SummaryAlthough the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) can be considered as one of the most extensively investigated carnivorous plants, knowledge is still scarce about diversity of the snap-trap motion, the functionality of snap traps under varying environmental conditions, and their opening motion. By conducting simple snap-trap closure experiments in air and under water, we present striking evidence that adult Dionaea snaps similarly fast in aerial and submersed states and, hence, is potentially able to gain nutrients from fast aquatic prey during seasonal inundation. We reveal three snapping modes of adult traps, all incorporating snap buckling, and show that millimeter-sized, much slower seedling traps do not yet incorporate such elastic instabilities. Moreover, opening kinematics of young and adult Dionaea snap traps reveal that reverse snap buckling is not performed, corroborating the assumption that growth takes place on certain trap lobe regions. Our findings are discussed in an evolutionary, biomechanical, functional–morphological and biomimetic context.
Langsame Pflanzenbewegungen laufen vornehmlich mit hydraulischen “Motoren” ab, d. h. die auftretenden Verformungen werden durch eine Verschiebung von Wasser zwischen Zellen und Geweben hervorgerufen. Vor allem bei großen und schnellen Strukturen (zum Beispiel den Schnappfallen der carnivoren Venusfliegenfalle) treten elastische Instabilitäten auf und beschleunigen den Bewegungsvorgang deutlich. Die bei den vorgestellten carnivoren Pflanzen zur Anwendung kommenden mechanischen “Tricks” lassen sich in abstrahierter Form mittels einfacher physikalischer Handmodelle veranschaulichen und tragen zum Verständnis der involvierten Prozesse bei.
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