Darlingtonia: Lily-Cobra from California

Darlingtonia is a very unusual carnivorous plant. Belongs to the family sarraceniaceae. Lily-the Cobra is very common in swamps in mountain areas of southern Oregon and Northern California. And this not only outwardly very unusual plant with an interesting name, it is also a predator.





The plant loves moisture and cool, so perfect conditions for existence are mountain areas: altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level, average annual temperature not exceeding + 18 ° C.



The name of the representative of the plant world owes its appearance: its leaves have a hood than was very reminiscent of a Cobra. These sheets have a "mouth" with fangs and even "language". In vivo Lily-Cobra can reach impressive sizes 40-45 inches. Insects and other small animals burrow in the leaves tube in search of nectar. Darlingtonia is an insidious plant. The inner walls of the leaves are very slippery, and the victim are confusing several disguises. First, once the victim got inside a Cobra plant, a real exit then "hiding". Secondly, the walls of the traps have some transparent areas, which the victim perceives as an output. But out of the jaws of darlingtonia no one has yet succeeded. Besides, there is one feature of this plant, which distinguishes it from all other plant predators. It lies in the fact that darlingtonia has no poison or other enzymes that can be used to neutralize the victim. Lily-Cobra is simply "waiting": the victim dies a slow death, is decomposed by bacteria. And only then the plant "eats".





The flowers of Darlingtonia very modified. Scientists suggest that it is the result of evolution with the aim of attracting the greatest number of pollinators, but the true causes of such changes is not known.published

 

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

 

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Source: mif-facts.com.ua