How bladderwort and Drosera catch their victims - from a South African perspective

How bladderwort and Drosera catch their victims - from a South African perspective

bladderwort

Early in summer, pretty little clusters of golden yellow flowers, about an inch in diameter, float on the water of ponds and ditches. This is the bladderwort or Utricularia, a plant that keeps most of its body under water and looks very innocent. However, under its leaves, Utricularia has many small bubbles that turn into deadly traps if a careless insect gets too close.

These bladders have a small opening surrounded by short hairs. When an insect explores the opening, the plant swallows the insect and closes the opening with a special lid. The plant then digests the captured animal through millions of microscopic tubes in its tissue.

The plant grows all over the world, both on land and water, but the majority of species are found in tropical regions and only about four are found in Europe.

Drosera

Droseros is the Greek word for "moist" and the first thing you notice about the Drosera or sundew plant is the sticky stem covered in soft, downy hair and dotted with sparkling little bubbles that look like drops of dew. When insects see these “dewdrops,” they land on the plant to get a drink. Once they touch the stem, the insects get stuck and the plants' downy hairs curl around them like tentacles. The Drosera produces a fluid that the insect breaks down into food, which the plant then consumes.

The Drosera is therefore a carnivorous plant. It grows wild in humid places in Europe and North America and is about 20 cm tall. A variety found in Australia and South Africa reaches a height of one meter