Genetic Basis of Carnivorous Leaf Development

Plant carnivory is often manifested as dramatic changes in the structure and morphology of the leaf. These changes appear to begin early in leaf development. For example, the development of the leaf primordium is associated with the formation of an adaxial ridge, whose growth along with that of the leaf margin resulted in a hollow structure that later developed into a pitcher. In , pitcher formation occurs during the initial stages of leaf development, although this has not been shown at the primordial stage. The formation of the trap resulted from the growth of the dome-shaped primordium in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Recent research has begun to unfold the genetic basis of the development of the carnivorous leaf. We review these findings and discuss them in relation to the flat-shaped leaves of the model plant .