Kinds of Carnivorous Plants

This section of the FAQ is dedicated to taxonomy (botanical classification). The first few pages discuss background, general information. After that I describe aspects of each genus of carnivorous and "para-carnivorous" plants. I even throw in some information about non-carnivorous plants that folks ask me about because of tenuous or perceived connections to carnivorous plants.I warn you right now, O Gentle FAQ Reader...the geekness factor of the FAQ gets stratospherically high in this FAQ, especially where I start talking about the individual species. The joke factor is low, the fact density is high. Strap yourself in, you're going for a ride!
Introduction: carnivorous plant genera
These Latin names are pretty nerdy. Why don't you use common names?
So why do Latin names have two parts?
What do you mean by complex names like Drosera binata var. multifida f. extrema?
How do you pronounce the Latin names?
How did carnivorous plants evolve?
What are the kingdom, phylum, and class designations for carnivorous plants?
How many species are in each carnivorous plant genus?
Do you want to tell me about a species I missed?
Aldrovanda
I: The waterwheel plant
II: Prey capture in detail
III: Various types
IV: Cultivation
V: Range and conservation status
Brocchinia
I: The nicky dicky plant
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Byblis
I: The rainbow plants
II: Species
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Catopsis
I: lampera de la selva (jungle lantern)
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Cephalotus
I: The Albany pitcher plant
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Darlingtonia
I: The cobra lily
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Dionaea
I: The Venus flytrap
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Drosera
I: Introduction to the sundews
II: African and Madagascan species
III: Latin Americans
IV: Pygmies
V: The "petiolaris-complex"
VI: Tuberous rosetted species
VII: Tuberous fan-leaved species
VIII: Tuberous erect & scrambling species
IX: North Americans
X: Any other Drosera species
XI: The big Drosera checklist!
Drosophyllum
I: Pinheiro baboso, the Portuguese slobbering pine
II: Various types
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Genlisea
I: The corkscrew plants
II: New World species
III: Old World species
IV: Cultivation
Heliamphora
I: The marsh (or sun) pitchers
II: Species from the western ranges
III: Species from the eastern ranges
IV: Cultivation
V: Conservation issues
Nepenthes
I: The tropical pitcher plants
II: Species of Borneo
III: Species of Sumatra
IV: Species of Peninsular Malaysia
V: Species of the Philippines
VI: Species of Sulawesi, Waigeo, and New Guinea
VII: Species from other parts of the world
VIII: hybrids
IX: The big Nepenthes checklist!
X: Basic cultivation
XI: Advanced cultivation
XII: Conservation issues
Pinguicula
I: The butterworts
II: Species of Mexico and Central America
III: Other species of Latin America
IV: Species of the USA and Canada
V: Temperate and Arctic species
VI: Leftover European and Asian species
VII: Latin American hybrids
VIII: The big Pinguicula checklist!
IX: Cultivation
X: Conservation issues
Polypompholyx
The fairy aprons
Roridula
I: The vlieëbos
II: Species
III: Cultivation
IV: Range and conservation status
Sarracenia
I: Introducing the North American pitcher plants
II: What are Hooker zones?
III: Sarracenia species lists
IV: Sarracenia alabamensis
V: Sarracenia alata
VI: Sarracenia flava
VII: Sarracenia jonesii
VIII: Sarracenia leucophylla
IX: Sarracenia minor
X: Sarracenia oreophila
XI: Sarracenia psittacina
XII: Sarracenia purpurea
XIII: Sarracenia rosea
XIV: Sarracenia rubra
XV: Sarracenia hybrids
XVI: About some Sarracenia cultivars
XVII: Cultivation
XVIII: Conservation status
Triphyophyllum
I: The slinky dinky plant
II: Cultivation
III: Range and conservation status
Utricularia
I: The bladderworts
II: Terrestrial species
III: Suspended aquatic species
IV: Affixed aquatic species
V: Epiphytic & emergent species
VI: Lithophytic species
VII: Rheophytic species
VIII: Conservation
Subgenus Polypompholyx
IX: Section Polypompholyx
X: Section Tridentaria
XI: Section Pleiochasia
Subgenus Bivalvaria
XII: Section Aranella
XIII: Section Australes
XVI: Section Avesicarioides
XV: Section Benjaminia
XVI: Section Calpidisca
XVII: Section Enskide
XVIII: Section Lloydia
XIX: Section Minutae
XX: Section Oligocista
XXI: Section Nigrescentes
XXII: Section Phyllaria
XXIII: Section Stomoisia
Subgenus Utricularia
XXIV: Section Avesicaria
XXV: Section Candollea
XXVI: Section Chelidon
XXVII: Section Choristothecae
XXVIII: Section Foliosa
XXIX: Section Kamienskia
XXX: Section Lecticula
XXXI: Section Martinia
XXXII: Section Meionula
XXXIII: Section Mirabiles
XXXIV: Section Nelipus
XXXV: Section Oliveria
XXVI: Section Orchidioides
XXXVII: Section Setiscapella
XXXVIII: Section Sprucea
XXXIX: Section Steyermarkia
XXXX: Section Stylotheca
XXXXI: Section Utricularia
XXXXII: Section Vesiculina
XXXXIII: The big Utricularia checklist!
Quasi-carnivorous species...
Capsella (shepherd's purse)
Dipsacus (teasel)
Hepatics (liverworts)
Ibicella and Proboscidea (devil's claw)
Paepalanthus
Passiflora (passion flower)
Stylidium (triggerplants)
Carnivorous fungi (Arthrobotrys conoides, etc.)
Noncarnivorous plants I am asked about...
Arisaema (Jack-in-the-pulpits)
Aristolochia ("dutchman's pipe", "birthwort")
Mimosa ("sensitive plants")
Paphiopedilum ("slipper orchids")
Rafflesia (that big huge flower-thing)
Amorphophallus (the corpse flower), Sauromatum, and other stinky aroids
Stapelia, etc. (stinky asclepiads)
Ant plants (Dischidia, Myrmecodia, etc.)
"Carnivorous" orchids (Aracamunia, etc.)
Parasitic plants
Mycotrophic (saprophytic) plants
Ending Comments: Carnivorous Plant Genera