Carnivorous Plants Quiz

Question: About how many carnivorous plant species are there?

Answer: There are more than 600 carnivorous plant species, and the ability to catch and digest prey has evolved independently at least six times among flowering plants.

Question: What do carnivorous plants rely on for energy?

Answer: Carnivorous plants are photosynthetic  and rely on light for energy; they do not “eat” insects and other prey as a source of energy.

Question: Why do carnivorous plants need to capture prey?

Answer: Carnivorous plants need to capture prey to supplement nitrogen and other nutrients that the plants’ roots do not frequently encounter in their harsh environments. 

Question: Which kind of pitcher plant has been known to trap and digest salamanders?

Answer: The purple pitcher plant has been known to trap and digest salamanders. It has heavily veined, green to reddish, flaring, juglike leaves that bear downward-pointing bristles to keep prey from escaping.

Question: Which is not a carnivorous plant?

Answer: The cattail is not a carnivorous plant; butterworts, sweet pitcher plants, and cobra plants are all carnivorous.

Question: Which kind of carnivorous pitcher plant, found in limited areas of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, is critically endangered?

Answer: The green pitcher plant, found in limited areas of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, is critically endangered.

Question: How do sundews and butterworts trap victims?

Answer: Sundews and butterworts are two carnivorous plant species that trap victims with adhesive leaves. The upper surface of the sundew’s leaves is covered with flexible, gland-tipped trichomes (plant hairs) that exude a sticky substance to attract and entrap insects and other small prey.