Botanists from the University of Washington (UW) discovered a previously unknown species of carnivores in the forests of Canada
False golden flowers are herbaceous plants that are commonly found in the mountainous and northern forests of North America.
To check ifa carnivorous plant, the authors of the new work raised several hundred fruit flies with an unusually large number of atoms of the so-called heavy nitrogen-15, and tried to feed them to several bushes of Triantha occidentalis: scientists applied flies to the stem of the plant.
As a result, nitrogen-15 began to accumulate in the plant cells. In this way, this species feeds and receives about 60% of the nitrogen contained in its shoots and leaves.
Unique trait of this carnivorous plantlies in the fact that its traps are very close to the inflorescences. Such a neighborhood, at first glance, should interfere with the normal pollination of flowers of this representative of the flora, but our observations have shown that the false golden flower is able to distinguish between food and friends.
Lin Qianshi, Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia
On the stem of the plant, the authors of the work foundred drops, they contained enzymes capable of dissolving insect body tissues. However, these traps did not catch pollinating insects. Apparently, the authors believe, the traps are specially designed for small invertebrates.
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