Now Reading: Chinese saxifrage confirmed as a carnivorous plant
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Chinese saxifrage confirmed as a carnivorous plant
A study published in Nature Communications has confirmed that Saxifraga candelabrum, a flowering plant from southwestern China, traps and digests insects. Researchers examined 45 preserved specimens at the Kunming Institute of Botany,…
The Story in Brief
A study published in Nature Communications has confirmed that Saxifraga candelabrum, a flowering plant from southwestern China, traps and digests insects. Researchers examined 45 preserved specimens at the Kunming Institute of Botany, and 43 still held insects collected between 1888 and 2016. Field plants carried an average of 71 insects, mainly tiny midges, on reddish sticky hairs.
The hairs showed phosphatase activity, an enzyme linked to carnivory. Tracer experiments also found insect-derived nitrogen entering the plant, especially its flowers. Researchers believe the nutrients support the plant’s single flowering and reproductive effort in poor alpine soils. Larger flies and bees usually escaped, helping the plant retain effective pollinators. The finding may prompt searches through India’s extensive herbarium collections.
The Indian Opinion
The dramatic claim that every sticky plant is a hidden killer would be lazy. This case rests on several tests, including enzyme activity and traced nitrogen uptake, not just insects found on old specimens. Nor does it show that the plant threatens pollinators broadly, since larger visitors generally escaped. India’s collections offer a sensible next step, but each suspected species needs field and laboratory proof. How many pass both tests?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
