tedmaultsby
Purple Pitcher Plant behind Alderman Elementary
On Friday March 17th I went with a friend to the carnivorous plant preserve behind Alderman Elementary and found many purple pitcher plants and some Venus flytraps there. The pitcher hoods of the pitcher plants have a pair of lateral ear-like wings on each side and are usually veined. The pitchers are filled with fluid that contains digestive enzymes produced by the plant to digest insects that get trapped in the pitcher after being lured by drops of nectar. The hairs pointed downward guide the insects down where they cannot easily crawl back up. Further down, the walls of the pitcher become very slick where the insects will lose their grip and fall into the water pool in the pitcher to drown. Mutualism is demonstrated between the pitcher plant and certain types of larvae and bacteria that live in it's water pool. The larvae and bacteria help accelerate digestion and break down of insects to sooner provide the nutrients to the plant while also having a good environment to live in.
www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5538.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/carnivorous-pitcher-pla...
www.researchgate.net/publication/272560483_Mutualism_betw...
Purple Pitcher Plant behind Alderman Elementary
On Friday March 17th I went with a friend to the carnivorous plant preserve behind Alderman Elementary and found many purple pitcher plants and some Venus flytraps there. The pitcher hoods of the pitcher plants have a pair of lateral ear-like wings on each side and are usually veined. The pitchers are filled with fluid that contains digestive enzymes produced by the plant to digest insects that get trapped in the pitcher after being lured by drops of nectar. The hairs pointed downward guide the insects down where they cannot easily crawl back up. Further down, the walls of the pitcher become very slick where the insects will lose their grip and fall into the water pool in the pitcher to drown. Mutualism is demonstrated between the pitcher plant and certain types of larvae and bacteria that live in it's water pool. The larvae and bacteria help accelerate digestion and break down of insects to sooner provide the nutrients to the plant while also having a good environment to live in.
www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5538.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/carnivorous-pitcher-pla...
www.researchgate.net/publication/272560483_Mutualism_betw...