Roridula (pronounced /ɹɔːɹɪduːlə/) is a South African genus of plants that, whilst having many of the adaptations of a carnivorous plant, such as the possession of insect-trapping sticky hairs, does not directly digest the animals it traps. Instead, it is mutualistic with a species of bug, Pameridea roridulae (a type of capsid bug), which feeds on the trapped insects. The plant obtains nutrients from the droppings of this symbiotic insect. Whether this plant is regarded as carnivorous or protocarnivorous is essentially a matter of style. The genus contains just two species, Roridula gorgonias Planch. and Roridula dentata L., and is the only genus in the family Roridulaceae.
Misassigned taxa
References
- Anderson, B. 2005. Adaptations to Foliar Absorption of Faeces: a Pathway in Plant Carnivory. Annals of Botany 95(5): 757–761. doi:10.1093/aob/mci082
External links
|
