Carnivory in plants

Carnivory in plants is an adaptation in which plants capture and digest animals or other organisms, chiefly to obtain nutrients unavailable from the soil.

Pitfall trap: A trap that captures prey in a fluid-filled or slippery chamber. Pitcher plants use this passive trap to collect and digest prey.
Nitrogen cycle: The circulation of nitrogen among organisms, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Prey supplies nitrogen that can be scarce in carnivorous plants’ habitats.
Evolution of carnivorous plants: The evolutionary history of plant lineages that capture and digest prey. Carnivory evolved independently in several plant lineages.
Venus flytrap: A North American carnivorous plant whose hinged leaves snap shut on prey. Its active trap is the best-known example of rapid plant prey capture.
Carnivorous plant ecology: The study of interactions between carnivorous plants and their environments. Prey capture depends on habitat, prey availability, and interactions with other organisms.
Snap trap: A rapidly closing plant trap that catches prey between moving leaf parts. The Venus flytrap demonstrates how plant movement can capture prey.
Phosphorus cycle: The movement of phosphorus through rocks, soil, water, and living organisms. Captured prey can provide phosphorus where soil supplies little.
Convergent evolution: The independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated lineages. Different plant groups independently evolved traps and prey digestion.
Sundew: A carnivorous plant genus whose leaves bear sticky glandular tentacles. Sundews use adhesive leaves to capture and digest small prey.
Pollination of carnivorous plants: The transfer of pollen among flowers of carnivorous plant species. Flower placement and timing can reduce the risk of trapping pollinators.

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