When I was a kid, I had a Venus flytrap that
lived all of about a week. I couldn't figure out why it hadn't eaten the
morsel of raw hamburger I'd put in its "mouth," and it died of
starvation shortly after the beef grew white fuzzies on it. Turns out I
hadn't triggered the hairs inside the plant's jaws that cause them to
close and its digestive system to start producing the enzymes that break
down food.
In a recent research paper noticed by the BBC, scientists from the University of Würzburg discovered that the amount of times those follicles are triggered corresponds to what the carnivorous plant's guts do, in addition to how it absorbs nutrients from captured-and-digested prey.
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| Venus flytraps are far from 'dumb' |
In a recent research paper noticed by the BBC, scientists from the University of Würzburg discovered that the amount of times those follicles are triggered corresponds to what the carnivorous plant's guts do, in addition to how it absorbs nutrients from captured-and-digested prey.
Essentially, this ensures the plant only produces the amount of enzymes it needs on a per-meal basis, and prevents wasted production resulting from, say, a flower petal or some other non-food item grazing its maw. More than that, the production of a sodium channel that the plant uses to absorb said nutrient from its food gradually increases during this process as well.
It's a complex response that goes pretty deep into the plant -- not just a reflexive one. You could even call it smart. Cool. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going try adding a Venus flytrap to my current menagerie of houseplants.
