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Spooky Plants for Halloween |
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Carnivorous
plants more actively involved in the kill have the most
fascinating characteristics. For example, the hinged leaves
of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) snap closed
in less than a second after an insect brushes against
hairs on them. The hair movement triggers chemical-electrical
signals that cause one surface of the leaf to grow rapidly,
quickly changing the curvature of the leaves so that they
slam together to trap the insect inside.
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| Another
group of active killers are several species of |
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One
of the most well-known carnivorous plants, the Venus flytrap
(Dionaea muscipula). |
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bladderwort
(Utricularia),
which are mostly found in water or waterlogged areas. Given
their name, it's not surprising to learn that they have a bladder
or vessel as part of their makeup. The plants can pump out the
water from their bladders, creating a low-pressure area inside.
Lunch, in the form of an aquatic organism, arrives at the door
of the bladder, triggers it to open (scientists are not sure
how) and the water rushes in, bringing the prey along with it.
The door closes and digestive juices released into the bladder
finish off the job.
While carnivorous plants generate the most attention in the
weird-plant universe, second place probably goes to super-stinky
plants. Just as your dog may be attracted by the odor of rotting
things found during your daily walk, so too are certain pollinators
attracted to plants whose perfumes are offensive to humans.
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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