The carnivorous plant genus Utricularia L. (bladderwort) comprises about 240 species distributed worldwide and is traditionally classified into two subgenera (Polypompholyx and Utricularia) and 35 sections, based mainly on general and trap morphology. It is one out of the largest carnivorous genera, representing ca. 30% of all carnivorous plant species, and is also the most widely distributed. ...

Understanding the physics of plant movements, which describe the interplay between plant architecture, movement speed and actuation principles, is essential for the comprehension of important processes like plant morphogenesis. Recent investigations especially on rapid plant movements at the interface of biology, physics and engineering sciences highlight how such fast motions can be achieved w...

In this study the Q10 coefficients of heterotrophic activities were measured during aerobic decomposition of Utricularia breviscapa Wright ex Griseb from Oleo lagoon (21 degrees 36' S and 49 degrees 47' W), Luiz Antonio, SP. The bioassays were set up with fragments of U. breviscapa and incubated with lagoon water at distinct temperatures (15.3, 20.8, 25.7 and 30.3 degrees C). Periodically for 9...

The rootless, aquatic Utricularia species belong to the largest and most cosmopolitan carnivorous plant genus. Populations of Utricularia plants are an important component of many standing, nutrient-poor, and humic waters. Carbon (C) allocation is an aspect of Utricularia's ecophysiology that has not been studied previously and there is considerable uncertainty about the functional and ecologic...

By performing first-principle quantum transport calculations, we predict a giant magnetoresistance in zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) connecting two semi-infinite silicene electrodes through switch of the edge spin direction of ZSiNRs. Spin-filter efficiency of both the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic ZSiNRs is sign-changeable with the bias voltage. Therefore, potential application of ...

We propose a model that captures the dynamics of a carnivorous plant, Utricularia inflata. This plant possesses tiny traps for capturing small aquatic animals. Glands pump water out of the trap, yielding a negative pressure difference between the plant and its surroundings. The trap door is set into a meta-stable state and opens quickly as an extra pressure is generated by the displacement of a...