Blue Fluorescent Emissions from Carnivorous Plant Attracts Prey: Indian Scientists

     Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India have reported a new prey capture mechanism in some species of carnivorous plants. They found the existence of distinct blue fluorescence emissions at the 'capture spots' of Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Drosera, Pinguicula, Dionaea muscipula and Utricularia stellaris at UV 366 nm. When the capture spot was masked by coating a non-fluorescent extract, the pray capture was drastically reduced. The study has been published as a short research paper in  the current issue of  'Plant Biology' 

Drosera - Carnivorous Plant from Jharkhand, India

Dr. Sutanu Lal Bondya
Assistant Professor
PG Dept of Botany, SKM University
Dumka, Jharkhand, India
E-mail: sutanubondya_8@rediffmail.com

        Drosera sp. commonly known as sundews belongs to family droseraceae and is one of the largest genera of carnivrous plants. IUCN in their 'Red Data List' has listed atleast seven genera of Drosera including Indian Sundew - Drosera indica which has been categorised under least concern. Author reports a species of Drosera from Dumka district of Jharkhand, India.

Traditional uses of Drosera

It was found from the local elderly farmers and dwellers that this plant used to grow surrounding the rice field which is usually  little elevated from the remaining field so as to demarcate the individual field. Interestingly farmer was aware of  it's biological pest control, however not scientific. They use to leave the plant as it is. Still they reports that their number has decreased and this may be because people are more use to with chemical pesticides ignoring the natural control of pests. Phyto-sociological disturbance may be another reason for its decrease in number. It is also being used as ethnomedicine by the local healers as one of the ingredients of  ethnic-polyherbal formulation.

Drosera sp. from Dumka, Jharkhand, India    Photo: Dr. Sutanu Lal Bondya

Conservation

This 'red data' listed plant needs more attention and proper conservation is required. As this plant is ethnomedicinally important and can be used as natural control for pests, it can be explored more scientifically and systematically.

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RSVP

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