Carnivorous plant

A carnivorous plant is a plant that derives some or most of nutrient (but not energy) requirements by trapping and consuming animals, especially insects. Carnivorous plants usually grow in places where the soil is poor, especially in nitrogen, such as acidic peat bogs. Their diet provides a needed supplement to lacking soil nutrients.

Examples are:

• the venus fly trap
• pitcher plants
• sundew
• butterworts[?]
• bladderworts[?]
• Genlisea[?]

Charles Darwin wrote the first well-known survey of the topic of carnivorous plants, it is available online:

Insectivorous Plants (http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin3/insectivorous/insect01.htm), by Charles Darwin

External Links

• International Carnivorous Plant Society (http://www.carnivorousplants.org/), provides an extensive FAQ and links to the Carnivorous Plant Web Ring.