Possible carnivory in the epiphytic liverwort Pleurozia acinosa (Mitt.) Trevis. is not confirmed

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Although in all proven cases of carnivory in plants the relevant species are in the Angiospermae, it has been posited that this phenomenon occurs in two genera of liverworts, Colura and Pleurozia. The suggested occurence of zoophagy in these groups is largely based on their trap-like water sacs, leaf modifications, and the positive results of ‘feeding’ experiments; however, no evidence of nitrogen uptake has been presented.

Methods. We measured δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, %C and %N in Pleurozia acinosa (Mitt.) Trevis. from tropical montane forests in Vietnam, and in representatives from several reference plant groups, both carnivorous and non-carnivorous, and including epiphytes and terrestrial plants.

Key results and conclusions. δ¹³C values in Pleurozia acinosa were significantly higher than in all other groups of plants studied. However, δ¹⁵N was significantly lower in P. acinosa than in both groups of true carnivorous plants, and it did not differ from that in non-carnivorous vascular epiphytes and phorophyte trees, being even lower than in other epiphytic bryophytes. Thus, our results do not support the suggestion of carnivory in the genus Pleurozia.

KEYWORDS:

• Сarnivorous plants
• epiphytes
• nitrogen nutrition
• Pleurozia acinosa
• stable isotopes
• Vietnam

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Joint Russian–Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center for organisation of the fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, grant no. #23-24-00037.

Notes on contributors

Alen K. Eskov

Alen K. Eskov is a senior researcher at the Department of Ecology and Geography of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Lomanosov University, Moscow, Russia.

Evgeny V. Abakumov

Evgeny V. Abakumov is a professor and head of the Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology, St Petersburg University, St Petersburg, Russia.

Tatiana G. Elumeeva

Tatiana G. Elumeeva is an associate professor at the Department of Ecology and Geography of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Lomanosov University, Moscow, Russia.

Nikolay G. Prilepsky

Nikolay G. Prilepsky is a senior researcher at the Department of Ecology and Geography of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Lomanosov University, Moscow, Russia.

Vlad D. Leonov

Vlad D. Leonov is a researcher at the Laboratory of Soil Zoology and General Entomology, Severtsov Institute, Moscow, Russia.

Violetta A. Viktorova

Violetta A. Viktorova is a researcher at the Laboratory of Tropical Plants, Tsitsin Botanical Garden, Moscow, Russia.

Vladimir E. Fedosov

Vladimir E. Fedosov is a leading researcher at the Department of Ecology and Geography of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Lomanosov University, Moscow, Russia.