Asian Pitcher Plant Life Cycle

We all know the basics of the food chain: plants eat sunlight, animals eat plants, and bigger animals eat smaller animals. In the world of nature, though, there are always exceptions, as evidenced by plants that attract, trap, and digest animals mostly insects, but also the occasional snail, lizard, or even small mammal. On the following images, you'll meet 12 carnivorous plants, ranging from the familiar Venus flytrap to the less well-known cobra lily. The main thing that distinguishes the tropical pitcher plant, genus Nepenthes , from other carnivorous vegetables is its scale: the "pitchers" of this plant can reach over a foot in height, ideal for capturing and digesting not only insects, but small lizards, amphibians, and even mammals.

Most are vines, but some remain compact in habit. The name "Monkey Cups" comes from monkeys occasionally drinking the fluid in the pitchers. The pitcher is actually a swelling of the mid-vein in the leaf. Insects are attracted to this because of nectar secretions and coloration.

Enter your search term above, and click the Search icon when you are ready. Apart from microbes, there can be relatively complex invertebrates like worms. But you might not expect so much to be living the trap of a pitcher plant.

Each typically grows only in a small area, but several species may live in the same habitat. Like other carnivorous plants, they all grow in areas with nitrogen-poor soil. These beautiful and clever plants collect their nitrogen in hanging, vase-shaped cups, which entice both flying and crawling insects with an intoxicating fragrance, bright color, and sweet nectar. A "lid" curves over the cup's rim, which is often grooved or toothed, and extra-slippery.