Can eat the vegetable of insect! New record species found in Chongqing

Although it's a plant, it has a big appetite. In just 30 minutes, flies, dragonflies, moths and other insects of different sizes have become its "dishes"!

It is a new record species found recently in Chongqing - caltrop rotundifolia!

The picture shows the flower and the whole plant of caltrop rotundifolia. Map provided by Chongqing Wulipo National Nature Reserve Management Office

In late June, Zhou Houlin, senior engineer of Wulipo National Nature Reserve in Chongqing, was pleasantly surprised to find a plant that can prey on insects -- caltrop rotundifolia“ In just 30 minutes, we saw flies, dragonflies, moths and other insects of different sizes fall into the elaborate red traps of the round leaf caltrop and become a big meal of the caltrop. " Zhou Houlin recalled.

According to the introduction, Drosera rotundifolia is a kind of perennial insectivorous herb of the genus calophyllaceae. According to the records of flora of China, round leaf caltrop is produced in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. It is distributed in the cold regions of central and Northern Europe, Asia and North America.

How to attract bees and butterflies? There is a good way to eat insects“ Drosera rotundifolia, the genus name of which means dewdrop, refers to the glandular hairs on the leaf margin, and the top of which is expanded like dewdrop. The word rotundifolia means round leaves Zhou Houlin explained that the top of glandular hairs on the leaf edge of the round leaf caltrop is as crystal clear as dew, and often presents bright colors. It is full of glands, which can secrete the mixture of honey and mucus and digestive enzymes that attract insects. Its appearance is like a crystal embedded with ruby. When it can't resist the temptation of insects to eat, it finds that it has been stuck, struggling in panic, As a result, the glandular hairs around bend together, and sometimes the leaves will roll up and stick more firmly. The beautiful ruby becomes a death trap for insects. When the inescapable insects are digested and absorbed by these glandular hairs, the leaves and glandular hairs are expanded again, waiting for new prey.

The round leaf thatched cabbage eats moths. Map provided by Chongqing Wulipo National Nature Reserve Management Office

"It is of great significance to find this species at an altitude of 2000 meters in Wulipo National Nature Reserve, Chongqing." According to Zhou Houlin, the key to vascular plants in Chongqing and the biodiversity of Wulipo Nature Reserve in Chongqing have been checked. At present, there is only one species of caltrop in Chongqing. Caltrop rotundifolia is discovered for the first time in Wulipo and even the whole Chongqing, which is a new record species in Chongqing city.

It is reported that Chongqing Wulipo National Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of Wushan County, Chongqing, close to Hubei Shennongjia National Park. The reserve is located in the northern edge of the mid subtropical zone and the southern end of the warm and humid zone, where tropical plants and temperate plants have left footprints. Especially during the Quaternary glacial period, many rare plants were protected by the barrier function of Qinling Mountains, Daba Mountains and Wushan mountains. At present, 3001 species of vascular plants have been found in Wulipo National Nature Reserve. At present, Wulipo in Chongqing is being declared as a world natural heritage site. According to the draft resolution published on the official website of the World Heritage Center, the proposal of fine boundary adjustment for Chongqing Wulipo to be included in Shennongjia World Natural Heritage in Hubei Province of China is approved, and the proposal of "passing" the boundary adjustment is put forward. The final result will be announced at the 44th World Heritage conference held in Fuzhou, China from July 16 to July 31 this year.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Management Office of Chongqing Wulipo National Nature Reserve, the distribution of caltrop rotundifolia in Chongqing Wulipo National Nature Reserve further proves that this area is one of the important hotspots of biodiversity and a rare natural species gene pool in Southwest China. It is of great significance to study the origin, evolution, distribution, protection and utilization of this amazing species.