There are few plants that supplement their organic diet with organic compounds. These organic compounds are obtained by trapping and digesting insects and and small animals.All of the insectivorous plant are true autotrophs.but when they capture the prey,their growth become rapid.Apparently nitrogeneous compounds of animal body are of benefits to these plants.In some plants trapped insects are composed by bacteria.In others trapped insects are digested by enzymes secrets by leaves.The plant absorb nitrogenous compound thus formed.
Pitcher plants:( sarracenia pupurea)
Pitcher plant has leave modified into a sac aor a picture partially filled with water.The end of the leaf is modified to form a hood,which partially cover the open mouth of the pitchet. Small insects that fall into the picture are prevented from climbing out by numerous stiff hairs.The protiens of the trapped insects are decomposed by bacteria or enzyme and the product of this decay are absorbed by inner surface of the pitcher leaf.
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| Pitcher plant |
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| SUNDEW |
VENUS FLY TRAP (Dionaea muscipula)The leaf is bilobed with midrib between them.There is row of long stiff bristles along the margins of each lob.When an insect touches small sensitive hairs on the surface of leafe,the lobes quickly come together with their bristle interlocked.The trapped insects is than digested by the enzyme secreted from the glands on the leaf surface and the products ate then absorbed.
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VENUS FLY TRAP
SUNDEW:(Drosera intermediate) shows another type of modification of leaf for insectivorous activity.The tiny leaves bear numerous hair like tantacles,each with a gland at its tip.The insects, attract by the plant order are entangled. As in the above mentioned example, in sundew also the protien of insect are digested by the enzymes and the product are absorbed.
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