Genlisea margaretae

Genlisea margaretae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lentibulariaceae
Genus:	Genlisea
Subgenus:	Genlisea
Species:	G. margaretae
Binomial name
Genlisea margaretae Hutch. (1946)
Synonyms
Genlisea recurva Bosser (1959)

Genlisea recurva Bosser (1959)

Genlisea margaretae is a carnivorous species in the genus Genlisea (family Lentibulariaceae) native to areas of Madagascar, Tanzania, and Zambia. It has pale bundles of root-like organs up to about 20 cm long under ground that attract, trap, and digest protozoans. These organs are subterranean leaves, which lack chlorophyll. It had been known to possess the smallest known genome of any flowering plant as of 2006, but was later surpassed by the related species Genlisea tuberosa.

G. margaretae is a perennial herb that forms small, compact rosettes composed of nearly linear leaves about 2 mm wide. Leaves are typically 5–50 mm in length, but most of that length, including the petiole, is hidden beneath the soil. It has no true roots and instead has highly modified subterranean leaves that act as the carnivorous trapping mechanism.

The inflorescences, which can grow to be 20–60 cm tall, emerge from the center of the rosette and produce mauve or violet-colored flowers. Each inflorescence can produce more than 10 flowers on a congested raceme. The upper part of the inflorescences is densely covered with glandular trichomes while the lower part has fewer trichomes and is often glabrous. Individual flowers have rounded upper lips on the corolla instead of being lobed and a relatively straight spur.

...
Wikipedia