Carnivorous Plants Alexa Singleton & Sarah Opliger

Attributes � Adaptations to capture � Digestion techniques � Benefit from absorption

What Are They? � Caryophyllales � Ericales � Lamiales

What Are They? � 600 species

Habitat � Wet soils � Found around the US � Found globally

Structure/Evolution � Tubed leaves � Dewy tentacles � Rootless � Lids

Adaptations � Nitrates � Sucrose levels � Coloring

Diet �  Insects � Small aquatic crustacean � Rodents

Being Carnivorous � Pro

�  Low competition

� Con �  Energy costs

Predation Tactics � Vacuuming trap doors � Attractive tentacles � Pitted traps with fluid

YOUR TURN

Questions 1.  What type of soils do carnivorous plants

live in? 2.  What do they eat? 3.  What is a con for being a carnivorous

plant? 4.  What is 1 predation tactic?

Digestion � Leaf Surface � Sealed Trap � Pit of Stomach � Water pool � Commensal Organism

Life Cycle

Reproduction � Asexually � Sexually

Uniqueness � Aldrovanda Vesiculose

�  “Waterwheel plant” �  Rootless �  Fast growing plant �  Fastest examples of plant movement

Uniqueness � Utricularia

�  “Bladderworts” �  Larger traps �  Small trigger hairs

Uniqueness � Genlisea

�  Corkscrew plant �  Small herbs �  Specialized underground leaves

Uniqueness � Darlingtonia Californica

�  Cobra Lilly �  Lobster pot traps �  Thousands of fine dense hairs

Medical Purposes � Drosera juice � Drosera Rotundifolia � Sarapin

Extinction � Draining wet lands � Pollution � Overexploitation

Your Turn

Questions 1.  How do carnivorous plants digest their

food? 2.  Do they reproduce sexually, asexually, or

both? 3.  One reason carnivorous plants are

becoming extinct? 4.  What is one medical purpose?