A variety of pinguicula plants, commonly known as butterworts, have bloomed in the greenhouse of Chenshan Botanical Garden.
Pinguicula are famous insectivorous plants named after their violet-colored flowers. The plants' leaves form a rosette pattern around the base. They are also crisp and juicy, covered with glandular hairs that secrete mucus.
The plants trap insects in a way similar to flypaper. Its gorgeous flower and the smell secreted from glands on the surface of the leaf attracts insects which become stuck on the leaf. Some kinds of pinguicula have leaves that curl inwards at the edges and trap the insect inside. The insects cannot escape and eventually are digested by digestive fluid secreted by the leaf.
At present, various pinguicula are in bloom in Chenshan Botanical Garden. Tourists can visit and appreciate the plants' insectivorous techniques.
Insectivorous plants in bloom in Chenshan |
Insectivorous plants in bloom in Chenshan |