Study confirms carnivorous Saxifraga candelabrum in southwestern China, validating Darwin

A study published Tuesday confirms Saxifraga candelabrum is a carnivorous plant, proving Charles Darwin's 150-year-old suspicion about the genus. The flowering plant, native to rocky crevices in southwestern China, uses sticky hairs to trap insects and absorbs their nitrogen, researchers reported in Nature Communications. This confirms Darwin's 1875 speculation. Darwin had observed insects stuck to Saxifraga but couldn't prove digestion. Over 630 carnivorous plants are known, some using snap traps or pitchers.