9 The Venus flytrap

LEAH'S MISSION NOTES THE VENUS FLYTRAP Most plants need water and sunlight to survive, but for some, that's not enough. Carnivorous plants catch and "eat" insects or other small animals and digest them to gain extra nutrients. The world's most famous carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap. Venus flytraps are bright red on the inside to attract insects to land on them.

大多数植物需要水和阳光才能生存，但对一些植物来说，这还不够。 食肉植物捕捉并“吃掉”昆虫或其他小动物，并消化它们以获得额外的营养。 世界上最著名的食肉植物是捕蝇草。 捕蝇草的内部是鲜红色的，以吸引昆虫降落在它们上面。

HOW VENUS FLYTRAPS WORK When an insect lands on a Venus flytrap and comes into contact with tiny "trigger hairs," the plant's hinged leaves snap shut. This creates a cage around the insect. The plant then creates a special substance that digests their prey. Venus flytraps only clamp shut if two trigger hairs are touchea in quick succession. This means the leaves will detect prey, but won't trigger for false alarms such as drops of rain.

捕蝇草是如何工作的当一只昆虫落在捕蝇草上，并接触到微小的“触发毛”时，这种植物的铰链叶子就会啪地合上。 这在昆虫周围形成了一个笼子。 然后植物产生一种特殊的物质来消化它们的猎物。 捕蝇草只有在两根触发毛快速连续接触时才会关闭。 这意味着树叶可以探测到猎物，但不会触发诸如雨点之类的假警报。