Pitcher plants are carnivourous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over evolutionary time. Nepenthes, a native of Southeast Asia and Australia, forms pitchers (cups) that hang from trees. Its pitcher is similar to that of the North American pitcher plant in that it relies on a pool of water to trap its prey. It has a most unusual leaf that first looks like a normal leaf, then develops a tendril at its tip, and finally the tip of the tendril develops an amazing pitcher. It gains support by twining the tendril around another plant. The trap, like our own pitcher plant, lures its prey into the pitfall trap by a combination of decaying odors and sometimes a red coloration. As the pitcher develops, it swells and droops due to its weight.
(photo of pitcher plants were taken from Mt.Kinabalu - 4-8/Aug/2007)
No comments:
Post a Comment