An example of a carnivorous plant is

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for a carnivorous plant, meaning a plant that traps and digests insects or other small animals, usually to get extra nitrogen.

Step 2: Explain the concept Carnivorous (insectivorous) plants usually grow in soils poor in nitrogen, such as bogs. They have special adaptations for trapping prey. Common examples are:

• Sundew (Drosera), which has sticky, tentacle-like hairs
• Pitcher plant (Nepenthes), which has a pitcher-shaped trap
• Venus flytrap (Dionaea), which has hinged leaves that snap shut
• Bladderwort (Utricularia), which has tiny suction bladders

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Cassytha: A parasitic plant (like a dodder) that twines around host plants and absorbs nutrients with haustoria. It is a parasite, not carnivorous.
• B. Lichen: A symbiotic association between an alga and a fungus. Not carnivorous.
• C. Mucor: A fungus (bread mould) that feeds saprophytically on dead organic matter.
• D. Mushroom: A fungus that is saprophytic. It is not a carnivorous plant.
• E. Sundew: Its leaves are covered with sticky glandular hairs that trap insects. Enzymes then digest the insects. This is a true carnivorous plant.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is E. sundew.

Exam tip: Remember the main feeding types: parasites (cassytha, mistletoe), saprophytes (mucor, mushroom), symbionts (lichen), and carnivores (sundew, pitcher plant, Venus flytrap). If you see "insectivorous" or "carnivorous" in a question, look for sundew, pitcher plant, or bladderwort.