Catapulting Tentacles in a Sticky Carnivorous Plant

Poppinga, Simon; Hartmeyer, Siegfried R. H.; Seidel, Robin; Masselter, Tom; Hartmeyer, Irmgard; Speck, Thomas

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045735

Cited by 45 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Here they are smaller, more densely arranged in one or two rows (Fig. 2C and D) and help the trap to quickly draw caught prey toward the center of the sticky leaf 31 , 34 …”

Section: The Compound Traps Of Droseramentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae

Poppinga

Hartmeyer²,

Masselter

et al. 2013

Plant Signaling & Behavior

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We review trapping mechanisms in the carnivorous flowering plant family Droseraceae (order Caryophyllales). Its members are generally known to attract, capture, retain and digest prey animals (mainly arthropods) with active snap-traps (Aldrovanda, Dionaea) or with active sticky flypaper traps (Drosera) and to absorb the resulting nutrients. Recent investigations revealed how the snap-traps of Aldrovanda vesiculosa (waterwheel plant) and Dionaea muscipula (Venus’ flytrap) work mechanically and how these apparently similar devices differ as to their functional morphology and shutting mechanics. The Sundews (Drosera spp.) are generally known to possess leaves covered with glue-tentacles that both can bend toward and around stuck prey. Recently, it was shown that there exists in this genus a higher diversity of different tentacle types and trap configurations than previously known which presumably reflect adaptations to different prey spectra. Based on these recent findings, we finally comment on possible ways for intrafamiliar trap evolution.

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“…Here they are smaller, more densely arranged in one or two rows (Fig. 2C and D) and help the trap to quickly draw caught prey toward the center of the sticky leaf 31 , 34 …”

Section: The Compound Traps Of Droseramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2D): These are bilaterally symmetric, glue-free snap tentacles that irreversibly bend within less than a tenth of a second 24 , 31 , 34 . This tentacle type is only known from D. glanduligera (section Coelophylla ) which grows as a basal rosette.…”

Section: The Compound Traps Of Droseramentioning

confidence: 99%

Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae

Poppinga

Hartmeyer²,

Masselter

et al. 2013

Plant Signaling & Behavior

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“…Shape-changing materials are not very prevalent in synthetic systems but are widespread in nature, particularly in plants [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] . Because of the limited chemical resources and processing conditions, plants have evolved mechanisms that rely on their internal heterogeneous architecture to achieve shape change upon external stimulus [9][10][11][12] .…”

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confidence: 99%

Self-shaping composites with programmable bioinspired microstructures

et al. 2013

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Shape change is a prevalent function apparent in a diverse set of natural structures, including seed dispersal units, climbing plants and carnivorous plants. Many of these natural materials change shape by using cellulose microfibrils at specific orientations to anisotropically restrict the swelling/shrinkage of their organic matrices upon external stimuli. This is in contrast to the material-specific mechanisms found in synthetic shape-memory systems. Here we propose a robust and universal method to replicate this unusual shape-changing mechanism of natural systems in artificial bioinspired composites. The technique is based upon the remote control of the orientation of reinforcing inorganic particles within the composite using a weak external magnetic field. Combining this reinforcement orientational control with swellable/ shrinkable polymer matrices enables the creation of composites whose shape change can be programmed into the material's microstructure rather than externally imposed. Such bioinspired approach can generate composites with unusual reversibility, twisting effects and site-specific programmable shape changes.

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“…During the initial downstroke, the tip of the lid reached peak velocities of nearly 1.5 ms −1 and maximum accelerations of almost 300 ms −2 , similar to the take-off speed and acceleration of some jumping insects (38). Peak lid velocity is also an order of magnitude faster than the snap traps of the Venus flytrap (8) and the catapulting tentacles of the sundew Drosera glanduligera (15). The only known carnivorous plant movement that exceeds the N. gracilis movement in speed is the rapid opening of the Utricularia suction traps (9,17).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Examples of active traps are the snap traps of Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytrap) and Aldrovanda vesiculosa, the suction traps of bladderworts (genus Utricularia), and the moving flypaper tentacles of Drosera sundews (11). A common feature of these traps is their reliance on rapid movements that are triggered by the prey and activated through electrophysiological signaling processes (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). In contrast, passive traps do not move and rely entirely on physical obstructions, slippery surfaces, and sticky secretions to capture prey (11).…”

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confidence: 99%

Mechanism for rapid passive-dynamic prey capture in a pitcher plant

Bauer

Paulin

Robert

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Plants use rapid movements to disperse seed, spores, or pollen and catch animal prey. Most rapid-release mechanisms only work once and, if repeatable, regaining the prerelease state is a slow and costly process. We present an encompassing mechanism for a rapid, repeatable, passive-dynamic motion used by a carnivorous pitcher plant to catch prey. Nepenthes gracilis uses the impact of rain drops to catapult insects from the underside of the canopy-like pitcher lid into the fluid-filled trap below. High-speed video and laser vibrometry revealed that the lid acts as a torsional spring system, driven by rain drops. During the initial downstroke, the tip of the lid reached peak velocities similar to fast animal motions and an order of magnitude faster than the snap traps of Venus flytraps and catapulting tentacles of the sundew Drosera glanduligera. In contrast to these active movements, the N. gracilis lid oscillation requires neither mechanical preloading nor metabolic energy, and its repeatability is only limited by the intensity and duration of rainfall. The underside of the lid is coated with friction-reducing wax crystals, making insects more vulnerable to perturbations. We show that the trapping success of N. gracilis relies on the combination of material stiffness adapted for momentum transfer and the antiadhesive properties of the wax crystal surface. The impact-driven oscillation of the N. gracilis lid represents a new kind of rapid plant movement with adaptive function. Our findings establish the existence of a continuum between active and passive trapping mechanisms in carnivorous plants.

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Catapulting Tentacles in a Sticky Carnivorous Plant

Cited by 45 publications

References 13 publications

Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae

Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae

Self-shaping composites with programmable bioinspired microstructures

Mechanism for rapid passive-dynamic prey capture in a pitcher plant

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