Darlingtonia californica

There is only one species in the genus of Darlingtonia, which belongs to the family of Sarraceniaceae. The up to 1 meter tall plants with their dome-shaped inflated openings and nectar filled tongues underneath urged botanists to name them cobra lilies. The trapping mechanism is very sophisticated, because once the insect has been lured through a small entrance into the dome shaped top of the plant, it will be unable to find an exit. This is because the cells in the dome are translucent and allow a lot of light to enter, keeping the insect masterfully away from the exit. Once it falls into the tube like part of the pitcher, slippery walls and downward pointed hairs won't allow it to come up again, but let it drown in the digestive fluids. Ironically this plant was at first believed to be carnivorous due to it's closeness to Sarracenia, then as non-carnivorous, as no digestive enzymes could be found in the fluid, but recently a proteolytic enzyme has been able to prove it's carnivory! Whew!
While our oldest Darlingtonia emerged from a seed in February 2010, this is by no means an easy plant to grow and should be only considered by advanced growers, who are willing to do the gamble. For some detailed instructions just follow this link and good luck :)