Venus's-flytrap, insectivorous or carnivorous bog plant (
Dionaea muscipula ) native to the Carolina savannas and now
widely cultivated as a novelty. The leaves, borne in a low
rosette, resemble bear traps. They are hinged at the midrib,
each half bearing sensitive bristles; when a bristle is
touched—as by an insect—the halves snap shut and the marginal
teeth interlock to imprison the insect until it has been
digested. Related genera of insectivorous bog plants, notably
the widespread sundews (genus Drosera ), are found in many other
parts of the world. Venus's-flytrap is classified in the
division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order
Nepenthalesniales, family Droseraceae. The Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University
Press. All rights reserved. More on Venus's-flytrap from Fact
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