# Chinese wildflower confirmed as carnivorous, Darwin vindicated 2026-08-07T08:40:30+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A wildflower in southwestern China has been confirmed as carnivorous, settling a mystery that intrigued Charles Darwin. Saxifraga candelabrum, found in nutrient-poor rock crevices in Yunnan and Sichuan, traps small insects on sticky hairs and digests them. Researchers at the Kunming Institute of Botany found that 43 of 45 herbarium specimens, collected between 1888 and 2016, still had insects stuck to them. In a study published in Nature Communications, the team showed the plant's hairs produce a digestive enzyme and that nitrogen from fruit flies enriched with a traceable form entered the plant's tissues, with the highest levels in the flowers. The plant appears to lure prey with scent, but mainly traps small midges while larger pollinators escape. Co-author Douglas Soltis praised Darwin's "scientific judgment". ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: botany, carnivorous plants, China, plant science Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/chinese-saxifrage-confirmed-as-a-carnivorous-plant/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/chinese-saxifrage-confirmed-as-a-carnivorous-plant/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.