Dionaea muscipula

Dionaea muscipula, commonly known as the Venus flytrap, is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. It catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids— with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves, which is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces.

Description

The Dionaea muscipula is a small plant whose structure can be described as a rosette of four to seven leaves, which arise from a short subterranean stem that is actually a bulb-like object. Each stem reaches a maximum size of about three to ten centimeters, depending on the time of year; longer leaves with robust traps are usually formed after flowering.

Habitat and distribution

The Dionaea muscipula is native to the Atlantic coastal plain where it inhabits sandy and peaty soils. The range of the Venus flytrap has been observed from the Wilmington area in North Carolina, to a small area in South Carolina.

Cultivation

Cultivation of Dionaea muscipula requires a humid environment, such as a terrarium, which provides high humidity and prevents the plant from drying out. The soil needs to be free-draining, and can be a simple mix of peat moss and sand or a more complex mixture with perlite or pumice.

Conservation status

The Venus flytrap is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The main cause of the species' decline is habitat destruction, but it is also threatened by poaching due to its popularity in cultivation.

See also

• Carnivorous plants
• List of carnivorous plants
• Conservation status