like India, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Borneo, and Sumatra, this pitcher plant (Nepenthes attenboroughii) stores up a half-full jug amount of water to drown their preys. The jig-like lobe has a size of 10-15 meters, which can consume mice, spiders, and large rats. After digesting the prey in this lobe, the nutrients are distributed throughout the narrow tube below it, by thousands of glands. There are also smaller species of this plant that can only digest small insects. [More here and here] [Video]
7. Bladderworts
The unique characteristic of bladderworts (Utricularia) is that, as compared to other carnivorous plants which attracts its prey lurking above it, bladderworts strike from below. Its roots has small, transparent lobes which attracts small insects swimming around its roots. Once the sensory hairs around the trapdoor are stimulated, it sucks in the insect and the water, trapping it inside. In a matter of seconds, the trapped insect will be digested and consumed. This plant is usually found in fresh waters in almost all countries in the world. [More] [Video]
8. Waterwheel plant
Another carnivorous plant found in the water is the waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa). And similar to a venus flytrap, it also snaps shut and traps in insects into its leaves - just under water! It got its name from its wheel-like arrangement and each wheel contains up to eight leaves. Each leaf contains sensory glands that, when triggered, signals the leaves to shut tight and trapping the prey. If there is not prey trapped in there, it reopens after approximately 10-20 hours. [More] [Video]
9. Rainbow plant
A vibrant flower, the rainbow plant (Byblis) traps its preys by using the sticky glands surrounding its petals. The bright colour of the flower attracts insects and once they land on its petals, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for them to escape the adhesive trap. Although they are not digested, like pitcher plants, the trapped insects stare to death. This is a fine example of a beautiful yet deadly plant! [More]
10. North American pitcher plant
Although this is a specie of a pitcher plant, the North American Pitcher plant (Sarracenia) does not have a jug-like body but a funnel-like tube instead. It attracts its prey through its bright pigmented top and by secreting mucilage that attracts flying insects. Around the rim of the plant are slippery footings that causes the fall of the prey inside the tube, and digesting enzymes will dissolve the prey. The hood-like cover over the plant is used to prevent rainwater from diluting the enzymes inside the tube. [More] [Video]
Top image: Animation showing a Venus Flytrap closing after one of the trigger hairs is stimulated. Total time: 27 seconds. Image credit: Mnolf/Wikimedia Commons.
Related Posts:
1. 10 Pieces of Evidence That Plants Are Smarter Than You Think
2. 15 Amazing Survivalist Plant Species
3. 20 Remarkable Solitary Desert Plants Surviving Against The Odds
1. 10 Pieces of Evidence That Plants Are Smarter Than You Think
2. 15 Amazing Survivalist Plant Species
3. 20 Remarkable Solitary Desert Plants Surviving Against The Odds
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please adhere to proper blog etiquette when posting your comments. This blog owner will exercise his absolution discretion in allowing or rejecting any comments that are deemed seditious, defamatory, libelous, racist, vulgar, insulting, and other remarks that exhibit similar characteristics. If you insist on using anonymous comments, please write your name or other IDs at the end of your message.