There is something about a plant eating an animal that makes it all the more beautiful. Indeed, even without carnivory, the beauty of these highly adapted plant species is up there with the fanciest of horticultural creations. Nowhere is this fact more apparent than in a recently described species of plant from Brazil. Philcoxia minensis has only been known to science since 1981 and the way in which it has adapted to catching its prey is rather incredible.
Native to montane savannas of southeastern Brazil, these delicate members of the family Scrophulariaceae grow in nutrient poor, sandy habitats. They seem rather delicate with only a thin flowering stalk readily apparent above the soil line. The botanists who first discovered this species made an interesting observation, the leaves of this plant grow mostly underground. Though they do contain functional chloroplasts, it was initially assumed that they served little function.
As it turns out, the leaves can in fact photosynthesize. The white sands that these plants grow in likely permit just enough light to penetrate down into the clear grains, allowing photosynthesis to happen. However, this is not the strangest thing about Philcoxia. Since this genus was first described, botanists have taken interest in the glandular stalks on the leaves. They noted that they were quite sticky and hypothesized that Philcoxia minensis may be carnivorous.
Initial investigations into this were not conclusive. Recently, however, this has changed. A study published in 2012 used special nitrogen markers to look deeper into the potential carnivorous habits of this plant. What they found was quite amazing. As it turns out, there is very strong evidence that Philcoxia minensis uses its sticky traps to capture and eat nematodes under the soil. Not only is Philcoxia new to science, it also offers us yet another view into the many different ways plants have evolved to obtain precious nutrients in harsh environments.
Photo Credit: Caio G. Pereiraa, Daniela P. Almenarab, Carlos E. Winterb, Peter W. Fritschc, Hans Lambersd, and Rafael S. Oliveira
Further Reading:
http://www.pnas.org/content/109/4/1154.abstract
http://www.jstor.org/discover/4117770?sid=21105606841053&uid=2