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The Venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula) is surely one of the world's most unusual-looking plants. People grow it not because of what it looks like but because of what it does: It eats flies.1 This fact makes it one of the most fun plants to grow, especially for children, who may watch it for hours as it "dines."
The "trap" of a Venus fly trap is actually a modified leaf. A plant can have as many as eight of them arising from flat stems (technically part of the leaf) around a basal rosette. Venus fly trap is not the only example of a plant with a modified leaf. Another example is the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea).
This leaf/trap consists of two lip-like lobes united by a hinge. Nectar within the trap is the bait that draws an insect in to its death. Once inside, if the insect makes contact with one of the trigger hairs, the trap is sprung: It closes, shutting up the prey inside. The insect is digested via enzymes within 4 to 10 days.1 After digestion, the "jaws" reopen.
The "trap" of a Venus fly trap is actually a modified leaf. A plant can have as many as eight of them arising from flat stems (technically part of the leaf) around a basal rosette. Venus fly trap is not the only example of a plant with a modified leaf. Another example is the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea).
This leaf/trap consists of two lip-like lobes united by a hinge. Nectar within the trap is the bait that draws an insect in to its death. Once inside, if the insect makes contact with one of the trigger hairs, the trap is sprung: It closes, shutting up the prey inside. The insect is digested via enzymes within 4 to 10 days.1 After digestion, the "jaws" reopen.