Green plants on our planet feed on photosynthesis, that is, sunlight, carbon dioxide and water. But there are those who are not averse to diversifying the diet with "live food" - these are the so-called carnivorous or insectivorous plants.
As the name suggests, insectivorous plants, in addition to the usual photosynthesis, feed on insects, sometimes even frogs and lizards. They are represented by more than 600 species belonging to 19 families.
Carnivorous plants grow, as a rule, on acidic soils poor in minerals, and they replenish the lack of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus from animal feed.
Carnivorous plants can be divided into two large groups according to the type of trapping devices - active and passive. Passive ones secrete sticky substances that hold insects, or have cavities - jugs, bubbles, once in which the prey cannot get out and is digested.
Active plants move to catch and hold food. In their arsenal are traps in the form of traps or crab claws, slamming jugs, rolling sticky leaves.
Insectivorous plants, despite their exoticism, are widespread practically all over the world, from temperate latitudes to equatorial ones - only in the CIS there are 18 species of them.
Sundew
The sundews live mostly in Australia, but their representatives are found in the wetlands of the temperate zone. Sundew leaves are covered with fine hairs, at the end of each there is a drop of sticky secretion, similar to dew. When an insect, attracted by a scent, sticks to the droplet, the leaf of the plant curls up around the prey and digests it.
The famous naturalist Charles Darwin made a great contribution to the study of carnivorous plants. In 1875 he published the book "Insectivorous Plants", where he summarized the results of fifteen years of research.
Venus flytrap
The Venus flytrap is distinguished by an interesting trapping device - two valves with long hairs along the edge slam shut like a trap when the insect lands between them. Digestion of prey takes about ten days. The flycatcher is able to distinguish small foreign objects from living creatures, and only works on the latter.
Venus flytrap can be kept in the house, subject to the necessary conditions - good lighting and humidity, soil composition and, of course, live food. But please do not overfeed the plant - this can lead to its death.
Nepentis
Nepentises are otherwise called pitchers because of their trapping devices. At the ends of the leaves of these long vines, reaching 20 meters, there are bright jugs. Insects attracted by the smell, crawling along the edge, often fall to the bottom of the jug and, unable to get out on the slippery surface, are digested.
