What do you mean by "adaptations to capture prey?"

• 
  Drosera roseana
• Utricularia macrorhiza
• Dionaea muscipula
• Cephalotus

This is the first requirement of the three-part definition of a carnivorous plant. In its full detail, the requirement is (in somewhat technical language):

The plant must have clear adaptations to capture prey. Such adaptations may include specialized structures like trapping leaves, and/or enhancements to improve the luring and capture of prey, such as extrafloral nectaries, attractive UV or pigmentation patterns, odors, hairs that guide prey, etc.

There are two parts to this. First, the plant must have a trapping mechanism. There are five different trap types that carnivorous plants have.

• A sticky Salvia
  Is it carnivorous?

1. Pitfall traps--such as pitcher plants like Cephalotus;
2. Sticky traps--such as the sundew genus Drosera;
3. Lobster pot traps--such as the marvelous Genlisea;
4. Suction traps--the only genus that does this is Utricularia;
5. Snap traps--for example, the famous snapping leaves of Dionaea.

The second part of this attribute is that the simple trap type mentioned above might have modifications that improve its efficiency. I'll mention some as I describe the trap types later in the FAQ, but to whet your appetite I'll mention examples:

1. Plants might produce nectar as a lure;
2. Plants might produce an attractive smell;
3. The trap may have visual appeal--this may only be visible in UV;
4. The surface of the trap might be particularly slippery or waxy;
5. Hairs may be present that point prey to the point of no return;
6. Special trap windows may let light in, but not allow escape--this can disorient prey;
7. Trap fluids may be particularly sticky or viscous.

The importance of this attribute is that it is the basic method by which prey are captured so the plant can get on with the next stage---digestion!

Field trip report: Southern Portugal, late spring, 2011

The Trip:
Portugal is home to a fairly small number of carnivorous plants. However, the few carnivorous plant species it has, it has well! Of course, foremost in the minds of carnivorous plant aficionados is that this is often thought of as the home of the spectacular sticky-trap plant, Drosophyllum lusitanicum.

This plant has a unique trapping mechanism. Many people think of it as merely being another sticky-flypaper plant, such as Drosera and other genera. But Drosophyllum is different. Instead of trapping bugs by holding them tightly to the plant, Drosophyllum vomits globs of mucous onto its prey but allows the prey to move on (if it so chooses). Bugs being bugs, the prey inevitably try to clean themselves off, and in the process come into contact with more glands. In time, the bug tumbles down the nearly vertical leaves, until it becomes covered with slime and drowns.

How horrible!

This trip report includes video, in addition to the photography. This is the first time I have tried video, and I hope you enjoy the YouTube links provided throughout. My video work is, shall we kindly say, primitive. However, perhaps it adds a bit more to the trip report, in spite of its glaring weaknesses?

Start the photo-essay about Portugal!

Read more ....

Source: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

About water

• 
  Drosera rotundifolia,
  South Carolina
• Sarracenia site,
  Texas
• Pinguicula site,
  Oregon
• Utricularia site,
  Washington

Listen to me, O neophyte, and listen well. Carnivorous plants need much more water than most plants. They certainly need more water than house plants. This is because carnivorous plants are native to wetlands. They like it wet!

Carnivorous plants always need to be sitting in wet soil. How wet should the soil be? Wet wet wet. If you squeeze a handful of soil, expect water to run through your fingers and track down your arm. Wet wet wet.

Wet!

All this being said, I should mention that some carnivores like it a little drier, and some (like tuberous Drosera) even require a dry season. But compared to house plants, most carnivores want it wet. Wet wet wet. Keeping your pots sitting in a tray of water is a good idea for nearly all carnivorous plants except Nepenthes, many Pinguicula, and a few oddballs such as Drosophyllum that you probably are not growing yet.

Before you even dare to e-mail me with questions about water, make dang sure you read the next few FAQ entries about water purity!

Source: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

Why doesn't my sundew have "dew" on its leaves?

• 
  Drosera adelae
• Drosera capillaris
• Drosera hamiltonii
• Drosera capensis

So you have a sundew, and you want to see all those neato globules of goo on them, just like in my photographs, right? But your plants just are not making dew! Frustrating, isn't it?

The lack of droplets on your sundew is probably an indication that you are not growing it properly. Only a happy Drosera makes mucus. (I got that from a Chinese fortune cookie two nights ago, I swear.) The most common reason for a dewless sundew is low humidity. Other possibilities include temperatures that are too high, light that is too low, and impure water. Oh lord, you didn't fertilize your plant, did you?

