What plant is the giant pitcher plant, and is it toxic?

Many people do not know what plant the giant pitcher plant is. In fact, it is also called Attenborough's pitcher plant, and it is a giant variety of pitcher plant. Although it is a plant, it can swallow creatures the size of a mouse, which is very terrifying. The giant pitcher plant is one of the unique tropical carnivorous plants of Palawan Province, and it often appears in shrubs. So is the giant pitcher plant toxic?

1. What plant is the giant pitcher plant?

The giant pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant. This plant has many derived varieties; some have sticky fluid on their leaves, and some wrap around plants by curling their leaves. The earliest rumors of this variety came from Christian missionaries, who discovered this variety on top of Mount Victoria in Palawan, the Philippines.

There are very many varieties of pitcher plants in the world, about more than 600 kinds, and most of them grow in environments lacking nitrogen. The diameter of the giant pitcher plant is about 30 cm, and swallowing rodents is no problem at all, but in most cases the food of the giant pitcher plant is still insects.

The leaves of the giant pitcher plant are very large, 15 cm wide and even up to 40 cm long, appearing oval, thick and blunt, extending downward. It can produce pitcher traps, which are very large and can sometimes reach a volume of 1.5-2 liters, and it looks terrifying.

The lower pitcher of the giant pitcher plant is very brittle, like a bell shape, about 30 cm high and about 16 cm wide. The tendril is about 30 to 40 cm long, and its diameter is about 4 to 9 mm. The tendril is flat, with an oblate cross-section. The upper pitcher of Attenborough's pitcher plant is similar to the lower pitcher, but is generally funnel-shaped, up to 25 cm high and 12 cm wide.

2. Is the giant pitcher plant toxic?

The giant pitcher plant itself is toxic, but the toxin needs to be promoted by ultraviolet light to be better absorbed. The sap of the leaves, roots, stems, and seeds of the pitcher plant contains a substance called furanocoumarin, which is highly toxic under the promotion of ultraviolet light. If human skin touches the giant pitcher plant, phytophotodermatitis will occur. Under the mixture of ultraviolet light, that is, sunlight and sweat, a chemical reaction takes place, and large blisters will grow on the skin, with a very strong burning sensation. This kind of blister will leave scars, generally black-purple or dark red, and the impact on people can be said to be very great.

If, before a reaction occurs, hands contaminated with the toxic sap touch the eyes, it will cause temporary blindness, and in severe cases without timely treatment, irreversible blindness will occur. It can be said that the harm of the giant pitcher plant is very great. In addition, it also has a certain harm to animals.