those on sundew leaves and are not easily visible to the naked eye. However, 

 they give the surface of the leaf a shiny appearance and a greasy feel. Tiny 

 flies or other small insects are trapped as they cross or light on the leaf. 

 Digestive glands on the leaf surface break down the prey and some nutrients 

 are absorbed. The name butterwort is of uncertain origin. Perhaps it refers 

 to the buttery feel of the leaf surface, or maybe it is derived from the Euro- 

 pean custom of placing leaves or juices of this plant in milk to curdle it. 



Bladderworts 



The bladderworts are relatives of the butterworts but have a different 

 form and trapping strategy. In bladderworts, the plant body has been modified 

 to the extent that even botanists have not come to agreement as to what parts 

 should be called leaves or stems. Most bladderworts are aquatic and produce 

 masses of branched, green, stem-like structures in the water. In Conecuh 

 National Forest, three species inhabit wet soil and seven are aquatic. The 

 bladders, which entrap prey, are borne on the stem-like portions by the 

 thousands or hundreds of thousands. Bladders are small, usually less than 1/4 

 inch across; in some species they are so tiny that they are difficult to see. 

 Bladders are sack-like structures with a hinged door at one end. Outside the 

 door are sensitive hairs. Contact with the hairs by a small animal, such as a 

 mosquito larva, causes the bladder to rapidly expand, sucking in everything 

 in the vicinity as the door snaps open. The bladder expands so rapidly, at 

 least in 1 /500th of a second, that the movement cannot be seen with the 

 naked eye. It seems odd that one of the fastest movements among all living 

 things is the movement of a plant. If a tiny animal is trapped, digestive 

 substances break down its body and the plant absorbs the nutrients through 

 the wall of the bladder. 



Pitcher plants 



The pitcher plants are the most obvious and well-known of the types of 

 carnivorous plants in the South. Of eight species of pitcher plants that in- 

 habit the southeastern United States, five occur in Conecuh National Forest. 



The stems of pitcher plants, called rhizomes, lie beneath the soil. Leaves 

 and flowers are produced above the ground. The most obvious leaves are 

 the tubular pitchers, the parts that trap insects. Some have less conspicuous 

 leaves, the phyllodia, which resemble more typical plant leaves. Insects are 

 lured into the pitchers by nectar and by the flower-like appearance. Slippery 

 surfaces, long hairs, and the narrowness of the tube make escape difficult. 

 The opening to the pitcher tube is partly covered by a hood-like projection 

 that may prevent rain from diluting the digestive substances and washing 

 out prey. Bacterial action also functions to break down prey. The bright- 

 colored pitchers of some species are often mistaken for flowers. However, 

 the flowers of carnivorous plants are not involved in the capture of prey 

 although many are beautiful and interesting. 



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