Corkscrew Plant Colouring

The corkscrew plant hides its strangest leaves underground. This page uses Genlisea hispidula, a perennial species native to tropical and southern Africa. Above the soil it looks gentle and ordinary, with a low rosette of small spoon-shaped green leaves and slender flower stalks. Its flowers may be violet, blue, mauve or pink. Beneath the surface, however, the plant has no ordinary root system. It makes pale, hollow trapping leaves called rhizophylls. These grow through wet, nutrient-poor soil and help the plant obtain nutrients that are scarce in its habitat. A trapping leaf has a swollen digestive chamber and a narrow neck that divides into two twisting arms. Tiny openings run along the corkscrew-shaped arms. Microscopic organisms in the wet soil, including bacteria, protozoans and very small mites, enter these openings. Rows of hairs point inward, making travel toward the chamber easier than travel back out. This is often called an eel trap or lobster-pot trap. Recent experiments show that the special shape can guide swimming microorganisms in one direction, while the hairs help prevent escape. Glands concentrated near the chamber digest prey and absorb nutrients. Scientists are still studying exactly how water movement and prey behaviour work together, so this hidden trap remains one of the most mysterious carnivorous plant systems. It cannot trap fingers or large animals. Colour the above-ground rosette bright or yellow-green, with a deeper green near the centre. The flower stalks can be green, and the flowers violet, blue, pink or lavender with a small yellow throat. In the soil cutaway, use tan, ochre and warm brown, but keep the underground traps pale cream, soft yellow or very light green so they remain easy to follow. Give the digestive chambers a slightly darker outline colour and make the tiny organisms orange, red or blue for contrast. Follow the winding arms with smooth spiral strokes. You can shade small soil pebbles in several browns while leaving open spaces around the magnified circle. This will help young colourists see both the pretty plant above and its secret maze below.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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