You’ve likely heard of the Venus fly trap, a subtropical botanical carnivore that traps flies in its leafy jaws! But the Grand Canyon has its very own insect entrapping plant, too.
The elusive Southwestern Ringstem produces a sticky resin around the circumference of its stems. The resin traps nectar robbing insects such as ants that would otherwise partake in flower nectar without performing pollination.
Ringstem has an unusual appearance. It produces extremely long filaments, the portion of the flower which holds the pollen. These filaments can extend as much as twice the length of the tubular pink flowers.
The depth of its flower provides a clue to its pollinator: The large sphinx moth, which sometimes gets mistaken for a hummingbird due to its size. The moth uses its proboscis, an elongated feeding tube, to perform pollination of this night blooming flower.
Circular leaves abound at the base of the plant resembling butter lettuce. The leathery leaves are covered in coarse hairs to protect the plant from dry air and munching animals.
Ringstem is not endangered, but it is an uncommon sight. It only grows on gypsum soils rich in calcium and sulfur, in small and widely dispersed populations. Its unique adaptations make Ringstem one of a kind.
This Earth Note was written by Carrie Calisay Cannon and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
