tropical pitcher plant
Geography: old world tropics
Taxonomy
- Attributes
- Objects
- Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Plantae
- Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
- Order:
Caryophyllales
- Family:
Nepenthaceae
- Genus:
Nepenthes
- SpecificEpithet:
x mixta
Object number: Schad_1.2 10-013
Gallery Location:Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity
DescriptionPitcher plants are carniverous plants that obtain a portion of their required nutrients by capturing and digesting insects. The "pitcher" is a modified leaf that is closed at the bottom and fills up with water. The inner surface is covered with downward pointing hairs that keep an insect visitor from crawling out of the pitcher. Rather they fall into the water at the bottom of the trap and drown. Enzymes are secreted by the plant that digest the nitrogen-rich exoskeleton of the insect. Many pitcher plants live in nutrient-poor environments like bogs.