harvestheart:

That’s according to a new review on carnivorous plants which suggests that a number of commonplace, garden-variety plants like petunias and potatoes deserve to be classified as meat-eaters just like the Venus flytrap and pitcher plants.

 

The review looked at all the research so far on carnivorous plants and found that what constitutes carnivory in plants has historically been vague and loosely defined. While only a handful of flora directly digest the bugs they catch, a wide variety of other plants possess mechanisms which allow them to go about their murderous business in a subtler manner than their more conspicuous cousins.

 

For instance, petunias and potatoes have sticky hairs that trap insects, and some species of campion have the common name of ‘catchfly’ for the same reason. They don’t immediately digest their prey, but the animals they ensnare eventually breakdown in the surrounding soil, providing nutrients that can be absorbed through the roots.