Western False Asphodel: New Type of Carnivorous Plant Discovered in 20 Years

A cute tiny white flower blooms near metropolitan areas in the Pacific Northwest turns out to be deadly.

Triantha occidentalis, also known as the bog-dwelling western false asphodel, was originally reported in the scientific literature in 1879.

But, according to experts, no one knew this sweet-looking plant utilized its sticky stem to trap and devour insects until now. Their study was published Monday, and it's the first new carnivorous plant identified in about 20 years.

A botanist at the University of British Columbia, Sean Graham, explains, "We had no clue it was carnivorous. This was not discovered in some exotic tropical region, but practically on our doorstep in Vancouver; you could literally walk out of Vancouver to this field site."

Carnivorous plants are found in areas with plenty of light and water but low nutrition levels in the soil.

Genetic Deletion

Carnivorous plants usually keep their poisonous traps far away from their blooms, ensuring that pollinators are not unintentionally killed. However, it appears that the stem can only catch small insects like midges, not the bigger bees or butterflies that are engaged in pollination. As a result, the flower may be found in "many major urban areas on the Pacific coast," according to the experts who conducted the study.

Graham is left wondering what else is out there covertly consuming insects after this incident. After all, sticky stems aren't uncommon in plants, and they're considered to be employed as a defensive mechanism to keep insects away from the plant.

"I assume there are more carnivorous plants out there than we thought," Graham adds.

For more news about rare plant species, don't forget to follow Nature World News!