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Darwin’s Theory in Carnivorous Plant

August 8 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 53 0

Scientists confirmed Charles Darwin’s 150-year-old prediction that the plant Saxifraga candelabrum is an insect-eating (carnivorous) plant.
The study showed that the plant attracts and traps tiny insects using sticky hair-like structures called glandular trichomes.
Researchers found that the plant uses an enzyme called phosphatase to digest trapped insects and absorb nutrients.
Isotope labelling confirmed the transfer of nitrogen-15 from insects to the plant, proving nutrient absorption from prey.
Saxifraga candelabrum grows at high altitudes (2,500–3,300 metres) in China’s Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and Hengduan Mountains.