Carnivorous Plant

Venus Flytrap

by Steven Case
Government & Heritage Library [2], 2007.

See also: Venus Flytrap [3] (from Encyclopedia of North Carolina)

The General Assembly of 2005 adopted the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) as the official State Carnivorous Plant (Session Laws, 2005, c. 74 [4]).

Though it is known and cultivated throughout the world, it is native only to a small area of the Coastal Plain [5] in North and South Carolina (mostly within a 75 mile radius around Wilmington [6]).

The trap is activated when an insect (or other object) brushes 2 or more times against bristles that grow on the surface of the leaf. The trap springs shut in less than a second, but doesn't close completely until it has determined (either chemically or through movement) if it has caught worthwhile food. If it has, the trap gradually seals completely shut, allowing digestion to take place. It reopens in 3 days to 2 weeks.

References and additional resources:

Meeker-O'Connell, Ann. "How Venus Flytraps Work." HowStuffWorks. Accessed 2/2011. Online at http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/venus-flytrap.htm [7]

Schnell, D., Catling, P., Folkerts, G., Frost, C., Gardner, R., et al. 2000. Dionaea muscipula. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. Accessed 2/2011. Online at http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/39636/0 [8]

"Venus Flytrap." 2007. PLANTS Database. USDA, NRCS. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DIMU4 [9]

Learn NC resources [10]

Resources in Worldcat [11]

Image references:

Fales, Dave. 2011. "Venus flytraps in New Hanover County." Online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncpedia/sets/72157626515143763/ [12].