Carnivorous *Saxifraga candelabrum* Validated, Fulfilling Darwin’s 150-Year Prediction

Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany and the Florida Museum of Natural History published a study in *Nature Communications* on August 4, 2026 providing definitive evidence that *Saxifraga candelabrum* is a true carnivorous plant. The paper shows the species actively attracts, captures, digests, and absorbs nutrients from insects.

Scientists Validate Darwin’s Theory in Saxifraga candelabrum – GKToday

In 1875 Charles Darwin suggested that sticky-leaved saxifrages might trap insects, citing *S. rotundifolia* and *S. umbrosa*. The hypothesis remained untested for over a century. Modern botanists focused on *S. candelabrum*, a small perennial inhabiting nutrient-poor cliffs of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Hengduan Mountains at 2,500–3,300 m.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

Surveys of living populations and 45 herbarium specimens (1888–2016) revealed insects—mainly tiny non-biting midges—stuck to the plant’s red glandular hairs. A mature individual typically bears more than 70 insects on stems, leaves, and flower stalks, indicating consistent trapping behavior.

Darwin Vindicated: Scientists Confirm Saxifraga Plant Is a True Carnivore After 150 Years — BigGo Finance

Laboratory experiments confirmed functional carnivory:

The Debrief

• Digestive enzyme activity – A fluorescent phosphatase marker produced bright green fluorescence on glandular hairs, indicating enzyme production found in established carnivorous species.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

• Nutrient uptake – Fruit flies fed a diet enriched with heavy nitrogen isotope ¹5N were placed on the plants. After two weeks, elevated ¹5N levels appeared in plant tissues, especially flowers, while non-carnivorous controls showed none.

Darwin Vindicated: Scientists Confirm Saxifraga Plant Is a True Carnivore After 150 Years — BigGo Finance

• Genomic parallels – Genome sequencing identified expansion and accelerated evolution of gene families linked to prey attraction, digestion, and nutrient transport, mirroring patterns in sundews and *Roridula*.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

• Specimen count: 45 herbarium samples examined.

The Debrief

• Insect load: >70 insects per mature plant, mainly small gnats.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

• Enzyme detection: Green fluorescence confirmed phosphatase activity.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

• Isotope tracing: Significant ¹5N enrichment after two weeks.

Darwin Vindicated: Scientists Confirm Saxifraga Plant Is a True Carnivore After 150 Years — BigGo Finance

• Genomic findings: Shared gene expansions with independently evolved carnivorous lineages.

Scientists Validate Darwin’s Theory in Saxifraga candelabrum – GKToday

Lead author Hang Sun said the study meets all criteria for true carnivory—prey attraction, enzymatic digestion, and nutrient absorption—and highlighted the plant’s selective trapping that spares larger pollinators. Co-author Tao Deng noted that trapped insects on historic herbarium specimens show carnivory is an entrenched trait. Corresponding author Douglas Soltis called the discovery a “humbling” confirmation of Darwin’s hypothesis.

Darwin Vindicated: Scientists Confirm Saxifraga Plant Is a True Carnivore After 150 Years — BigGo Finance

• “Taken together, these genomic data provide independent evidence that Saxifraga candelabrum is a true carnivorous plant,” — Hang Sun

Darwin Vindicated: Scientists Confirm Saxifraga Plant Is a True Carnivore After 150 Years — BigGo Finance

The confirmation extends carnivory to the Saxifragaceae family and illustrates evolutionary convergence in nitrogen-deficient habitats. Insights into the plant’s enzyme systems could inform natural pesticide development.

Scientists Add Unlikely New Member to World’s Carnivorous Plants

All examined sources present a consistent picture of carnivorous behavior in *S. candelabrum*. No substantive disagreements or missing critical data were identified.

Charles Darwin’s 150-Year Prediction on Carnivorous Saxifraga candelabrum Confirmed