Sticky alpine flower confirms Darwin's 150-year-old carnivorous plant prediction
Researchers have confirmed that the alpine plant Saxifraga candelabrum is carnivorous, validating a 150-year-old hypothesis by Charles Darwin. The study demonstrates that the plant uses sticky hairs to trap insects and possesses the necessary enzymes to digest and absorb nitrogen from its prey.
Why it matters
This discovery provides scientific validation for historical biological theories and expands our understanding of plant evolution and adaptation.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Sticky glandular hairs on Saxifraga candelabrum trapping insect prey. Credit: Xin-Jian Zhang A flowering plant has been confirmed as a new carnivorous lineage, according to research published in Nature Communications . The findings show that Saxifraga candelabrum can attract, trap, digest and absorb nitrogen from insects, supporting a prediction made by Charles Darwin more than 150 years ago.
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