Genlisea

Genlisea (pronounced /dʒɛnlɪsiːə/), the corkscrew plant, is a genus of approximately 21 species of carnivorous plant in the family Lentibulariaceae. Occurring in tropical Africa, Madagascar and Brazil, Genlisea is unique in the plant kingdom for specializing in protozoa and for attracting its prey chemically.

These plants are terrestrials or semi-aquatics. They consist of a single stem with small basal rosette of leaves, and a single flower, colored yellow or purple.

They have very unusual traps, which are essentially underground. They are a pair of thin tubes joined in an inverted 'V' shape, with spiral grooves down their lengths that allow the entrance of soil-borne invertebrates. The grooves are lined with inward-pointing hairs that prevent the prey from escaping, and which force the prey items to move towards the centre of the tube. From there, prey are ferried toward the apex of the 'V', where they are digested, furnishing the plant with nutrients lacking from the impoverished soils in which they grow. Species in this genus are known to have the smallest genomes among the higher plants: about 64 Mb.

Species

Subgenus Genlisea Genlisea africana
Genlisea angolensis
Genlisea aurea
Genlisea barthlottii
Genlisea filiformis
Genlisea glabra
Genlisea glandulosissima
Genlisea guianensis
Genlisea hispidula
Genlisea margaretae
Genlisea pallida
Genlisea pygmaea
Genlisea repens
Genlisea roaraimensis
Genlisea sanariapoana
Genlisea stapfii
Genlisea subglabra
Genlisea taylorii

Subgenus Tayloria Genlisea lobata
Genlisea uncinata
Genlisea violacea

Translation

The word "Genlisea" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese.

Translation(s) in other languages: Czech: Genliseje, German: Reusenfallen.