The Plants
Nepenthes are herbaceous non-woody plants which generally grow as long twining vines. The stems are capable of climbing over other vegetation and into trees by means of the curling tendrils at the tip of each leaf.
The Pitchers
The pitchers are actually highly specialized leaves that act as passive pitfall traps. Insects are lured to the opening of the pitcher by a combination of bright colors and sweet nectar. Once inside, they lose their footing on the smooth waxy wall and plunge into the liquid below where they quickly drown and are eventually digested by enzymes. Contrary to popular belief, the pitcher lid does not close on its victim, but remains continuously open and serves both as a landing platform for insects as well as a shield against excessive rainwater. A single pitcher has a lifespan of only a few months, but new ones are regularly produced by the plant. Most species of Nepenthes produce two types of pitcher on a single plant, one for catching crawling insects, the other for catching flying insects. The usual prey consists of ants, spiders, termites, and other small arthropods, but at least one large species from Sarawak, N. rafflesiana, has been found to trap and devour mice.
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Flowering and Fruiting
Flowers are produced in long clusters (called an inflorescence) at the tops of mature plants. Each individual flower is rather small and is composed of a fertile center surrounded by four sepals. All Nepenthes are dioecious, which means that male and female flowers are borne on seperate plants.
The tiny seeds are wind-borne and die very quickly unless they land in a suitable moist place to germinate. Young Nepenthes seedlings already have functioning miniature pitchers with their first set of leaves. It can take 2-10 years or more for a plant to reach flowering size.
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Image: cld05082473
Closeup showing the open male flowers of N. hurrelliana.
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Image: clp083636
Ripe seed pods of N. mirabilis.
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