Plants that trap and eat their prey beneath the ground

Three new carnivorous plant species have been discovered in Brazilian savannah which trap and devour its prey, especially worms, underground. Philcoxia minensis, Philcoxia goiasensis and Philcoxia bahiensis -- are all found in the Brazilian high savannah. They are extremely rare and were first described by Kew botanist Peter Taylor.

These plants, which are actually relatives of the popular snapdragon garden flowers, have an unusual network of sticky leaves underground. These leaves allow the plants to trap and digest worms, and possibly other creatures, that stray onto their sticky surfaces in the soil.

While there are many species of carnivorous plants that use insects, frogs and even small mammals to supplement the nutrients they need to grow, none have ever been found to trap their prey beneath the ground. With this discovery, botanists now believe there could be many other plants that use this previously unrecognized method of killing and consuming animals. The researchers who took a closer look at the plants found there were the remains of worms stuck to the upper surfaces of the leaves underground.

Most common carnivorous plants use leaves above the ground to trap their prey. Pitcher plants fold their leaves into containers that hold a digestive soup which insects fall into, while the Venus Fly trap snaps its leaves shut on prey that walk onto them. But, the kind of trapping these plants use is quite different.

As per the researchers Dr Peter Fritsch, "The first time I saw these plants I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I have never seen anything like them before. The soil they grow in is very poor and sandy. Their roots basically just provide support but they have leaves that grow underground too."

Scientist are now looking forward for some genetic population work to find other related species.