title: Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae.
abstract: We review trapping mechanisms in the carnivorous flowering plant family Droseraceae (order Caryophyllales). Its members are generally known to attract, capture, retain and digest prey animals (mainly arthropods) with active snap-traps (Aldrovanda, Dionaea) or with active sticky flypaper traps (Drosera) and to absorb the resulting nutrients. Recent investigations revealed how the snap-traps of Aldrovanda vesiculosa (waterwheel plant) and Dionaea muscipula (Venus' flytrap) work mechanically and how these apparently similar devices differ as to their functional morphology and shutting mechanics. The Sundews (Drosera spp.) are generally known to possess leaves covered with glue-tentacles that both can bend toward and around stuck prey. Recently, it was shown that there exists in this genus a higher diversity of different tentacle types and trap configurations than previously known which presumably reflect adaptations to different prey spectra. Based on these recent findings, we finally comment on possible ways for intrafamiliar trap evolution.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biomechanics Group; Botanic Garden; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poppinga
authors.forename: Siegfried R H
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hartmeyer
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masselter
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hartmeyer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Speck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D031257:Droseraceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aldrovanda; Dionaea; Drosera; carnivorous plant; catapult-flypaper-trap; snap-trap; sticky flypaper trap