Venus flytrap
Dionaea muscipula
Homeland - coastal regions of one of the US states - North Carolina.
Externally the plant looks like a rosette of long-petioled leaves, 10-25 cm high. In the upper part of the petiole are broadened. In young plants they are shortened. The leaf is triangular-cordate, 3-8 cm long, folded along the central vein, long hairs at the margin, three sensitive hairs at the top of the leaf blade.
The trap sheet is slammed even if the insect touches two of the three sensitive hairs or to one twice in a row. After the trap is slammed, the sheet acquires a cylindrical shape, and the hairs form a "lock" through which the insects can not escape.
In this condition, the leaf is up to 40 hours. At the same time, digestive glands secrete substances( primarily pepsin) that affect the protein connections of the body of insects.
On the long peduncles small-flowered inflorescence umbrellas are formed from rather large flowers.
Venus flytrap is one of the most common species in the culture, so there are quite a few varieties.
Guant - a powerful plant with large leaves-traps, up to 5 cm in length, painted in a purple color. The intensity of the color increases in the bright sun.
Akai Ryi - not only leaf blades, but also petioles, are colored in purple color.
Regular - A very elegant rounded rosette with young green and purple color with more mature leaves.
Courtship. Venus flytrap is quite tolerant to the conditions of cultivation. In natural conditions, it easily tolerates both short-term drought and flooding. It grows on scanty sandy soils with a high level of groundwater.
For successful growth, it needs intensive lighting, but without direct sunlight at noon. It reacts very well to fresh air.
The temperature is maintained at 22-26 ° C, in winter it is reduced to 7-10 ° C.
Watering should be abundant, it is best to put the flytrap in a paludarium. The optimum humidity is 60-70%.Pour soft or cooled boiled water. Spraying is not recommended, as the leaves easily rot. Some authors advise watering by submerging a pot into rainwater for 1 hour twice a week. The soil must be breathable, loose, with a high content of peat. The mixture of peat, sphagnum, sand in equal proportions is most suitable, the pH level is weakly acidic. Add fertilization once every two weeks with a dilute solution of mineral fertilizers. Scientists specializing in the study of insectivorous plants are advised sometimes to "feed" the flycatcher with dead mosquitoes, flies and even small pieces of meat, carefully placing them on the surface of the leaf.
Poultry fly pests are susceptible to attack by aphids.
Propagate a plant by dividing old specimens, leaf cuttings, scales of pseudobulbs, less often seeds that are sown in the spring, at a temperature of 18-22 ° C.They germinate in 20-40 days. Picks take place after the development of 3-4 traps.