These are not the only reasons your sundew may not be happy, but they are common ones.

Even if you are growing your plant properly, it might not make mucus drops. It might just be going through a dewless phase. For example, despite the best of care, the lovely African species Drosera capensis occasionally dies back to the ground. As the stem is dying back, the plant's leaves will lose their dew and look dreadful. Worry not, the plant is fine, and will resprout from the base. (I hope.)

Incidentally, spraying your sundew with water from a spray bottle is not going to help. It will hurt. The dew drops consist of a special mix of compounds, and are not just water droplets. Spray water into your own eyes if you want to see what it would feel like to the plant.

What is stranger, you---running to the internet because you have inadequate mucus drops---or me writing about them?

Source: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

Moved to http://carnivorous.techom.ca/

http://carnivorous.techom.ca/

A free domain hosting provided by a friend! Thank you for understanding

About light / lightning

Sarracenia alata
in full sun


Drosera paradoxaI truly believe that the single underlying cause for most carnivorous plant deaths at the hands of beginning growers is inadequate lighting.

Indeed, I will go so far as to say that with the exceptions due to gross mistakes like fertilizings or planting in garden soils, almost all the deaths of carnivorous plants in the hands of beginning growers can be traced to inadequate lighting.

Perhaps because of the costs in specializing in carnivory, carnivorous plants require a great deal of light---most need full sun. Certainly Venus flytraps like full sun. If you do not give the plants the light that they need, you are denying them their basic energy source. And without enough energy, they cannot function. They cannot build roots or leaves, they cannot resist minor stresses such as from fungi, and they certainly cannot digest bugs.

So give them light!

Providing enough light is challenging. If you do not have a greenhouse, you will probably need to use some kind of artificial light---the windowsill will probably not be bright enough.

For illuminating terraria, you should have at least 4 fluorescent bulbs approximately 30 cm (12") from the plants. Use cool white or warm white fluorescent bulbs.

This is such an important topic that I have two more FAQ pages on light in which I discuss light intensity and light quality. You should certainly review those.

Source: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

Where can I buy carnivorous plants?

Dedicated carnivorous plant nurseries are the best places to buy carnivorous plants, especially for the beginner or beginning-intermediate grower that is not too picky about looking for impossible-to-find species. Purchases can also be made via eBay, although I suggest you be cautious in such purchases.

The web sites listed below are for carnivorous plant nurseries. I am a stickler for making sure that nurseries I deal with are not involved in field collection. So in order for any online nursery to be listed on this FAQ, they must agree with the following disclaimer:

"The material I sell is propagated by me or suppliers who develop stock by tissue culture. Any field collection I do is legal, and is to develop breeding or propagation stock only. I do not sell plants or seeds that have been collected by me or my contacts to fill plant orders."

The nurseries on this page agreed with the above conservation statement. I applaud their conservation ethic and encourage you to do business with them. They are listed in alphabetical order by nursery name. When seeking plants, do not forget the benefits of joining The International Carnivorous Plant Society or the various other carnivorous plant societies. Most of these societies have seedbanks or trading parties.

For clarification, I do not patrol the web, looking for nurseries to include on this listing. If you run a nursery and agree with the conservation statement on this page, send me your data using the same format that I have below, and I will include you. It may take a few weeks for me to upload your data, so please be patient. If you have a listing, but your nursery information changes, it is your responsibility to supply updated information to me. If I encounter a nursery with a broken link I will remove it from the list. I despise dead links, and do not have time to track you down. If you notice your nursery has been removed, just contact me with the new information and I will reinstate you!

While presented in association with the International Carnivorous Plant Society, this FAQ is maintained by me (Barry Rice). As such, I do not have to be entirely impartial. Indeed, my favorite nursery listed on this page is California Carnivores, run by Peter D'Amato--master horticulturist and acclaimed author. If you are in the USA and are looking for plants, I encourage you to start there. Peter has been a longtime supporter of the ICPS. You can buy from him in safety.

Best Carnivorous Plants (Czech Republic)
E-mail: cp(at)bestcarnivorousplants.com
WWW: http://www.bestcarnivorousplants.com
Comments: An extraordinary inventory of all kinds of carnivorous plants and seeds. Will ship internationally. Plants grown from seed and tissue culture.

