Botany

Carnivorous plants are not the gorgeous flowers typically seen in magazines and calendars or on Facebook, but they certainly have a kind of attractive beauty that roses, orchids, and lilies can't match. For many people, the idea of meat-eating plants doesn't fit with the usual concept of plants making their own food, and historically this idea was even difficult for scientists. This book includes a detailed story of carnivorous plants, including their evolution, growth patterns, ways of obtaining nourishment, and comparisons to non-carnivorous plants. There are over 700 species of carnivorous plants – plants with leaves that attract and consume insects and other small invertebrates. They are found throughout the Earth in numerous habitats, especially those that lack the kinds of nutrients that can be supplied by animals. Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil, many of which originate from decayed animals and their excrement, but only plants that actually...