Small butterwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small butterwort |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pinguicula
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| Species: |
pumila
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The small butterwort (scientific name: Pinguicula pumila) is a fascinating little carnivorous plant. It's also called the dwarf butterwort because it stays quite small. This plant is part of the Pinguicula family, which are all known for trapping insects. You can find it growing naturally in the southeastern United States, especially in places where the soil doesn't have many nutrients.
What Does the Small Butterwort Look Like?
This tiny plant grows as a flat group of leaves, called a rosette. These leaves are usually less than 3/4 of an inch (about 20 millimeters) wide. The edges of the leaves curl inwards.
The top surface of each leaf is covered with many tiny hairs. Each hair has a special gland at its tip. These glands make small, sticky drops of a gooey substance called mucilage. This sticky stuff is how the plant catches its food!
The small butterwort also grows pretty flowers. It produces single flowers that are white to light purple. These flowers grow on tall stalks that can be about 6 to 8 inches (150 to 200 millimeters) high. Like all butterworts, their flowers are zygomorphic, meaning they can only be divided into two equal halves. They also have a small spur that sticks out from the back of the flower.
How Does This Plant Eat Insects?
The small butterwort is a carnivorous plant, which means it eats insects! When an insect lands on its sticky leaves, it gets stuck in the tiny, gooey glands. The plant then releases special liquids called enzymes. These enzymes help to break down the insect.
Over time, the plant takes in important nutrients from the decaying insect. It especially absorbs organic nitrogen and other good things. This helps the plant grow strong, especially since it lives in poor soil.
Where Does the Small Butterwort Live?
You can find the small butterwort growing in moist, sandy soil. It often lives in pine forests and open grasslands called savannas. Its home range stretches from the southeastern United States all the way into the Great Plains, reaching as far as Oklahoma.
