Background:
The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that catches live prey in order to gain its needed nutrients. The Venus flytrap forms part of the the Droseraceae family in the Plantae kingdom .The scientific name is derived from the Latin language .The scientific name is comprised of a genus name (Dionaea) and species name (muscipula). Therefore resulting in the scientific name of Dionaea muscipula. The word Dionaea ("daughter of Dione") refers to Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty due to its “beautiful appearance of its milk-white flowers, and the elegance of its leaves” as quoted by John Ellis , while the word muscipula is Latin for mousetrap .The Venus flytrap is also known by the slang terms "tipitiwitchet" and "tippity twitchet". These slang terms are said to have been created as the Venus flytrap resembles the human female genitalia. The common name of the plant also has meaning as the Greek word “Venus” refers to the roman goddess Aphrodite and the second part of the word “fly trap “ refers to the plants ability to trap flies and insects. The first reference made about the Venus flytrap was in a letter written by a British colonial governor of North Carolina, Arthur
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For the next five to twelve days will the digestion process take place. The duration of the digestion process all depends on the age of the trap, the size of the prey and the temperature in which the digestion phase will take place. The digestive juices will dissolve the insects soft tissue and allow for the nutrient to be absorbed ,as well as ensure that any bacteria in the trap will be destroyed .If the trap doesn’t close completely ,bacteria can and will enter the trap and this will result in the trap turning black and dying. Therefore the digestive juice released in the sealing phase is vital for the plants