Creation is so vast and intricate and the pitcher plant is truly a masterpiece of evolution in plant kingdom. Considering its survival instincts and complex dual metabolism, there is much more that the plant could contribute.
Are you aware of a plant that can catch its prey just by using water? Yes, it is the pitcher plant. Its unique method of feeding has fascinated scientists as well as common people like me. Go ahead and read the article.
Most pitcher plants bait insects through fragrance, while some species also use beautiful coloured petals as a means of attraction. When the insect lands on the leaf, the plant’ s slippery edges( called peristome) and waxy leaf scales cause it to fall into the cup. The inner walls of the pitcher are also covered by a flaky and waxy substance, disabling the insects to grip onto them. As they gradually reach the water( that the plant collects during rainfall) and are struggling to get out, this disturbance stimulates glands on the walls of the pitcher that later releases a digestive acid. The insect is then, just magically, reduced to a subsistence level and gradually disappears.
Biologists suggest that there are about 200-400 different types of bacteria present in the fluid of the pitcher plant. David Armitage, a graduate student at the University of Californiasays,“ A few common species seem to be members of groups known to produce compounds that affect the surface tension of their medium,” but this aspect would need deeper research to figure out the bacteria behind the cause of the water turning so deadly.
Over the course of just one day, our blood’ runs’ a distance of 19,312 kilometres.
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