By Vandya Rai
August 11, 2022
Named after its looks, the flower resembles the head of a cobra. The hood emits an aroma that lures insects to its leaf trap. Then, the plant secretes digestive enzymes that consume its prey.
Darlingtonia Californica
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This little plant’s favourite food is gnats. It has bright yellow-green sticky leaves that trap unsuspecting insects. The leaves slowly curl around the prey to digest it. It also blooms purple flowers!
Pinguicula
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This popular plant is known for its jaw-like leaves and its spiky “teeth”. It swiftly snaps shut when a fly or spider lands in its trap to digest it. This clever carnivore knows when a non-prey lands in its mouth, like rainfall.
Dionaea Muscipula
One of the most abundant carnivorous plants on the planet. Their sticky tentacles stand out from the leaves, meant to capture creatures. When a bug is trapped, its tentacles coil around to choke it.
Drosera
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Plants that grow in fresh water and wet soil. They have intricate bladder-like trapdoors that open and close within 15 milliseconds of being triggered. Floating on the water, they devour everything in their path.
Utricularia
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Monkeys have been spotted sipping from the leaves of this plant when thirsty. Its creepers can grow up to 15 metres tall. The sweet syrup inside its cup drowns and digests prey. It can eat frogs, lizards, birds, and rats, too!
Nepenthes
Similar to the Venus Flytrap, the only difference being it lives on top of the water. It also has snap-traps to enclose its prey. Each leaf in a whorl ends with a clam-like trap.
Aldrovanda
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Resembling pine needles, they are coated in small beads of sweet-smelling dew. Their ability to capture large insects is incredible. The more an insect struggles, the more it becomes ensnarled in its sticky mucilage.
Drosophyllum
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The prettiest of the carnivorous plants, they have stunning reddish-purple dark veins and can grow up to 3 feet tall. Any prey that falls into its cup eventually gets digested. The plant is listed as a vulnerable species.
Sarracenia Leucophylla
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