Borneo Exotics (Sri Lanka)
E-mail: borneo(at)lanka.net
WWW: http://www.borneoexotics.com
Comments: Nepenthes. Grown from from seed, this new firm is now exporting worldwide. At present you can look at the 300+ photographs at its web site.

Botanique (USA)
E-mail: kbailey(at)mail.rlc.net
WWW: http://www.pitcherplant.com
Comments: Sales only within the continental USA. Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Drosera, and others.

Brutala Blommor (Sweden)
E-mail: brutalablommor(at)@hotmail.com
WWW: http://brutalablommor.se
Comments: Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Cephalotus, Drosera, Pinguicula, Utricularia, Dionaea, Heliamphora. Tillandsia, and many more strange plants & equipment.

Bug Biting Plants (USA)
WWW: http://www.bugbitingplants.com
Comments: Wholesale only. Carrying Venus flytraps, sundews, cobra lilies, pitcher plants, and others.

California Carnivores (USA)
E-mail: califcarn(at)aol.com
WWW: http://www.californiacarnivores.com
Comments: Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Cephalotus, Drosera, Pinguicula, Utricularia, Dionaea, Heliamphora. Author of The Savage Garden, this source is highly recommended by the FAQ-lords.

Carnivorous Plant Nursery (USA)
E-mail: info(at)carnivorousplantnursery.com
WWW: http://www.carnivorousplantnursery.com
Comments: We provide a complete line of low-cost, high-quality carnivorous plants from around the world, as well as teaching materials for carnivorous plants. All of our plants are nursery propagated from seeds, cuttings, divisions and tissue culture.

Cascade Carnivores (USA)
E-mail: support(at)cascadecarnivores.com
WWW: http://www.cascadecarnivores.com
Comments: Online sales of dewy pines, american and tropical pitcher plants, Venus flytraps and sundews, butterworts and bladderworts. We never field collect our nursery stock. Our plants are all seed grown, propagated by division and cuttings, or grown from tissue culture. USA sales only.

Cooks Carnivorous Plants (USA)
E-mail: cooks(at)flytraps.com
WWW: http://www.flytraps.com/
Comments: Dionaea, Drosera, Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Utricularia, Pinguicula. Will ship internationally.

The CP Jungle (USA)
E-mail: cpjungle(at)aol.com
WWW: http://www.cpjungle.com
Comments: A large selection of Nepenthes, as well as many flytrap forms and Sarracenia. Has permits to ship CITES Appendix I plants, such as Sarracenia alabamensis, S. oreophila, and Sarracenia rubra subsp. jonesii.

Dangerous Plants (USA)
E-mail: thayes(at)dangerousplants.com
WWW: http://www.dangerousplants.com
Comments: A large selection of Nepenthes, Drosera & Sarracenia as well as flytrap forms, Pinguicula, Heliamphora, Cephalotus and Utricularia.

Drosera Gemmae (USA)
E-mail: droseragemmae(at)yahoo.com
WWW: http://www.droseragemmae.com
Comments: We specialize in pygmy Drosera. We have a big selection of plants and gemmae to choose from at lower prices.

Exotica Plants/Andrea and Geoff Mansell (Australia)
E-mail: exotica(at)isisol.com.au
WWW: http://www.exoticaplants.com.au
Comments: Extensive range of Nepenthes (species and hybrids) for worldwide wholesale/retail.

Flora Laboratories (Australia)
E-mail: andre(at)alphalink.com.au
WWW: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~andre
Comments: Carnivorous plant tissue culture service in Melbourne, Australia. Also supply carnivorous plants in-vitro, Keikigrow plant hormone pastes and laboratory supplies.

Hewitt-Cooper Carnivorous Plants (UK)
E-mail: nigel(at)hccarnivorousplants.co.uk
WWW: http://www.hccarnivorousplants.co.uk
Comments: Established 10 years, our range of nursery grown plants continues to increase. We supply Dionaea, Drosera, Drosophyllum seed, Pinguicula, Sarracenia, Utricularia, and sundries. Plants can be sent throughout Europe.

