Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on the
windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but when the
traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and undigested.

David.

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"David (Normandy)" writes
Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on the
windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but when the
traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and undigested.

I've always assumed they digest the soft bits not the hard bits. Are you
sure the flies aren't just empty husks of flies?
--
Kay

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"K" wrote in message
...
"David (Normandy)" writes
Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on
the
windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but when
the
traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and undigested.

I've always assumed they digest the soft bits not the hard bits. Are you
sure the flies aren't just empty husks of flies?
--
Kay

They might be. I'll have a prod. I just wondered if the plants put some sort
of "roots" into the flies, otherwise I can't see how they extract any
goodness from them.

David.

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

In message , "David
(Normandy)" writes

"K" wrote in message
...
"David (Normandy)" writes
Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on
the
windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but when
the
traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and undigested.

I've always assumed they digest the soft bits not the hard bits. Are you
sure the flies aren't just empty husks of flies?
--
Kay

They might be. I'll have a prod. I just wondered if the plants put some sort
of "roots" into the flies, otherwise I can't see how they extract any
goodness from them.

My recollection is that the Venus Fly-Trap (Dionaea muscipula) secretes
enzymes which digest the trapped flies, and absorbs the resulting
nutrients through the leaf surface.

There's a series of articles in New Phytologist - The Secretory Cycle of
Dionaea muscipula Ellis I-V. These should tell you more than want to
know.

David.



--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

The trap constricts tightly around the insect and secretes digestive juices,
much like those in your stomach. It dissolves the soft, inner parts of the
insect, but not the tough, outer part called the exoskeleton. At the end of
the digestive process, which takes from five to twelve days, the trap
reabsorbs the digestive fluid and then reopens. The leftover parts of the
insect, the exoskeleton, blow away in the wind or are washed away by rain.
The time it takes for the trap to reopen depends on the size of the insect,
temperature, the age of the trap, and the number of times it has gone
through this process.

http://www.botany.org/bsa/misc/carn.html

--

Baal

I smile and go off waving
(Amiably) - for that's my way
"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on
the windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but
when the traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and
undigested.

David.







--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"Baal" wrote in message
.. .
The trap constricts tightly around the insect and secretes digestive
juices, much like those in your stomach. It dissolves the soft, inner
parts of the insect, but not the tough, outer part called the exoskeleton.
At the end of the digestive process, which takes from five to twelve days,
the trap reabsorbs the digestive fluid and then reopens. The leftover
parts of the insect, the exoskeleton, blow away in the wind or are washed
away by rain. The time it takes for the trap to reopen depends on the size
of the insect, temperature, the age of the trap, and the number of times
it has gone through this process.

http://www.botany.org/bsa/misc/carn.html

--

Baal

Thanks for the link, a very good site. It also says they typically have no
more than 7 leaves per rhizome, more than that means they have already
divided. Excellent! This must mean mine can be split up as it has around 40
(plus five flower stems)! Presumably this can be done with ericaceous
compost? I'm tempted to just pot them all up into a new wider pot, they
would look quite effective as a group. Should I wait until Winter to split
it?

David.

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "David (Normandy)"
writes

"K" wrote in message
...
"David (Normandy)" writes
Anyone know how do Venus fly traps digest flies? Mine earns its keep on
the
windowsill by catching an assortment of house flies, gnats etc, but when
the
traps eventually re-open the flies still look intact and undigested.

I've always assumed they digest the soft bits not the hard bits. Are you
sure the flies aren't just empty husks of flies?
--
Kay

They might be. I'll have a prod. I just wondered if the plants put some
sort
of "roots" into the flies, otherwise I can't see how they extract any
goodness from them.

My recollection is that the Venus Fly-Trap (Dionaea muscipula) secretes
enzymes which digest the trapped flies, and absorbs the resulting
nutrients through the leaf surface.

There's a series of articles in New Phytologist - The Secretory Cycle of
Dionaea muscipula Ellis I-V. These should tell you more than want to know.

David.



--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Thanks Stewart - Interesting articles.

David.

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"David \(Normandy\)" writes:

This must mean mine can be split up as it has around 40
(plus five flower stems)! Presumably this can be done with ericaceous
compost?

No, avoid compost. Better to use a mix of plain peat and sand instead.

Anthony

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
Thanks for the link, a very good site. It also says they typically have no
more than 7 leaves per rhizome, more than that means they have already
divided. Excellent! This must mean mine can be split up as it has around
40 (plus five flower stems)! Presumably this can be done with ericaceous
compost? I'm tempted to just pot them all up into a new wider pot, they
would look quite effective as a group. Should I wait until Winter to split
it?

David.

Hi David, if you look at the Carnivorous Plants site
CPUKhttp://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php click 'forum' it should give
loads of tips on traps.
I wouldn't split the plant, but you could repot it in spring - see
http://www.hungryplants.com/id15.htm

I have about 4 VFT seedlings, growing in a tray of 1 part lime free grit, 1
part Pearlite, 1 part peat (lime free). I don't know if they will survive to
adulthood, as this is my first attempt. You could try and save the seeds
from your VFT. Perhaps sow half now and the remainder in Spring?

BD

Venus Fly Traps - How do they digest flies?
 

This is another good site :-
http://www.humboldt.edu/~rrz7001/Dionaea.html

Go to 'Growing Tips' and select the dionea homestead link

BD