Abstract
Although the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) can be considered as one of the most extensively investigated carnivorous plants, knowledge is still scarce about diversity of the snap-trap motion, the functionality of snap traps under varying environmental conditions, and their opening motion. By conducting simple snap-trap closure experiments in air and under water, we present striking evidence that adult Dionaea snaps similarly fast in aerial and submersed states and, hence, is potentially able to gain nutrients from fast aquatic prey during seasonal inundation. We reveal three snapping modes of adult traps, all incorporating snap buckling, and show that millimeter-sized, much slower seedling traps do not yet incorporate such elastic instabilities. Moreover, opening kinematics of young and adult Dionaea snap traps reveal that reverse snap buckling is not performed, corroborating the assumption that growth takes place on certain trap lobe regions. Our findings are discussed in an evolutionary, biomechanical, functional–morphological and biomimetic context.
Highlights
The terrestrial Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is certainly the most iconic carnivorous plant [1,2,3], but the spectacular movement of its snap traps (Figure 1) is not yet fully understood
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) can be considered as one of the most extensively investigated carnivorous plants, knowledge is still scarce about diversity of the snap-trap motion, the functionality of snap traps under varying environmental conditions, and their opening motion
Dionaea seedlings already possess a carnivorous habit [15], but nothing is known about trap closure kinematics in such an early stage of growth
Summary
The terrestrial Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is certainly the most iconic carnivorous plant [1,2,3], but the spectacular movement of its snap traps (Figure 1) is not yet fully understood. The median snapping duration of seedling traps is 7.63 s (IQR: 8.61 s; min: 4.96 s; max: 21.82 s) (n = 12), which is highly significantly longer than the closing durations found for adult traps (Wilcoxon rank sum test, W = 0; p < 0.001) (Figure 6b), and showed no correlation with the trap lengths (Spearman‘s rho = −0.11) (Figure 6c). The seedling trap motions are very continuous and not characterized by the otherwise typical movement steps differing in speed observed in adult traps (slow, fast, slow) (Figure 7).
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