When we think of plants and flowers, we automatically associate them with harmless, colorful plants that perfume and brighten up the environment. However, in nature not everything is like that, not even plants. For that reason, check out this newest one below carnivorous plant discovered by botanists in Indonesia.
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These plant species are unique, producing a digestive juice to be able to extract nutrients from their prey, which are mostly insects. However, it is also possible that they consume small reptiles, amphibians and even birds.
Contrary to what many people think, these plants are also able to carry out photosynthesis, however, they remove nutrients from prey to complement their nutrition.
This is the name of the new species of carnivorous plant that caught the attention of several botanists researching the island of Borneo, Indonesia. In this sense, this plant presents itself with a pitcher shape, which is common in other carnivorous plants. That's because these hollow, shell-shaped tubes have a slippery inner surface, so any animal that lands on the plant will slide into it.
However, in the case of Nepenthes pudica, this plant was located underground, which is totally unusual for carnivorous species. In this way, its tubes hide under the earth, being covered by moss and earth. Looking from the surface, it is almost impossible to identify that there is a carnivorous plant underground.
The researchers began to observe how this plant, living underground, managed to conquer its prey. In this way, it was concluded that plants survive on insects that also inhabit the earth, such as beetles, mites, ants, and many others. Thus, while other plants need to fight for insects on the surface, Nepenthes pudica manages to consume all the others that crawl and live under the earth.
In addition, due to the altitude and humidity of the location, the plant sought the subsoil as a means of survival, as there it finds a more stable climate, adequate humidity and prey that dive into the earth during the period of dry.