Question

Which statement about carnivorous plants is false?

1) Many carnivorous plants are found only in environments where soils are poor in nutrients.
2) Carnivorous plants like Venus flytraps occasionally consume relatively large animals, including frogs and slugs.
3) Carnivorous plants typically have very extensive root systems.
4) Many pitcher plants have an internal layer of flaky wax that assists in prey capture.

Answer 1

The false statement is that carnivorous plants typically have very extensive root systems. Carnivorous plants capture insects to supplement nutrients from poor soils, and the adaptations like pitcher plants' internal wax layer aid in this process.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about carnivorous plants in the question that is false is: "Carnivorous plants typically have very extensive root systems." This is not accurate because carnivorous plants are often found in nutrient-poor environments which usually means that they do not develop very extensive root systems; instead, these plants have adapted to capture insects and other small prey as an additional source of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, which they struggle to obtain from the soil.

It is true that carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap and different pitcher plants occur in environments such as bogs where the soil is low in nitrogen. Their leaves are modified to capture insects and sometimes even small vertebrates. For example, certain pitcher plants have an internal layer of flaky wax which makes it difficult for their prey to escape once they've fallen inside. However, this predation is more about supplementing their necessary nutrients rather than supplying them with energy.