Botany Spotlight: Meet the Meat Eaters—Carnivorous Plants

Enter the remarkable world of carnivorous plants with Alec Motten, professor emeritus in Duke University’s Department of Biology. The program begins in the classroom with an overview of the impressive array of structures that make carnivory possible — from digestive glands and sticky traps to slippery pitfalls, trap doors and snap-shut jaws.

Participants will look closely at these structures under a microscope, then venture outside to meet specimens living in the garden. Whether captivated by the iconic Venus flytrap’s sudden snap, the drowning pools and pitfall traps of pitcher plants or the elegant patience of a sundew’s glistening tentacles, participants will gain a new perspective on what plants are capable of.

This class can be paired with a tour of the Duke Research Greenhouse’s teaching collection, which includes an impressive collection of carnivorous plants, on Saturday, Nov. 21. Registration is separate.