Question

Which of these plants is not an insect-eating plant?
A) Pitcher plant
B) Eucalyptus
C) Venus flytrap
D) Sundews

Answer 1

Hint: Insect-eating plants are called the insectivorous plants. They are heterotrophs. They lack chlorophyll and cannot prepare their own food. They trap and absorb nutrients from the insects.

Complete answer:
Plants are characterised as organisms that can prepare their own food. They follow the autotrophic mode of nutrition as they convert the sunlight into glucose by the process of photosynthesis. But certain plants lack chlorophyll and are not able to prepare the food. They feed on insects and derive nutrition from them. These plants are heterotrophs and derive nutrition from the insects they trap and consume.

Let us discuss the example of few insectivorous plants.
Pitcher plant- It is a carnivorous plant that has specialised leaves which are called pitfall traps. They trap insects/prey in the trap which is filled with digestive enzymes. The plant secretes nectar to attract its prey.

Venus flytrap- It feeds on insects and arachnids. The leaves are modified as trapping structure which consists of tiny hairs or sensitive hairs on the inner surface. When the prey comes in contact with the hairs the trap closes. It recognises the prey and digests it. The picture below shows the sensitive hairs of the Venus flytrap.

Sundew- These plants belong to the family Droseraceae. They are carnivorous plants that have mucilaginous glands present on the surface of the leaf to trap prey. The secretion of the glands looks like dew drops hence they are named sundew. They capture and digest prey.

Whereas the Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree. They are autotrophs and can prepare their own food. They vary in size from small shrubs to huge trees. They bear leaves, flowers and also secrete oil which is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. They also yield timber. The plants are found in forest habitat.

So from the above discussion, we can conclude that Eucalyptus is not an insect-eating plant. The correct answer is B.

Note: The carnivorous plants can survive even in the poor nutrient soil. They convert the nutrients like proteins, urea, amino acids etc. present in the prey to nitrogen and phosphorus which is essential for the growth and development of plants.