protocarnivorous

protocarnivorous

English

Etymology

proto- +‎ carnivorous

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌpɹəʊtəkɑːˈnɪvəɹəs/

Adjective

protocarnivorous (not comparable)

1. (botany, of a plant) capable of trapping and killing insects or other animals but lacking the ability to digest or absorb nutrients from its prey
   • 1998, Pierre Jolivet, Interrelationship Between Insects and Plants, CRC Press, 101:

     Recently, a new distinction has been made between the classical carnivorous plants, terrestrial or aquatic, and the newly discovered protocarnivorous plants.

   • 2007, Carolyn Dodson and William W. Dunmire, Mountain Wildflowers of the Southern Rockies: Revealing Their Natural History, University of New Mexico Press, 45:

     Pinedrops and other protocarnivorous species have an advantage over other plants in situations where soil nitrogen is scarce.

   • 2010, Janek von Byern and Ingo Grunwald (Eds.), Biological Adhesive Systems, SpringerWeinNewYork, 24:

     The abundance of dead and decaying animals turns the traps into attractive habits for different organisms. Carnivorous and protocarnivorous plants employ two different strategies to face this challenge: […]

Synonyms

• paracarnivorous
• subcarnivorous

Derived terms

• protocarnivorous plant

See also

• carnivorous plant