Most Popular Carnivorous Plants Found In Asia
Table of Contents
From species that curl up to those that snap shut, carnivorous plants are specialist meat-eating vegetables. This group of over 400 species is perfectly adapted to living in nutrient-poor soils and gets their nutrients from bugs and insects. This post lists the most popular carnivorous plants found in Asia.
To learn more about Carnivorous plants, consider reading this article further: The 10 Most Fascinating Carnivorous Plants.
Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes)
The plants’ vase-like leaf secretes a sweet liquid that it uses to drown its prey. Flies and ants are attracted to the Tropical Pitcher’s appearance; the doomed insects usually make the deadly mistake of wandering on to the plant’s slippery lip. Once the insect is trapped inside, it is impossible to escape from the wax-coated trap. The tropical pitcher then dissolves the prey and absorbs nutrients.
Interesting Facts:
- The tropical pitcher frequently feeds on insects like flies and ants, but small animals such as frogs and rats have also been victims.
- There is some insect larva that can harmoniously live inside the plant’s pitcher trap. Also, animals like bats and frogs use the plant’s lid structure to shelter themselves.
Waterwheel Plant – Adrovanda Vesiculosa
Imagine a stack of 10 – 15 Venus flytraps submerged in water without roots and shrank to about 6 inches, the result is the waterwheel plant. This fascinating plant is an aquatic Venus flytrap in both the genetic reality and spirit. The plant has an analogous trapping mechanism submerged in water. The plant feeds on small prey such as daphnia and eelworms that land on their traps and trigger the plant’s trapping mechanism. Similarly to other carnivorous plants, the waterwheel plant is the only plant in its genus. The plant does not have roots and is free-floating in water, with the old vegetation dying as new vegetation emerges on the other end.
The trap of the waterwheel plant uses the combination of a mucous sealant and interlocking teeth to seal around the doomed prey forcing the insect to the bottom of the trap. Once at the base of the trap, the plant releases digestive juices that dissolve the insect. Just like the flytrap, a waterwheel plant can trap 2 – 4 insects before it calls it quits.
Interesting Facts:
- The waterwheel plant grows underwater and does not have any roots. Being a fully aquatic plant, the only thing that emerges from the water is a single flower. Flowering is very rare in temperate regions. The plants rarely pollinate and generate seeds.
- The waterwheel plant naturally grows in acidic ponds and lakes in Japan and India. They can also grow in some parts of Europe and Australia.
Drosera indica
Drosera indica is best known for its thick glue mucilage that aids in trapping and digestion of prey. The mucilage is attached to unique hairlike structures called trichomes.
Drosera indica is an annual herbaceous plant that can grow up to 5-50cm in height. The plant can be green-maroon to yellow.
Interesting Fact:
- The carnivorous plant can be found in tropical countries throughout Asia. The flower petals can be purple, orange, pink or white.
Nepenthes albomarginata
Nepenthes albomarginata is a carnivorous pitcher plant that is native to Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Borneo. While most plants belonging to the Nepenthes genus are unselective about their prey, Nepenthes albomarginata is only known to feed on terminates. When grazing, a doomed termite may fall on the plant’s pitcher. Once the termite has fallen on the pitcher, it is not able to escape. However, it is also important to note that while the pitcher can capture up to 20 termites at once. The hairlike structures on the pitcher subsequently fall off, and the pitcher is no longer attractive to the prey.
Interesting Fact:
Amongst all carnivorous plants, Nepenthes albomarginata is the only species known to select its prey. This unique breed of insectivorous plants only attracts a particular group of nasoterminates.
Nepenthes angasanensis
Nepenthes angasanensis is a tropical carnivorous plant found in Sumatra, Indonesia. The underground rhizomes produce offshoots. The plant is a scrambling tropical pitcher species that produce stems filled with pitchers. Although the plant does not have any specific trapping mechanism, the plant has a white band that attracts termites. Its prey falls into the pitcher tube and is not able to climb out. For several days nothing that happens, but eventually the plant digests and absorbs them for their nutrients.
Interesting Fact:
The plant has a white band that attracts termites.
Drosera rotundifolia
D. rotundifolia is easy to identify the carnivorous plant. Commonly found in the wetland areas of Asia, the plant’s characteristics are tentacles resembling stalks and vase-like leaves. The leaves have red hairlike structures tipped with glands. The root structure has a fibrous system and plays a significant role in anchoring the plant. The stalk edges come equipped with glands that contain adhesive compounds and digestive enzymes. The prey is attracted to the luring nectar, but upon alighting on the stalk, the prey is rendered completely immobile. The digestive enzymes are used to aid in the digestion of the trapped insects.
Interesting Fact:
A fascinating fact about this plant is its relationship with arthropods. Considering that it is a carnivorous plant that gets its nutrients from the digestion of the trapped insects. Therefore, its survival is dependent on a healthy population of insects. To D. rotundifolia plants, insects are not only critical for cross-pollination, but they are also essential for supplementing their diet.
Utricularia macrorhiza
Utricularia macrorhiza is a perennial aquatic carnivorous plant belonging to the Utricularia genus. The plant is native to eastern temperate Asia.
The bladders that give plants in this genus the name bladderwort are usually useful in trapping and eating the prey. Small animals trigger the hairlike structures on the bladders as they brush against the hairs. That causes the pore to open inwards, allowing water to get into the bladder and draw in the prey. Once the animal has entered the bladder, the pore closes immediately. The digestive enzymes then dissolve the trapped animal in the bladder. The entire process of opening and closing the orifice takes about 0.002 seconds. In case a larger prey gets stuck in the pore, the enzymes dissolve the trapped animal until the pore closes.
Interesting Fact:
Besides being native to Asia, Utricularia macrorhiza can also grow in Canada and the United States.
Nepenthes distillatoria
distillatoria is a Latin word that means ‘to distill.’ The plant is native to Sri Lanka, and it is the only Nepenthes species found on the island. They use the scent of decay to lure other prey into a trap. The plant uses this scent of trapped insects to lure other prey. Small animals like frogs will also hide inside the pitcher plant to eat ants that wander into the plant as well.
Interesting Fact:
- It was the second Nepenthes species to be described in print.
Drosera burmannii
Drosera burmannii is a small, compact carnivorous plant belonging to the Drosera genus. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Taiwan, and India. That is a typical herb that produces leaves and short stems in a rosette. The plant has pink flowers that play a significant role in attracting insects.
The leaves of Drosera burmannii have trichomes covering them, which produce a sticky fluid that attracts and captures prey. Furthermore, their leaf edges come equipped with snap tentacles that quickly snap shut when triggered, luring insects into the dewy part of the leave.
Interesting Fact:
Drosera burmannii frequently flowers, releasing hundreds of seeds throughout its lifecycle. The plant turns bright pink when exposed to bright sunlight.
Drosera peltata
Drosera peltata is a perennial herbaceous plant with a climbing or erect stem. The plant grows from the subterranean tuber, and only has one leaf a few times a year. Drosera peltata is native to eastern Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and India. As a carnivorous plant, it can easily survive in nutrient lacking soils because they get nutrients from trapping and digesting small animals. The leaf’s upper surface has hairs that produce a sweet sticky liquid covering it. The liquid attracts bugs that become stuck, making it impossible for them to escape. After that, the plant secretes a digestive fluid that allows it to absorb nutrients.
Interesting Facts:
The Drosera peltata plant is an endangered species but still is harvested in Asia for medical use. In India, it is used to make gold bhasma.
The plant naturally thrives in the grassy slopes of Himalayas, wetlands in japan, sunny open places, streamside’s, meadows, scrub, sparse pines forests, and roadsides.
