Nature's Marvels - the Venus Flytrap
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340019)
Rockingham, Australia
April 6, 2016 7:30pm CST
Someone yesterday wrote about the Venus flytrap wanting to know the ins and outs of the plant. I was on my way to bed but said I'd comment in detail when I got up. Now I can't remember the member's name nor can I find the reference so here is a discussion all about it.
Firstly I thought we had them in our bush areas but our insectivorous plant is called a sundew and is slightly different. The Venus flytrap has the taxonomic name of Dionaea muscipula and is native to North and South Carolina subtropical wetlands.
The end portion of each leaf is a 'trap'. Tiny hairs on the inner surfaces are triggered when something crawls inside. What is interesting is that the trap won't close unless a second hair is brushed within twenty seconds of the first one. This prevents the plant wasting energy by trapping things which have no nutritional value.
The photo is from Wikimedia Commons and was taken by tato grasso (Own work (personal work)) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)]
29 people like this
33 responses
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
7 Apr 16
I used to live in Winston-Salem for quite a few years, but moved back to Virginia. My oldest son still lives in Winston and I will be going down there to visit him in JUNE. I usually stay for a week.
4 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
7 Apr 16
@JudyEv I'll need to see if Joanne has one to show me next time I'm visiting her.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
@Morleyhunt Quite possibly she has. Others in the area seem to know about them.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
7 Apr 16
I remember quite a long time ago, my first husband bought a venus fly trap. He loved trapping flies and feeding them to the plant. Don't recall what happened to the plant. Probably ended up giving it to one of our plant loving friends.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
8 Apr 16
@JudyEv he was a nutball. LOL.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
7 Apr 16
I have always found it interesting that a plant eats meat!! Very strange.
4 people like this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
7 Apr 16
That's really scary if it's a huge one and mistakenly think a person as an insect.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
7 Apr 16
Such a cool plant.
I have seen one in person.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
7 Apr 16
@JudyEv Yes I did not get near it though.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
There seems no end to all the fascinating plants and animals in the world.
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
7 Apr 16
Yes, I'm very familiar with the Venus Fly Trap, having lived in North Carolina for several years.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
That's nice. It seems not a lot of people have seen them first-hand.
@Castlerock34 (2259)
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
7 Apr 16
This is a very cool plant and I have always been intrigued by it. Plus it looks like it can kick some butt :-)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Apr 16
I don't think the 'prickles' are sharp but they interlap and hold the bug in position.
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
7 Apr 16
Thank You! I read your comment and found out you did the post. And no worries about forgetting me. You shared the facts which I have asked. Here or there doesn't really matters.
That 20 seconds bit was interesting to know. When I did the post, of course I did my iwn research. But no where I found this fact. So, thank you again!
2 people like this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
7 Apr 16
@JudyEv You gave the post the most suitable title. They truly are marvels of nature!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
7 Apr 16
They have something very similar in the jungle in Panama, but without the hairs. But if you touch them, they close up. It was pretty cool.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
It's strange isn't it? All the stuff going on that makes the leaves close up when they're touched.
@kaka135 (14931)
• Malaysia
7 Apr 16
It's interesting to know that, especially when you mentioned the trap will only close when the second hair is brushed within 20 seconds. I have not seen Venus flytrap before.
We have another plant which is similar here. I just found out it's called Nepenthes or tropical pitcher plants. I never knew the English name of it. Thanks for sharing this and letting me find this out.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
It seems there are a few different insectivorous plants around.
@CookieMonster46 (13454)
• United States
7 Apr 16
When I was a kid those venus fly traps were popular, we had several, I used to love watching them trap flys. I haven't seen one in years.
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13454)
• United States
13 Apr 16
@JudyEv , I found some on amazon, I need one of these plants
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Apr 16
@CookieMonster46 So are you going to try to buy one?
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
7 Apr 16
thanks fer the info :) don't it drive ya a bit nuts when ya can't find such? i know i've smacked myself 'round fer not jottin' down the link to some folks discussions when i've more to add to the conversation.
used to've a couple'f venus fly traps here when the young'uns were growin' - the eldest son was most fascinated by 'em. can't recall why they perished??
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
7 Apr 16
@JudyEv yes ma'am, he was most fascinated with 'em 'n felt that only he knew their favorites foods, lol.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx How cute is that? And who are we to say that he wasn't right?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 16
Just another one of Mother Nature's marvels I guess.
