Review: Venus Flytrap: How an excitable, carnivorous plant works ($) (Trends Plant Sci)

The one sure-fire way to get children excited about plants is to show them how a Venus flytrap works. But how does it work? We’ve all heard that the trap “counts” the number times it is triggered, and that it requires two or more touches in quick succession to close – but how does it count? Hedrich and Neher have compiled all the answers to questions curious youngsters might throw at you (and many that they probably wouldn’t) in this fine review, from how the Venus flytrap recognizes and digests its prey, to the evolutionary origins of carnivory in plants. It goes without saying that this would be a fun article to read with students. (Summary by Mary Williams) Trends Plant Sci. 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.12.004