Well, it’s not funny. It’s a reality of life. Believe it or not, there are meat-eating plants found in nature. Some flowering plants have evolved a method of capturing and digesting insects as a source of nitrogen.
You must be thinking, “Why would these plants need an additional supply of nitrogen, especially when they live in organically rich bogs?”
Well, it’s entirely possible that the pH of water and soil, where they grow, is too acidic for nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia from protein decay into nitrite and nitrate ions. As a result, nitrification can’t take place. Thus, in the absence of nitrification process, there’s a shortage of nitrite and nitrate ions. So, to obtain supplemental supply of nitrogen, carnivorous plants have evolved a mechanism. They use the sneakiest of tricks to trap their insect dinners.
Generally, you’re excited about seeing zoos and animals. But once you start looking at plants, you’ll find equal excitement, too. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some the unique plants. Yes, they are meat-eating plants. Just look at all they do in their fight for survival.
Pitcher plants
Pitcher plants feed on insects that slide into their pitcher-shaped leaf structures and get stuck. Each “pitcher” has a thickened rim and a lid at the apex. The lid serves as a barrier to prevent its prey from climbing out of the pitcher, and the hapless victim ultimately drowns in a pool of digestive enzymes at the bottom of the pitcher. Some pitcher plants also trap frogs and small rodents. Would you believe that when the frogs are digested, all that remains are the skin on frogs’ feet, which, resists digestion? These look like small matching frog slippers.
Sundews
As you can see in the picture, the elongated leaf of a sundew plant is covered with dense, gland-tipped hairs. These hairs are very sticky, and with its help, the plant traps insects. Tiny midge flies get stuck to the sticky hairs. These flies are slowly and enzymatically digested and absorbed by the plant.
Venus’ Fly Trap
Imagine a cricket crawling towards the leaves of a Venus flytrap. What do you think will happen? Well, the plant shuts tight, trapping the insect. The fly is imprisoned within a jail of interlocking hairs along the leaf margin. The fly trapped between the folded halves of the Venus’ fly’s trap leaf blade is gradually digested by digestive enzymes from glands on the leaf surface that break down the proteins of the imprisoned victim. Thus the plant gets its supplemental source of nitrogen.
Bladderworts
Would you believe that the Bladderwort is the only carnivorous plant with a true “trapdoor”? Well, yes, the airtight door is hinged to allow easy entry; but like a door, it can’t be forced open from inside. Special trigger hairs near the lower free edge of the door cause it to open. When a minute aquatic organism touches one of these extremely sensitive hairs, it acts as a lever, multiplying the force of impact and distorts the door. This breaks the watertight seal, and since the bladder contains a partial vacuum, the victim is sucked in.
So, the next time you look at a plant, don’t think of it as a helpless being. Go ahead and look around to see how it protects itself. I’m sure you’re going to have lots of fun doing that.
Pokharel is an educationist, consultant and author of several children’s books.
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