Houston Herpetological Supply (USA)
E-mail: info(at)houstonherp.com
WWW: http://www.houstonherp.com
Comments: Retail sales of Dionaea (Venus flytraps), Drosera (sundews), Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants), Pinguicula (butterworts), and Sarracenia (North American pitcher plants)--all produced by tissue culture, seeds or division - via mail order/phone order. US sales only. Wholesale prices available on larger quantities.

insektenfang plants (UK)
E-mail: enquiries(at)insektenfang.com
WWW: http://www.insektenfang.com
Comments: I maintain one of the largest and most diverse Sarracenia and Dionaea collections in the country, along with substantial representation of most other carnivorous genera.

Keehns Carnivores (Canada)
E-mail: rkconcepts(at)telus.net
WWW: http://www.keehnscarnivores.ca
Comments: "in vitro"and traditional propagation of carnivorous plants. Sales to Canada. Dionaea, Drosera, Sarracenia, Nepenthes.

Malesiana Tropicals (Borneo)
E-mail: malesiana(at)tropicals.com.my
WWW: http://www.malesiana.com/html/home.htm
Comments: Retail/wholesale nursery in Borneo specializing in Nepenthes, orchids, palms, ferns, aroids, and other exotic plants.

Meadowview Biological Research Station (USA)
E-mail: meadowview(at)pitcherplant.org
WWW: http://www.pitcherplant.org
Comments: Plant sales fund restoration and research work. Dionaea, Drosera, Utricularia, Sarracenia hybrids and Sarracenia anthocyanin-free hybrids and species. Sarracenia species and regional restoration requests (e.g. Texas S. alata, S. rubra subsp. jonesiiand S. rubra alabamensis. Aldrovanda. Cephalotus. Plant sales only in USA. Specially bred Sarracenia seed.

The Nepenthes Nursery/Andreas Wistuba (Germany)
E-mail: andreas(at)wistuba.com
WWW: http://www.wistuba.com
Comments: Nepenthes, Heliamphora, Pinguicula, Cephalotus worldwide except Australia and New Zealand.

PetFlytrap (Texas, USA)
E-mail: orders(at)petflytrap.com
WWW: http://www.petflytrap.com
Comments: Primarily sells Dionaea (Venus flytraps) via mail order/phone order. Also sells other carnivorous plants, including sundews, butterworts, Sarracenia, and Nepenthes.

Predatory Plants (USA)
E-mail: info(at)predatoryplants.com
WWW: http://www.predatoryplants.com
Comments: We stock a wide selection of sundews, butterworts, Sarracenia, Nepenthes and many other plants. We ship bare-root and potted plants to anywhere in the United States.

Sarracenia Northwest Carnivorous Plants (USA)
E-mail: jeff(at)cobraplant.com
WWW: http://www.cobraplant.com
Comments: We promote the growing of Sarracenia species and Venus flytraps outdoors. We also provide a free monthly reminder on how to care for your plants all year round.

Shropshire Sarracenias (UK)
E-mail: mike(at)carnivorousplants.uk.com
WWW: http://www.carnivorousplants.uk.com
Comments: Specialising in Sarracenia species forms, named locations and hybrids (around 1,000 different clones) along with a wide range of Dionaea, I can deliver within the EU or worldwide with the appropriate CITES permits. All plants from divided stock or rhizome cuttings.

Southern Carnivores (Australia)
E-mail: phillmann(at)scarnivores.com
WWW: http://www.scarnivores.com
Comments: Nepenthes, Cephalotus, Drosera. Plants grown from seed and tissue culture. Specializing in Nepenthes and Nepenthes hybrids.

Triffid Nurseries (UK)
E-mail: andy(at)triffidnurseries.co.uk
WWW: http://www.triffidnurseries.co.uk/
Comments: Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Drosera, VFTs, Pings, Utrics, Heliamphora and Cephalotus. Plants shipped throughout Europe. Extensive CP Seed List shipped worldwide.

Triffid Park (Australia)
E-mail: triffids(at)triffidpark.com.au
WWW: http://www.triffidpark.com.au
Comments: Hundreds of species, books, etc. A very large supplier.

Tristan's Carnivorous Plants (USA)
E-mail: tristanscps(at)hotmail.com
WWW: http://www.tristanscps.com/
Comments: Specializing in Nepenthes and Sarracenia. All plants have been propagated by Tristan's Carnivorous Plants.

World of Carnivores (USA)
E-mail: sales(at)world-of-carnivores.com
WWW: http://www.world-of-carnivores.com/
Comments: Carnivorous Plant Sales & Supplies along with Care/Propagation/Tissue Culture Guides. Complete with a family oriented Forum to post questions or just chat with other CP enthusiasts.