Carnivorous plants have long been considered a miracle of nature. These living organisms catch insects, arthropods. How do they eat them? Thanks to the release of digestive juice, the victim dissolves, and the plant receives a large amount of nutrients necessary for life.
Now about 600 species of predatory representatives of the flora are known. These killer plants have special adaptations that make it easier for them to find prey. They help them attract and hold insects. What unites them? The first common feature is the poverty of the soils on which they grow. The second is the brightness of the color. It attracts insects. In the latter, because of the different shades, there is an association with the presence of nectar.
The article presents the 10 most dangerous killer plants that live with us on the same planet.
Rosyanka
This plant grows in various climatic zones. Sundew is considered a hunter. Her victims are insignificant for humanity, the process of hunting itself is silent enough not to notice her at all.
The leaves of this plant look very unusual. They are a bit like a plate. Her topcovered with hairs, on the tips of which there is a sticky mass. It is she who attracts a potential victim. Insects think that there is dew on the tips. This drop makes it impossible for victims to get out and stay alive. Killer plants of this species are popular all over the world.
Sundew leaves are quite sensitive, so a little touch is enough to make the hairs move. They stick around the victim well, placing it in the middle of the leaf, where the digestive process begins. If you see sundew while eating, you will notice that it looks a bit like a small ventricle.
Venus flytrap
Venus are killer plants that belong to the sundew genus. Adults are able to catch and eat flies, mosquitoes, and other similar insects. The size of the leaves of this plant is small - within 4-7 cm.
The trap of an individual consists of two halves at once, which are a bit like mollusks. On their edges are teeth. Along the rim are special glands that help attract victims. They produce nectar with a pleasant smell. The trap has trigger hairs. If insects touch these elements of the plant, the "killers" of this type begin to close. Therefore, the victims have no chance to stay alive.
California Darlingtonia
Man is no longer the last link in the food chain. A dominant individual is any creature that is able to feed itself, as well as reproduce, spending a minimum amount of strength.
Aloneof the best hunters are killer plants (photo below in the article), which are called "darlingtonia". She is better known as the lily-cobra. The plant received a comparison with such an animal due to the fact that its shape and shades resemble the hood of a snake.
Nepentes
Another dangerous creature for insects (and not only). The other 10 killer plants do not seem so "merciless" in comparison with the water lily (the well-known name of this representative of the plant world).
The liana is widespread in Asia, especially on the islands. The third known name for this plant is "monkey's cup". This name appeared after scientists have repeatedly observed how these animals drank rainwater from a liana. Trapping leaves are made in the shape of a water lily, which helps to better hold the victim. The trap has a special liquid. She received from nature a rare and dense structure. All insects drown in it.
There are both small representatives and larger ones. The latter are able to absorb even medium-sized mammals: rats, birds, lizards, and so on.
Portuguese flycatcher
The plant grows in places where the soil is dry and infertile. As a rule, this is Africa and, as the name implies, Portugal.
The scientific "name" of this plant is the Lusitanian roseweed. The flycatcher belongs to sundews and acts in much the same way. Thanks to its glands, it releases a delicious aroma that attracts insects. The last, sitting onplant, fall on a sticky surface, which entails their death. The ability to digest food in an individual is quite good, because in one day it can absorb more than a dozen large insects.
Zhiryanka
This plant uses special sticky glands to help lure and eat any trapped insects. The leaves have two types of color: bright green or purple. "Killer" (a plant popular in many regions) has a pair of specific cells that form on the front side of the leaves. One of the species highlights the secret. Representatives of the species have a rare structure and forms a "dew" on the surface. The other is a source of enzymes that help carry out the process of digestion. Victims are attracted by the bright color and "dew".
Heliamphora
This plant attracts insects with its beautiful, delicately folded leaves. Sometimes they look like water lilies. The leaves are arranged in such a way that they do not flood. There is a special slot, which is necessary for draining excess moisture. Such a mechanism is arranged by nature so that in the process of killing the victim (by flooding it with liquid), the plant itself does not die.
How does heliamphora lure victims? This is due to the fact that at the top of the water lily there is a special “spoon”, which offers to “taste” the available nectar. The leaf is covered with a path leading to the bowl where the digestive process takes place. In it, the insect drowns, the roads backno.
Pemphigus
Pemphigus is a plant that lives either in moist soil or fresh water. Prey is caught in a trap with the help of a special organ - a trapping bubble. The plant itself is small, so all victims are small. We are talking about fleas or tadpoles. All bubbles have small holes that are closed with a special valve. It is he who ensures the entry of insects into the plant and prevents them from escaping.
This species is unique and can be indoor. Without roots, pemphigus easily takes root anywhere. Therefore, some indoor plants are killers that can harm or, conversely, help fight flies or mosquitoes.
Sarracenia
This plant is found in North and South America. It has special leaves that look like water lilies. They act as a trap. Plants in the process of absorbing the victim turn into a funnel, which is very similar to a hood. It prevents rain water from getting inside, otherwise the digestive juices can overflow with excess fluid.
Insects are attracted to the trap by color, smell, glands that resemble nectar. The surface has a slippery structure. Nectar is mixed with a narcotic substance. They keep the victim inside, she dies and is digested.
Biblis
This plant has a pretty appearance. The mucus it secretes attracts insects. The surface of the leaves is covered with special hairs. It is they who produce stickya substance that traps small insects.
Dangerous indoor plants
Do you know that cumin is a killer plant? Never heard of this? This is one of the names of cumin. It has both positive and negative properties that are dangerous to humans. The plant can cause severe allergic reactions.
What dangerous representatives of the plant world can be found in people's apartments?
- Aroid. These plants are quite common in offices or people's homes. They have juice that causes inflammation of the mucous membrane. If a child eats even a piece of a leaf, he will get severe poisoning.
- Euphorus. These plants are very dangerous. If the leaves are ingested by any living being, they will cause convulsions, vomiting and poisoning. In addition, the plant can cause burns.
- Solanaceae. Jerusalem cherries look a bit like tomatoes. If the fruits are eaten, then a person will get poisoned, there will be paralysis of internal organs.
- Kutrovye. The plant has a poison that causes vomiting, tachycardia and more dangerous consequences.
