Dionaea muscipula Seeds - Venus Fly Trap Mixed Varieties - Carnivorous Curiosity - Combined Shipping

Dionaea muscipula Seeds

Venus Fly Trap Mixed Varieties

The Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula) is the most well-known species of carnivorous plants. These insectivorous plants lure their prey using sweet-smelling nectar. When an insect lands on the head of the fly trap, they seek the source of the nectar, and if the plant is lucky, it will touch one of the many trigger hairs located within the jaws of the trap. Once triggered, the trap snaps closed, trapping the victim. The plant then secretes an enzyme which essentially 'dissolves' the insect, turning it into a digestible dinner. After a few days, the fly trap will re-open, to await its next victim. Venus Fly Traps are quite easy to grow, as long as they are given the proper conditions. The Venus flytrap has a rosette of leaves up to 20 cm across. Each leaf has a flat stalk and ends in a trap about 2 cm across. The centre is often reddish, and the sides of the trap are lined with 14 to 20 stiff, comb-like bristles that interlock when the trap closes. The flowers are white, in a cluster at the top of a 15 to 45 cm leafless stalk. They should be grown in very bright light, but not in direct, hot sun. A warm, humid environment, with a constant supply of moisture, such as you would find in a terrarium is ideal. The potting mixture should consist of a mix of 70% Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and 30% Horticultural Perlite. Dionaea is a monotypic genus closely related to the waterwheel plant and sundews, all of which belong to the family Droseraceae. The Venus flytrap is commonly grown as a curiosity plant and is a source of wonder for children and adults alike. Indeed, it is likely that the Venus flytrap has been the source of inspiration for many a horror film involving man-eating plants a somewhat unique use within the plant kingdom! Dionaea muscipula has also been shown to contain naphthoquinones that may have medicinal value.