How many species of Venus flytrap exist?

How many species of Venus flytrap exist? One: Dionaea muscipula is the only living species in the genus Dionaea.

The Venus flytrap is native to a small wetland region spanning parts of North Carolina and South Carolina in the southeastern United States. Its scientific name combines the genus Dionaea with the species name muscipula. The genus is considered monotypic, meaning it contains just one extant species.

Garden centers may create confusion because cultivated Venus flytraps come in many forms, including named cultivars, color varieties, and hybrids selected for unusual traps. These are not separate wild species. They remain forms of Dionaea muscipula, and many have dramatic names based on trap color, size, or tooth shape.

The Venus flytrap is also closely related to the waterwheel plant and sundews, all members of the family Droseraceae. That relationship does not make those plants additional Venus flytrap species: they belong to different genera. A healthy trap usually closes only after repeated stimulation of its trigger hairs, helping the plant avoid wasting energy on debris or raindrops.