Plantwatch: The insect-eating alpine plant that proves Darwin was right

Charles Darwin’s long-standing hypothesis that some Saxifraga species might show carnivorous behaviour has been vindicated./iStockphoto Charles Darwin’s long-standing hypothesis that some Saxifraga species might show carnivorous behaviour has been vindicated./iStockphoto Plantwatch Wild flowers Plantwatch: The insect-eating alpine plant that proves Darwin was right Study shows Saxifraga candelabrum traps and digests midges – just as the evolutionary biologist predicted back in 1875

Prefer the Guardian on Google In 1875, Charles Darwin predicted that Saxifraga candelabrum , a small alpine plant, could eat insects.

Its leaves, petals and stems are smothered in tiny, sticky hairs and – just as the evolutionary biologist suspected – the sweet glue on the hairs can lure and trap midges before digesting them with an enzyme.