Meat-Eating Plant Discovered in Japan

Researchers in Japan have discovered a new species of plant that eats meat, feasting on insects it catches.

Carnivorous plants are a bit uncommon with the most popular one being the Venus Fly trap. Now, a scientist from the Aichi University of Education in Japan announced Saturday the discovery of a new species of plant that eats meat or rather insects that it catches.

The plant was discovered in a place situated in central-south of the main Japanese island known as the Aichi prefecture. The Japanese Times reported that the plant was originally mistaken to be plant Drosera Indica, which is found in Asia. However, a genetic analysis confirmed that the plant was indeed a separate species.

The plant is reportedly one of the four species of the Bladderworts plant and has purple red flowers.

"It is a species which has not been recorded in the Isle of Man for more than 15 years it is a remarkable discovery." The Manx Wildlife Trust's Wildflowers of Mann Project Manager, Andree Dubbeldam, said. "They capture their prey in small sacs (the bladders), where they are slowly digested and nutrients extracted. Because they are able to provide their own nutrients bladderworts survive entirely without roots".

Dubbeldman said that it's not yet known whether the species is the common bladderwort or the greater bladderwort as they do not have a flowering specimen yet. According to Dubbeldam, this could be of the greater bladderwort species. The plant was found to use a suction device to draw in insects, from which it slowly extracts nutrients.

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