Mimosa pudica (aka sensitive/shy plant) is known for its crazy fast
movement. when stimulated, the cells in each leaf flush out their
potassium ions from the central vacuole- the part of the cell that
stores water. When the vacuole is deflated, the leaves lose their
rigidity(turgor) and collapse inward.
Drosera petiolaris
Located in the Andes Mountains, in Spanish it’s called llareta, and it’s a member of the Apiaceae
family, which makes it a cousin to parsley, carrots and fennel. But
being a desert plant, high up in Chile’s extraordinarily dry Atacama, it
grows very, very slowly — a little over a centimeter a year.
Edithcolea grandis by scott.zona on Flickr (cc)
Even the tiniest butterwort plant can catch itself some dinner!
Chilean carnivorous plant could kill you
Studies of the components of the Chilean species, Aristolochia chilensis
confirmed the damage attributed to the ingestion of aristolochic acid
in plants of the genus Aristolochia, plant and component consumed as
“natural medicine” throughout the world.
Aristolochic acids are responsible for causing major
damage than caused by smoke nicotine or ultraviolet radiation in
relation to its ability to produce multiple mutations in hundreds or
even thousands of genes, many more than any other carcinogen. These
qualities led him to become the “greatest genotoxic agent discovered" the danger of the compounds can cause mutations associated with tumors of the urinary tract, kidneys and liver.
The aristolochic acid has been – and continues to be – used for the
treatment of eczema, acne, liver symptoms, arthritis, and chronic pain.
Reference: Ling
Poon, 2013 Genome-Wide Mutational Signatures of Aristolochic Acid and
Its Application as a Screening Tool. Sci Transl Med 7 August 2013.
Photo: Diego Almendras
Hydnora africana is an achlorophyllous plant native to southern Africa that is parasitic on the roots of members of the Euphorbiaceae family. The plant grows underground, except for a fleshy flower that emerges above ground and emits an odor of feces to attract its natural pollinators, dung beetles, and carrion beetles.The flowers act as temporary traps, retaining the beetles that enter long enough for them to pick up pollen.
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