Drosera: from the Greek droseros, "dewy," referring to the gland-tipped hairs on the leaves that make them look moist (contributed by Cynthia Powell)

Wikipedia: The plant feeds on insects, which are attracted to the glistening drops of mucilage, loaded with a sugary substance, covering its leaves. It has evolved this carnivorous behaviour in response to its habitat, which is usually poor in nutrients or is so acidic that nutrient availability is severely decreased. The plant uses enzymes to dissolve the insects ? which become stuck to the glandular tentacles ? and extract ammonia (from proteins) and other nutrients from their bodies.[5] The ammonia replaces the nitrogen that other plants absorb from the soil, and plants that are placed in a high-nitrogen environment rely less upon nitrogen from captured insects.[6] It has been assumed that insects were also attracted to the bright red color of the common sundew, but studies using artificial traps have suggested that color does not affect prey attraction.[7] New climates have been discovered with new plant growth but don?t have the food associated with the requirements for growth. In areas that lack this food associated for growth, new studies have been conducted to determine how these plants are able to grow in these diverse climates where these plants area able to flourish. In a study by L.M. Thoren et al. posted in New Phytologist, the carnivory of the Drosera rotundifolia was tested against growing conditions where the plant's insect prey was not sufficient to promote proper growth. The group tested the plants ability to grow with limited prey but increased inorganic nutrients within the soil. The results revealed the ability of the plant to utilize the nutrients over the normal prey which caused the reduction in carnivory investment of the plant. These results showed that the plant would adapt to the current environment for growth utilizing available resources as food. (contributed by Cynthia Powell)