'Immobilized assassin' under the sand

The underground leaves help a tree in Brazil catch and digest worms, a unique way of capturing prey in carnivorous plants that now biologists know.

Philcoxia minensis is the name of a tree growing on sand in the tropical savanna areas of Brazil. Their average body height is about 26cm and their flowers are purple and white. In addition to the usual 5-10 leaves (only a few millimeters wide) on the ground that have photosynthesis function due to sunlight, they also have a lot of small leaves like pins on the sand. The underground leaves release a substance with a very high stickiness that prevents worms from escaping if they are touched, Live Science reports.

Philcoxia minensis grows on sand in Brazil.

'People often think that leaves perform photosynthetic functions to create nutrients for plants. So at first we were surprised because the leaves of Philcoxia minensis grow under the sand - where very little sunlight is received , ' said Professor Rafael Silva Oliveira, a plant ecologist of Campinas University in Brazil. expression.

Oliveira and her colleagues studied Philcoxia minensis and found that they were able to digest the nematode. They also found that the leaves under their sand contain digestive enzymes like many other carnivorous plants. So the team concluded that the viscous leaves of the plant caught worms and secreted enzymes to digest the bait.

Flowers of the tree Philcoxia minensis. (Photo: Rafael Silva Oliveira)

'I think the new discovery has helped people to expand their awareness of plants. For some people, plants are boring things because they don't move or actively hunt. But in fact plants have created a number of unique solutions to survive in harsh environments. Only most of the solution is secret, so people don't see it , 'Oliveira commented.

Predatory plants usually grow in areas with harsh environments - where there is not much water and nutrients. Because they cannot get enough protein from the soil, they must add animal protein. Predatory plants often catch insects, but some species, such as warm plants, can catch small mice. Scientists say people have not yet discovered all the predatory plants on the planet.