VENUS FLYTRAP

Unlike most plants, Venus flytraps are carnivorous, which means they eat meat.
Charles Darwin wrote in his 1875 publication, "Insectivorous Plants," that the Venus flytrap
is "one of the most wonderful [plants] in the world." There's no doubt that this opinion was
formed after watching the jaws of this plant snap around an insect, capturing it for a meal.
Venus flytraps grow to around 5 inches (13 centimeters) in diameter. Each plant
usually has about six stems with hinged leaves. The edges of the leaves are lined with "teeth,"
and the leaves fit together like a clamshell. When the leaves snap shut, they form a trap. An
individual trap grows to around 1 inch (3 cm), according to The International Carnivorous
Plant Society.
Venus flytraps are native to North Carolina and South Carolina, but they have been
introduced to other states, including Florida and New Jersey. They like the moist, acidic soil
found in the understories of forests, according to the National Wildlife Federation. They also
need high humidity and a lot of sunlight to flourish.
The most interesting thing about this plant is how it eats. Flytraps lure insects by the
reddish lining in the leaves and by secreting a fragrant nectar. When bugs land in the jaws of
the flytrap, it doesn't clamp down right away. Sensory hairs, called trichomes, on the inside of
the petals essentially count the movements from the insect. There must be at least two
movements in 20 seconds or the petals won't close. This prevents it from trapping debris or
other items that wouldn't make a good meal.
 On the second movement, the plant closes its jaws in under a second by snapping
from a convex shape to concave shape. The bristles on the edges of the leaves work like jail
bars to prevent the insect from making an escape. [Related: Deadly Math: Venus Flytraps
Calculate When Killing Prey] On the third movement, it starts to digest the insect. Digestive
juices are introduced to the mouth area and they break down the insect. After five to 12 days,
the plant will reopen and the parts of the bug that couldn't be digested fall out. The Venus
flytrap's primary prey is ants, but it will also eat flies, beetles, slugs, spiders and even tiny
frogs. Flytraps don't just eat bugs for nutrition, though. Like other plants, they also need
water, gases and sunlight. Insects simply supplement their diet, according to the Botanical
Society of America.
Venus flytraps reproduce like many other plants. When their flowers are pollinated,
they create seeds. The seed mature after four to six weeks and become black and pear-shaped.
These seeds are then spread and grow into new plants. These flytraps can also reproduce
asexually. The roots of the Venus flytrap will extend in the soil and create a bulb root. The
new flytrap will grow from the bulb. A gardener can then separate the new plant and bulb
from the parent plant by cutting the connecting roots.
Kingdom : Plantae
Subkingdom : Viridiplantae
Infrakingdom : Streptophyta
Superdivision : Embryophyta
Division : Tracheophyta
Subdivision : Spermatophytina
Class : Magnoliopsida
Superorder : Caryophyllanae
Order : Caryophyllales
Family : Droseraceae
Genus : Dionaea
Species : Dionaea muscipula
The Venus flytrap is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. These plants are vulnerable from over-harvesting
and habitat destruction. Another problem for flytraps is proper soil. Forest fires are
sometimes beneficial to the understory of a forest. It can clear brush and allow more sunlight
through to the understory. Since forest fires are often contained and put out by humans, the
trees and brush become overgrown and the Venus flytraps don't get the light they need.
There's something unsettling about the idea of meat-eating plants, as this trapped Pacific tree
frog can attest. Venus flytraps are one of the few plants that can move rapidly enough to
capture bugs (and sometimes small mammals) for digestion. There's something unsettling
about the idea of meat-eating plants, as this trapped Pacific tree frog can attest. Venus
flytraps are one of the few plants that can move rapidly enough to capture bugs (and
sometimes small mammals) for digestion.
When the flytrap's "mouth" is closed, it is sealed air tight. That helps keep out
bacteria. These are perennial plants, which means they bloom year after year. Their flowers
are white with green veins running from the base of the petal toward the edges, according to
the National Wildlife Federation. It is estimated that Venus flytraps can live up to 20 years or
longer, according to the National Wildlife Federation.