Plant-hunters

It turns out that there are predators among the plants that prey continuously. They know how to watch for, lure, and then mercilessly kill their prey. They are called plant-hunters. On the globe there are about 500 species of carnivorous plants-hunters. First on the list can be called sundew. This is a small plant that grows in the swamps, with leaves, covered with small villi filled with sticky liquid. Under the action of sunlight they shine like dew. When an insect touches at least one villi, then it triggers a natural trap. The victim gets stuck in a sticky mucus, adjacent villi grab her legs and drowned in the sticky substance. This adhesive not only sticks together, it acts as an anesthetic. Dead insects falling from the edge of the plant leaf in the middle of it. Plant leaves compressed into something similar to the stomach. When the plants leaf opens in a few days, you can see only the insect chitin cover. The surface of the plant leaf is dry for a while. When the plant becomes "hungry", the plant leaf is covered with a sticky dew again and waits for a new victim.

They know how to watch for, lure, and then mercilessly kill their prey. They are called plant-hunters

On the globe, there are about a hundred species sundew. It should be noted that tropical plant-hunters are much larger than their northern neighbors. For example, in Australia, a giant sundew grows. Its stem reaches 60-100 cm. King sundew grows in South Africa. She can swallow snails and frogs. The biggest sundew called byblis gigantea. This plant-hunter grows in Australia and hunts for snails, frogs and mice.

Similar plant hunters found in different parts of the globe. For example, you may notice a small plant with long, narrow leaves in Portugal and North Africa. It grows on the slopes of the sand hills and called drosophyllum. Its narrow leaves are covered with highly viscous mucus that stands out, like sundew, from the villi. He lures his victims with the help of the honey smell. To combat the pesky flies portuguese peasants suspended drosophyllum bushes in their homes.

Interesting plant-hunters can be found in the tropical forests of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and India. They are called nepenthes. They grow on tall trees. The leaves of these plants are very long, thick and wide. Along the edges on strong "mustache" hang big "pots" (30 cm height, 10-12 cm in width). Above each "pot" dangles the tip of the leaf - a kind of cover. They lure insects with bright colors and the scent of honey and are cunning trap for them. When an insect sits on the edge of the sweet "pot", it slides down on a smooth surface, covered with a waxy bloom. And there, at the bottom of the "pot", it is waiting for digestive juice...

This plant is called the Venus flytrap

The most elegant plant-hunter grows in the marshes of North America. In the spring it is covered with bouquets of delicate white flowers on long stems. This plant is called the Venus flytrap. The leaves of this plant are decorated like rubies. When an insect sits on a "ruby", the natural reaction is triggered immediately. Plant leaf shrinks and "ruby" secretes a fluid that digests the prey.

Features of plant-hunters used by man for a long time. Residents of the islands of Malaysia drink sour liquid from the "pitchers" plant hunters in the case of indigestion...

Why do plant-hunters eat animal food? They do this because of the lack of nitrogen. Plants can not absorb solar radiation without nitrogen. They can not form protein and chlorophyll. As a result, the leaves turn yellow development ceases fruitfulness deteriorates. Therefore, they are forced to become predators on poor soils.

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