Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula

Eukaryote Nuclei in Cells Multicellular Cell wall Autotrophs (I’ll explain) Sessile Sexual Reproduction Kingdom Plantae Division Magnoliphyta

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula Located in poor soil in southern swamps of the US. These poor soil swamps have lots of water, but little nutrients and minerals that the plant needs– specifically nitrogen.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula Nitrogen is found in the air but only makes it into the soil in a form that plants can absorb when things die and rot.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula In these southern swamps there is too much acid for decomposing fungi to survive and break down living things, so when things die they rot VERY slowly and give off little nitrogen.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula Plants that live in these swamps need to get nitrogen other ways and carnivorous plants like the Venus fly trap do this by capturing flies and other insects.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula The trap attracts flies with a rotting smell and red color simulating flesh that flies eat The movement of the fly stimulates rapid cell growth in the specialized leaves and the trap closes.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula The trap doesn’t close all the way at first, allowing insects that are too small to escape.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula Then the trap closes and the plant releases digestive fluids, slowly eating the insect.

Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula When finished, the trap reopens and rain or wind washes the skeleton of the fly away.

Venus Flytrap Reproduction These plants use pollinators to reproduce sexually. They produce flowers at a different time than the traps to avoid catching their potential pollinators.

Similar Species-- Sundew Sundew plants use sticky sap to catch insects before they release enzymes to digest them and capture their nitrogen.

Similar Species– Pitcher Plant Pitcher plants attract insects with scents and then the insects fall into a watery pool where they drown and then are slowly digested for their nitrogen.

Similar Species– Lupine Lupine and all members of the pea family (Fabaceae) have a relationship with a eubacteria that help them “fix” nitrogen from the air.