Scientists have discovered a special kind of plant that lives in Brazils tropical savannah region. It is called Philcoxia minensis. This plant has sticky underground leaves that capture and digest worms. Rafael Silva Oliveira, a plant ecologist at State University of Campinas in Brazil, wondered why this plant had eveolved subterranean leaves that obviuosly had trouble photosythesizing. She hypothesized that the leaves serve to capture animals in the soil. In order to test this, they loaded nematoads with nitrogen-15 and placed them in a lab setting along with the plant. Later chemical analysis of the underground leaves revealed significant amounts of nitrogen-15, suggesting the plant broke down and absorbed the worms.
This is an example of hypothesis based science. The researcher hypothesized that the underground leaves eat nematoads in the soil. They tested it, and were correct.
These finding are an example of the bizarre ways plants can absorb nutrients from thier environments.
Source; HT Media
Title; Carnivorous plant eating worms discovered
Date; January 11, 2012
Journal; Techno-Guru
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