Chinese discovery confirms Darwin's prediction on carnivorous plants

(ECNS) -- Chinese scientists have identified a flowering plant species on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau as a new lineage of carnivorous plants, providing evidence for Charles Darwin’s prediction more than 150 years ago. 

A study published on Tuesday found that Saxifraga candelabrum, a flowering plant, can attract, capture and digest insects, while absorbing nitrogen from their bodies.

Researchers observed sticky glandular hairs trapping prey, detected digestive enzyme activity, and confirmed nutrient absorption using isotope-labeled fruit flies.

Led by Sun Hang’s team at the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany, with collaborators from Wuhan Botanical Garden, Jishou University and the University of Florida, the findings resolve a long-standing question over whether certain Saxifraga species possess true carnivorous traits.

In 1875, Darwin proposed that some species of Saxifraga might be carnivorous because they possess sticky glandular hairs capable of trapping insects. However, evidence supporting the hypothesis had remained unavailable until now.

(By Helen Mo, intern Liu Shuangjing)