VENUS FLYTRAP FACTS - Dionaea Muscipula, Venus flytraps are the most popular carnivorous plant in the world. Charles Darwin famously described the ...

VENUS FLYTRAP
              FACTS

   Dionaea Muscipula, Venus flytraps are the most
    popular carnivorous plant in the world. Charles
 Darwin famously described the plant as "one of the
             most wonderful in the world."
It has a very limited native range, growing only in the
      coastal bogs of North and South Carolina.

 Venus is the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology and the mother,
    Dione, of her Greek equivalent, is responsible for the plant’s genus name,
 Dionaea. According to British naturalist John Ellis, the “beautiful appearance of
   its milk-white flowers, and the elegance of its leaves” inspired the moniker.
        http://mentalfloss.com/article/54119/11-incredible-facts-about-venus-flytraps

VENUS FLYTRAP FACTS
                   SIZE and APPEARANCE

               ❖     A Venus flytrap grows from a bulblike rootstock,
                     bearing a group of small white flowers at the tip
                     of a stem that is 8–12 inches long.
               ❖     The leaves are 3–6 inches long with blades
                     hinged along the midline so that the two nearly
                     circular lobes, with spiny teeth along their
                     margins, can fold together and enclose an
                     insect that lands on them.

                       HABITAT and DIET

❖   The only member of its genus, it is native to a small region of
    North and South Carolina, where it is common in damp, mossy
    areas.
❖   Venus flytraps rely on nitrogen-rich animal protein to enable
    their survival in poor soil conditions.
❖   The Venus flytrap's primary prey are ants, but it will also eat
    flies, beetles, slugs, spiders and even tiny frogs.
❖   When the flytrap's "mouth" is closed, it is airtight. That helps
    keep out bacteria.
❖   There are three stages of a Venus flytrap’s feeding:
     ➢ As soon as a fly lands, sensory hairs, called trichomes,
           on the inside of the petals count the movements from the
           insect. There must be at least two movements in 20
           seconds or the petals won't close.
     ➢ The plant then closes its jaws by snapping from a convex
           to a concave shape. The bristles on the edges of the
           leaves prevents the insect from escaping.
     ➢ The plant then starts to digest the insect using digestive
           juices. After five to 12 days, the plant will reopen and the
           parts of the bug that couldn't be digested fall out.

VENUS FLYTRAP FACTS
❖   The trap on the plant has a limited number of lives. After each
    capture, the trap of the plant remains closed for up to 10 days,
    preventing it from receiving additional nutrients.
❖   The trap of the plant can only open and close around half a
    dozen times before it permanently closes. The trap will
    continue to photosynthesize to provide nutrients to the plant,
    but will be unable to trap insects.
❖   The Venus flytrap is an area of interest for robotics scientists in
    the U.S. and in South Korea who are attempting to build robot
    replicas that can catch and digest their own fuel.

                        REPRODUCTION

❖   These plants reproduce just like any other plant: Seeds are
    created when the flowers are pollinated.
❖   Seeds, which are black and pear-shaped, are spread and grow
    into new plants.
❖   They can also reproduce asexually. The roots of the Venus
    flytrap extend in the soil and create a bulb root from where a
    new plan will grow.
❖   Growers can separate the new plant and bulb from the parent
    plant by cutting the connecting roots.
❖   These are perennial plants, which means they bloom year
    after year. Their flowers are white with green veins running
    from the base of the petal toward the edges.
❖   The lifespan of a Venus flytrap isn't known for certain, but it
    has been estimated to live up to 20 years and probably longer.

NAME: ____________________

Circle the best answer about Venus flytraps.
Extra research will help.

1.   The Venus flytrap’s name is derived from
     the Roman goddess of love - Venus. In
     Greek, she’s called:
       a.   Hestia
       b.   Aphrodite
       c.   Frigg
2.   Venus flytrap plants need almost ____ of
     sunlight every day and cannot be
     considered as an indoor plant.
       a.   14 hours
       b.   7 hours
       c.   12 hours
3.   Venus flytraps almost always go dormant
     for a period varying from _____.
       a.   1-2 months
       b.   3-4 months
       c.   4-5 months
4.   The Venus flytrap, if grown from seed, can
     take as much as _____ to grow into an
     adult plant.
       a.   2 years
       b.   4 years
       c.   5 years
5.   During the active growth season, the
     Venus flytrap plant should be watered
     every ______ days and in the
     dormancy period, it should be
     watered every 10-15 days.
       a.   2-5 days
       b.   Day
       c.   10 days

KEY ANSWER

Circle the best answer about venus flytraps.
Researching helps.

1.   The Venus flytrap’s name is derived from
     the Roman goddess of love - Venus. In
     Greek, she’s called:
       a.   Hestia
       b.   Aphrodite
       c.   Frigg
2.   Venus flytrap plants need almost ____ of
     sunlight every day and cannot be
     considered as an indoor plant.
       a.   14 hours
       b.   7 hours
       c.   12 hours
3.   Venus flytraps almost always go dormant
     for a period varying from _____.
       a.   1-2 months
       b.   3-4 months
       c.   4-5 months
4.   The Venus flytrap, if grown from seed, can
     take as much as _____ to grow into an
     adult plant.
       a.   2 years
       b.   4 years
       c.   5 years
5.   During the active growth season, the
     Venus flytrap plant should be watered
     every ______ days and in the
     dormancy period, it should be
     watered every 10-15 days.
       a.   2-5 days
       b.   Day
       c.   10 days

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