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Updated: May 17, 2026
07:08
Isolation of Viable Multicellular Glands from Tissue of the Carnivorous Plant, Nepenthes
Published on: December 22, 2013
Catapulting tentacles in a sticky carnivorous plant
Simon Poppinga1, Siegfried Richard Heinrich Hartmeyer, Robin Seidel
1Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. simon.poppinga@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Plos One
|October 11, 2012
Summary
Carnivorous plants use active traps to catch prey. Drosera glanduligera employs a unique catapult mechanism, launching insects onto sticky tentacles for digestion.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Carnivorous Plant Ecology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Carnivorous plants exhibit diverse trapping mechanisms, with active traps involving rapid movement being particularly fascinating.
- Fast snap-trapping and suction are well-documented active carnivory strategies in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document and analyze the unique prey-capturing mechanism of Drosera glanduligera.
- To investigate the mechanics of the 'catapult-flypaper' trap system in this carnivorous plant.
Main Methods:
- Detailed observation and analysis of Drosera glanduligera's prey capture.
- Documentation of the sequence of events from prey contact to entrapment.
Main Results:
- Drosera glanduligera utilizes a sophisticated catapult mechanism involving touch-sensitive snap-tentacles.
- Prey are catapulted onto adjacent sticky glue-tentacles and subsequently drawn into the trap leaf.
- This represents the first detailed analysis of a catapult-flypaper trap in action.
Conclusions:
- Drosera glanduligera possesses a unique and complex mechanical adaptation for carnivory.
- The catapult-flypaper trap is an effective strategy for nutrient acquisition in this sundew species.
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