Trees

The venus's Fly Trap

 

The venus's fly trap is a unique plant. It belongs to a group of plants called 'carnivorous plants'. These plants feed on insects. The venus's fly trap has a special mechanism by which it traps its prey.

This is how the venus's fly trap works:

At the end of each leaf- which grows from from the base of a long, flowering stalk- there is a trap.The trap is made up of two lobes and is covered  with short, reddish hairs whice are sensitive. There are tooth like structures around the edge of the lobes. The traip contains nectar which attracts insects. When an insect comes in contact with the nectar, the trap snaps shut. There are certain digestive juices inside the 'trap which digest the insects'. It takes about ten days for a trapped to be degested. We can tell when this digestion is complete, for then the walls automatically open to wait for another victim.

There are about two hundred species of carnivorous plants. Another kind of these well-known species is the pithcer plant. What differents this plant from the venus's fly trap is the shape, the mecanism to catch, insects is the same in both plants. The pithcer plants are climbing plants which cling to other plants by means of tendrils. At one end of the tendril, there is a pitcher- shaped vessel with an open lid. The mouth and the lid of the pitcher contain glands whice produce nectar to attract in sects. When an insect settles on the nectar, the lid of the pitcher shuts, trapping its victim. The digestive juices inside the pitcher then begin to work