Tropical Pitcher Plants
NepenthesThere are about 100 species of Tropical pitcher plants, belonging to the sole genus Nepenthes of the Napenthaceae family. The pitchers of tropical pitcher plants contain acidic digestive liquids that are important for the plant's carnivorous diet: a lid on the pitcher prevents rainwater from diluting the digestive liquids. These amazing plants can be found in the Old World tropics (South China, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.).
A tropical pitcher plant
Trapping system:
The trap of a tropical pitcher plant is a pitcher that grows at the end of a tendril from an expanded petiole that looks very much like a leaf. The true leaves are the pitchers themselves, which are digestive organs. The trapping mechanism of a tropical pitcher plant is similar to that of other pitcher plants. Their prey are usually insects but some can even catch small vertebrates.
