Ever since renowned biologist Charles Darwin proclaimed in 1875 that the carnivorous Venus flytrap was one of the “most wonderful” plants in the world, scientists have been trying to work out how it snaps shut so quickly on its prey. Plants are not known for their speed, but the flytrap.A research team has now snapped a key piece of the puzzle in place. Experiments showed that, after an insect crawls into the flytrap’s maw, cells on the outer surface of the hinged leaf that forms the plant’s ‘mouth’ soften. This allows the leaf to change shape and hinge shut. Ever since Darwin admired the “rapidity” of the Venus flytrap, researchers have been solving its mysteries one by one. Some studies have shown that when insects stimulate ‘hairs’ in the plant’s mouth, an electrical impulse runs across the leaf, triggering it to imprison and digest its prey2. Should Venus flytraps be classifed as “animals” ?
