Adaptations of Plants - Adaptation for Ingestion of Food in Plants

Most plants are autotrophic; however, some plants have unique adaptations for getting food in different ways:

1. Parasitic Plants (Dodder/Cuscuta): Dodder is a plant that cannot make its own food because it lacks leaves and cannot perform photosynthesis. It has thin, yellow, wire-like stems and special roots called haustorial roots. These roots absorb nutrients from a host plant by penetrating its vessels to take water and food.

Cuscuta

2. Fungi: Fungi, like mould, do not have chlorophyll, so they cannot make food through photosynthesis. Instead, they grow on starchy food like bread and absorb nutrients using root-like fibres.

3. Insect-Eating Plants (Carnivorous Plants): Plants like the Venus flytrap, pitcher plant, and Drosera (sundew) live in soils that lack nitrogen. So they trap and digest insects to fulfil their nitrogen needs. These plants have special adaptations like sticky surfaces, traps, or pitcher-shaped leaves to attract and catch insects.

Venus flytrap