Nepenthes - an empty vase with a deadly filling (8 photos + 1 video)

Many comics and films are devoted to the theme of carnivorous plants stretching their hissing fanged mouths on writhing stems towards an unfortunate victim. In reality, such flowers exist, but they wait for naive food in silence, using other methods of attracting attention.





Nepenthes grow in New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia, tropical Asia, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. And this laconic jug, which can come in a variety of colors, can be compared to a work of art. Depending on the species, it can look like a modest jug, an elegant vase, and more.



The lower part of the leaf, like any ordinary green plant, is used for photosynthesis. The second is a thin flexible vine that can move slowly - crawl towards the light on a hill. And upon reaching the desired height, the most important strategic organ grows - a glass with an openwork edging and a neat lid.



In the process of evolution, the plant has learned to produce a fragrance attractive to insects. The victim that arrives at the scent slides inside, and the hairs located against the movement prevent it from getting out.



Rainwater, dew, and evaporation accumulate inside the natural container, into which Nepenthes secretes digestive enzymes. And, voila - pot, cook.





Local hunters calmly use this water for drinking. After all, not only is it clean, it is also disinfected.



But this is not all the possibilities of the “pots”. They are able to form symbiotic relationships with more complex organisms. For example, the small squirrel-like rodent Tupaia has adapted to use a vase as a nightlife. And that’s what she needs - this is how a lot of nitrogen comes in, and the green mass grows perfectly.



Bats also like to rest inside. This way they do not catch the eye of large predators, and Nepenthes again receives nitrogen. In short, one can only envy this charming and somewhat alien creature in terms of its adaptation talents.

Video: Feeding Nepenthes. Plant predator at lunch