Insectivorous plants - exotic in your home

Insectivorous plants are organisms,adapted to catching and digesting (hydrolyzing) small animals (mainly insects). Most of them refer to perennial herbaceous terrestrial plants. These plants are found in different regions of our planet (Borneo, Siberia, Western Australia).

A carnivorous flower prefers poor soils. Nutrients are obtained by catching insects. The main weapon of insectivorous plants are mutated leaves, which are also called catcher organs. The main prey for these plants is insects (wasps, flies or microscopic daphnia). Sometimes insectivorous plants adapt to catching only ants and termites. In the network of some carnivorous plants come across frogs, as well as small mammals.

Insectivorous plant attracts insectswith its sweet secretions, bright coloration and smell. On the surface of their leaves, glands secrete proteolytic enzymes (pepsin, trypsin), as well as carboxylic acids (benzoic, formic, etc.) that digest their prey by hydrolyzing animal proteins. In the process of such extracellular digestion, a significant number of amino acids are formed, which are absorbed and absorbed by the plant organism.

The fastest carnivorous plant is considered to beVenus is a flytrap that can slam the leaves in 1 / 10th of a second. For a long time scientists have puzzled how a plant like a flytrap, can make lightning movements without nerve endings and muscles. A little later it was found that the plant accumulates energy.

In modern flower shops you can meetdifferent insectivorous plants (the most popular of them are herbaceous sarracenia and tropical lianas non-pence). It's just amazing plant organisms, you can watch them for a long time, while not losing interest.

To date, more than 300 carnivoresplants, however, only six are suitable for room cultivation. These plants are listed in the wildlife in the Red Book, so in natural conditions it will be quite difficult to meet them. Cultivation of these plants in room conditions has some features. The insectivorous include aldrovandu pemphigus, giant biblical, heliophore pouchiform, Venus flytrap, California darlingshotonia, common chickenpox, bubbly nepence, pemphigus bloated, sapwood, Lusitanian rosolite, sarracenia purple, cephalotus sacciform.

Today, there is a threat of the disappearance of theseplants, which is associated mainly with the drying of soils for agricultural needs, low soil fertility. The largest collection of insectivorous plants is collected in the botanical garden of Atlanta.

In the life of predator plants there is no periodrest. At home, you can use pieces of ordinary boiled or even raw meat to feed them, but you do not need to overfeed the plants, since this leads to their death. Insectivorous plants at home appear as "sanitarians", as they perfectly destroy spiders, flies, mosquitoes, and also cockroaches.

Optimal conditions for the cultivation of these flowers -It is a moist environment, acidic soil, nitrogen-rich nutrients and minerals. The structure of the soil must necessarily include moss, peat or river sand. It is best for them to use plastic pots with holes for draining. Insectivorous plants are photophilous. As an artificial light, daylight lamps are often used. The air temperature should not exceed 30 C. Carnivorous flowers should not be placed near the battery or any other heating devices.