Drosera, that prevents the plant from smothering itself in its own mucilage as it waits. The mucilage that each gland produces forms a droplet that attracts insects. When an insect lands on the leaf, it sticks to the mucilage drops and the tentacles close in around the insect and suffocate it. The tentacles and sessile glands then release protease and phosphatase along with other digestive enzymes to digest the insect. The nutrients are then taken in by the tentacles and glands on the surface of the leaf. See also List of Drosera species References uniflora Carnivorous plants of South America Flora of Argentina Flora of Chile Flora of the Falkland Islands Plants described in 1809 Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Willdenow