A tiny tender trap

  • 03/04/1998

  • Economist (London)

Wilhelm Barthlott and his colleagues report that Genlisea's (a carnivorus plant) traps always seem to be empty because the animals they trap are visible only under a microscope. Genlisea are related to the snapdragon, a common garden plant, and are found in South America and Africa. They seem to prefer living in sand or in rocky outcrops.