Pitcher plant

[ecampbell]

I guess everyone is familiar with these. There are plenty of them blooming at Goshen Pond now.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=442&pos=3

 

[Piney Boy]

I love those plants, I went to check some out at Pakim Pond three weeks ago, but they were just buds. Guess if I went back now they would be up. Nice pic.

 

[long-a-coming]

Correct me if I'm wrong, do they catch insects like a venus fly trap?

 

[ChrisNJ]

I think the insects are attracted to the stank coming from inside the pitcher and after they fall in they cant get out due to hairs pointing down that block them and then the insects become part of the stinky water at the bottom doing all the attracting.

I could be wrong.

 

[daved]

sundew

has anybody seen a sundew? years ago when i went on a trip to atsion i saw some in the back they are the plants that have a glue like substance on them that insects think is nector but when they land on it they get stuck and the plant digests the insect. they are pretty cool looking.

 

[grendel]

I think this is it.

 

[Teegate]

Correct me if I'm wrong, do they catch insects like a venus fly trap?

They don't actually catch them, they trap them. As mentioned above they have thousands of little hairs that point downward and the bug once he starts down is forced to continue. It then falls into the liquid at the bottom which is basically rain water with remnants of vegetation, old bug carcasses, and such.

They are very prevalent in the pines, and always interesting to check out. I still prefer the Trumpet Pitcher Plants that I mentioned just recently. They fascinate me.

I looked into one of the tubes and there was a very large beetle jammed in the tube about half way down. No quite deep enough for the plant to digest, but deep enough and stuck enough for the demise of the beetle. Eventually, the plant will benefit when the bug deteriorates and falls down.

Guy

 

[daved]

yes thats what im talking about in the photo grendel posted

 

[ebsi2001]

New Jersey is supposed to be "home" to all three common insectivorous plants --- the pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap, and the sundew. Those plants supposedly grow on soil that is very low in nitrogen, and that is why they need to "eat" (digest) insects.

I am familiar with the Trumpet Pitcher Plant that Guy has photographed. Like guy says, downward--pointing hairs trap the insects (keep them from crawling out) and the walls are extremely slippery, so the insects will eventually fall into the "sauce" at the bottom of the plant. The "sauce" contains digestive enzymes, which chemically "gut" the insect ---leaving its chitinous carapace behind... If you look inside, you should find a great collection of insect exoskeletons!

Venus fly traps (This looks like a picture of some.)...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=444&pos=46

"trap" their prey --- quite often flies, which are attracted by an odor emitted by the plant. When the flies touch the "trigger hairs" on the leaves in a certain way (and a certain number of times), the leaves "snap shut" along their midline, and the fly is trapped in a "miniature jail." Eventually, the leaves close more tightly, and exude digestive enzymes (internally). After the insect (fly) has been "eaten alive," and the plant has received its nutrition, the leaves fold open (as in the picture) awaiting new victims. The undigestible (for all these plants), chitinous carapace simply blows away...

Sundews are neat plants! Their leaves are covered with "hairs" that exude a sticky "goo." Insects are attracted to these plants not only by the sticky stuff, but also by the plants' "signature" colours of yellow and red. When they "touch down" on the leaves, they get "mired" in the "goo." Eventually, they become so entangled that they are lying virtually flat on the surface of the leaf. Then the sundew VERY S L O W L Y curls its leaf along the midline, so it can exude its digestive enzymes. The chitinous carapaces of dead insects can be seen on the "unfurled" leaves of the sundew.

I have no "clue" what these plants are: Guy probably knows...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=442&pos=3

ebsi

 

[uuglypher]

New Jersey is supposed to be "home" to all three common insectivorous plants --- the pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap, and the sundew.
ebsi

Hey, Ebsi-
Thanks for the concise and lucid info on these fascinating plants. Very informative!
Dave

 

[Bobbleton]

New Jersey is supposed to be "home" to all three common insectivorous plants --- the pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap, and the sundew. Those plants supposedly grow on soil that is very low in nitrogen, and that is why they need to "eat" (digest) insects.

I am familiar with the Trumpet Pitcher Plant that Guy has photographed. Like guy says, downward--pointing hairs trap the insects (keep them from crawling out) and the walls are extremely slippery, so the insects will eventually fall into the "sauce" at the bottom of the plant. The "sauce" contains digestive enzymes, which chemically "gut" the insect ---leaving its chitinous carapace behind... If you look inside, you should find a great collection of insect exoskeletons!

Venus fly traps (This looks like a picture of some.)...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=444&pos=46

"trap" their prey --- quite often flies, which are attracted by an odor emitted by the plant. When the flies touch the "trigger hairs" on the leaves in a certain way (and a certain number of times), the leaves "snap shut" along their midline, and the fly is trapped in a "miniature jail." Eventually, the leaves close more tightly, and exude digestive enzymes (internally). After the insect (fly) has been "eaten alive," and the plant has received its nutrition, the leaves fold open (as in the picture) awaiting new victims. The undigestible (for all these plants), chitinous carapace simply blows away...

Sundews are neat plants! Their leaves are covered with "hairs" that exude a sticky "goo." Insects are attracted to these plants not only by the sticky stuff, but also by the plants' "signature" colours of yellow and red. When they "touch down" on the leaves, they get "mired" in the "goo." Eventually, they become so entangled that they are lying virtually flat on the surface of the leaf. Then the sundew VERY S L O W L Y curls its leaf along the midline, so it can exude its digestive enzymes. The chitinous carapaces of dead insects can be seen on the "unfurled" leaves of the sundew.

