| Lentibulariaceae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lentibulariaceae Rich.[1] |
| Genera | |
Lentibulariaceae is afamily ofcarnivorous plants containing three genera:Genlisea, the corkscrew plants;Pinguicula, the butterworts; andUtricularia, the bladderworts.
The generaPolypompholyx (two species of pink petticoats or fairy aprons) andBiovularia used to be regarded as fourth and fifth members of this family.Biovularia has been subsumed intoUtricularia, andPolypompholyx has been relegated to a subgenus ofUtricularia. Placement of the family used to be in theScrophulariales, which has been merged withLamiales in theAngiosperm Phylogeny Group system.
Carnivory in plants appears to have evolved independently in five majorangiosperm lineages and six orders:Poales,Caryophyllales,Oxalidales,Ericales,Alismatales andLamiales.
One common trait found in several Lamiales families that may have led to carnivory is the secretion ofproteinase mucilage through leaf surfaces. This mucilage is generally used to prevent insect predation by trapping and degrading potentially harmful insects. Some research suggests these glands can quite easily shift their function from secretion to absorption. This shift may have first occurred in themost recent common ancestor (MRCA) of the Lentibulariaceae, introducing absorptive glands that provided additionalmacronutrients through trapped insects. The additional source of nutrients may have increased fitness of plants growing in low-nutrient habitats which eventually caused an embrace of carnivory. Further mapping of traits also suggests the MRCA was terrestrial and possessed a basalrosette composed of flat leaves and a primary root. Phylogenetics also confirmed that the Pinguicula are sister to the other two genera.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
