![]() Carnivorous plants fix carbon from photosynthesis but absorb mineral nutrients, especially N and P, from animal prey, helping them to survive and compete successfully in low-nutrient environments ( 3, 4). However, its glandular hairs capture only small insects, unlike the large bees and butterflies that act as pollinators, which may minimize the conflict between carnivory and pollination.Ĭarnivorous plants, which overturn the usual trophic relationship between plants and animals, have long fascinated humans ( 1) and have been the subject of wide-ranging scientific research since the seminal monograph by Charles Darwin ( 2). Triantha is unique among carnivorous plants in capturing prey solely with sticky traps adjacent to its flowers, contrary to theory. ![]() Glandular hairs on flowering stems secrete phosphatase, as seen in all carnivorous plants that directly digest prey. N obtained via carnivory is exported from the inflorescence and developing fruits and may ultimately be transferred to next year’s leaves. Field experiments, isotopic data, and mixing models demonstrate significant N transfer from prey to Triantha, with an estimated 64% of leaf N obtained from prey capture in previous years, comparable to levels inferred for the cooccurring round-leaved sundew, a recognized carnivore. Here, we report that Triantha occidentalis (Tofieldiaceae) represents a previously overlooked carnivorous lineage that captures insects on sticky inflorescences. Carnivorous plants consume animals for mineral nutrients that enhance growth and reproduction in nutrient-poor environments.
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