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Utricularia
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The most diverse family of carnivorous plants makes its
debut at Midtown Carnivores:
Utricularia bladderworts! These carnivorous plants comprise over 200
described species so far. Some species grow terrestrially on land, while
aquatic varieties grow submerged, and while yet other epiphytic species grow
on otherwise inhospitable conditions.
These plants grow organic bladders which, when triggered
by nearby movement, open in a fraction of a second, allowing surrounding
water and the triggering organism to be instantly sucked into the bladder
trap. In almost the same moment, the trap shuts, preventing escape, and the
bladder fills with enzymes to digest its caught prey.
While the traps are visible in most aquatic species, the
bladders are grown under the soil line in terrestrial types, and these are
often cultivated by growers not specifically for their carnivory, but rather
for their resplendent flowers, many of which have been referred to as
miniature orchids.
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