In which habitats do butterwords grow?
With the exception of the Australian
continent, butterworts can be found worldwide,
especially in the northern hemisphere. In Africa Pinguicula
species are only found in the northern parts along the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The main centre of
diversity is the Carribean/Mesoamerican region, where
2/3 of the butterwort species can be found. A secondary
centre of diversity is the European continent, but with
a much smaller number of distinctive species.
Like all other carnivorous plants,
butterworts have become specialized to grow in habitats
where the soils are quite poor in nutrients. The
advantage of using nutrients of animal origin is that it
allows them to live in habitats where other plants can't
grow very well. So it is not astonishing that
butterworts can be found in areas like bogs, eroded
soils or even bare rocks.
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