I have no "clue" what these plants are: Guy probably knows...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=442&pos=3

ebsi

Informative, but somewhat off base. The pines are native to 3 species of sundews, and i believe just one species of pitcher plant. The trumpet pitchers are native down south--introduced here. While you might have a vague chance of seeing a venus fly trap in the pines---its a farse. They can't even be introduced as they'll die in the winter. Venus fly traps are endemic to about a 100 miles radius of wilmington NC and nowhere else.

this image: http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=444&pos=46
is spatula-leaf sundew.

a closer look at the same species: (if you look closely, you can see the tendrils curling around an insect in the center)

and an even CLOSER look: (same plant from a slightly different angle)
http://tromping.com/images/forums/IMG_4688.jpg

The last picture (first one in this thread) is of blossoms from a purple pitcher (the native one). Supposedly bumblebees are their primary pollenator, and the flowers have evolved a complex and sturdy "landing platform" structure for the heavy insects to rest and feed from.

-Bob

 

[grendel]

New Jersey is supposed to be "home" to all three common insectivorous plants --- the pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap, and the sundew. Those plants supposedly grow on soil that is very low in nitrogen, and that is why they need to "eat" (digest) insects.

I am familiar with the Trumpet Pitcher Plant that Guy has photographed. Like guy says, downward--pointing hairs trap the insects (keep them from crawling out) and the walls are extremely slippery, so the insects will eventually fall into the "sauce" at the bottom of the plant. The "sauce" contains digestive enzymes, which chemically "gut" the insect ---leaving its chitinous carapace behind... If you look inside, you should find a great collection of insect exoskeletons!

Venus fly traps (This looks like a picture of some.)...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=444&pos=46

"trap" their prey --- quite often flies, which are attracted by an odor emitted by the plant. When the flies touch the "trigger hairs" on the leaves in a certain way (and a certain number of times), the leaves "snap shut" along their midline, and the fly is trapped in a "miniature jail." Eventually, the leaves close more tightly, and exude digestive enzymes (internally). After the insect (fly) has been "eaten alive," and the plant has received its nutrition, the leaves fold open (as in the picture) awaiting new victims. The undigestible (for all these plants), chitinous carapace simply blows away...

Sundews are neat plants! Their leaves are covered with "hairs" that exude a sticky "goo." Insects are attracted to these plants not only by the sticky stuff, but also by the plants' "signature" colours of yellow and red. When they "touch down" on the leaves, they get "mired" in the "goo." Eventually, they become so entangled that they are lying virtually flat on the surface of the leaf. Then the sundew VERY S L O W L Y curls its leaf along the midline, so it can exude its digestive enzymes. The chitinous carapaces of dead insects can be seen on the "unfurled" leaves of the sundew.

I have no "clue" what these plants are: Guy probably knows...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=442&pos=3

ebsi

The plants in that photo are not "hinged",teegate said that he thought they were sundew.I have never seen venus fly traps in the pines,I read somewhere that they were only native to the Carolinas.

 

[ebsi2001]

Hey, Ebsi-
Thanks for the concise and lucid info on these fascinating plants. Very informative!
Dave

You're welcome, Dave.

Perhaps Guy can be convinced to go out into the great outdoors and photograph the Venus Flytrap and the sundew in situ...

I wonder if the soils they grow on is, indeed, nitrogen deficient?

ebsi

 

[Teegate]

As Bobbleton said the pines are absent of Venus Fly Traps...they do not grow here. And he is also correct on the Trumpet Pitcher Plants.

Also, there are many types of sundew that have different characteristics.

Guy

 

[ebsi2001]

Apology

Informative, but somewhat off base. The pines are native to 3 species of sundews, and i believe just one species of pitcher plant. The trumpet pitchers are native down south--introduced here. While you might have a vague chance of seeing a venus fly trap in the pines---its a farse. They can't even be introduced as they'll die in the winter. Venus fly traps are endemic to about a 100 miles radius of wilmington NC and nowhere else.

...<SNIP>...

The last picture (first one in this thread) is of blossoms from a purple pitcher (the native one). Supposedly bumblebees are their primary pollenator, and the flowers have evolved a complex and sturdy "landing platform" structure for the heavy insects to rest and feed from.

-Bob

NOTE: After two attempts at a posting yesterday/early this AM, I'm trying again... Dang Internet! :jeffd:

Thank you, Bob, for your correction(s), and for the great photographs, too!

What I wanted to say was, "I've heard that New Jersey is supposed to be "home" to all three common insectivorous plants --- the pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap, and the sundew." :eng101: I apologize for ruffling some feathers, or inadvertantly disseminating bad information. :cry:

About 35 years ago, I had chance to view hothouse grown versions of both Venus Fly Traps and sundews over a period of several weeks. I think the genus of the sundew was "Drosera", but I don't remember the species... The plants I observed had elongated leaves. Perhaps they were a species indiginous to Europe? The insects that were stuck to them were quite small, like gnats or fruit flies. I did notice that the leaves that had captured prey on them had "curled" somewhat from side--to--side along the longitudinal axis (somewhat analagous to rolling a cigarette paper). Perhaps the "curling" was attributable to the struggles of the insects to get free, and not a reaction of some kind from the plant...

It intrigued me as to what the ultimate fate of the empty insect carapaces (and the leaves that bore them) was. Since many leaves had several insects stuck to them, those sticky sites could no longer be used to capture more insects...

Did the leaves die and drop off, or did they release, in some way, the useless, empty carapaces?? Who knows?

Thanks for the info., Bob. I have seen the Trumpet Pitchers, perhaps in the early 90's on trips through The Pines with my father. However, I don't recollect ever seeing a Purple Pitcher.

ebsi