What to Do When Pitcher Plant Pitchers Wither and Turn Black? Detailed Cutting Propagation Guide
When it comes to the pitcher plant (Nepenthes), it grows in a rather cute way, and this pitcher plant also likes to eat small insects - it likes meat. Let's take a look at what to do when pitcher plant pitchers wither and turn black, and how to propagate pitcher plants by cuttings: What to do when pitcher plant pitchers wither and turn black: Normal withering, generally
When it comes to the pitcher plant (Nepenthes), it grows in a rather cute way, and this pitcher plant also likes to eat small insects - it likes meat. Let's take a look at what to do when pitcher plant pitchers wither and turn black, and how to propagate pitcher plants by cuttings:
What to do when pitcher plant pitchers wither and turn black:
1. Normal withering
Generally, the pitchers of a pitcher plant will wither about 2——3 months after they form - this is a normal phenomenon, and there is no need to worry.
Like other plants, the pitcher is equivalent to a flower, and flowers will wither - the pitcher is no exception. It's just that the pitchers of pitcher plants last a relatively long time. Note that generally, one leaf of a pitcher plant can only produce one pitcher.
2. Pitcher withering caused by an unsuitable growing environment
Besides normal withering, pitcher plants may also develop withered pitchers because of an unsuitable growing environment. This is an adverse effect, and attention must always be paid to light, temperature and so on.
Generally, unsuitable light, such as the appearance of intense light, mostly happens in summer. Strong light combined with high temperatures easily scorches pitcher plants. The first sign is that older pitchers get sunburned and show dehydration; in severe cases the entire plant, including the pitchers, gets scorched. So it is best to provide a suitable environment for pitcher plant growth. Only with sufficient light can pitcher plants produce larger pitchers. Make sure there is sufficient light, but provide shading at noon.
In addition, temperature may also be a factor. Pitcher plants are not very demanding about temperature, and they are not afraid of heat. But some pitcher plants are not cold-tolerant; when the temperature is too low, growth slows down, and in severe cases the plant can suffer frost damage, so attention must be paid to keeping it warm.
Of course, when the temperature is too high and the air humidity is low, pitcher plant pitchers also wither very easily. So the withered pitchers need to be cut off, then misting should be increased to raise the air humidity.#p#Subtitle#e#
How to propagate pitcher plants by cuttings:
1. Cutting the stem
The first thing to do is cut a stem segment, and the segment must have a growth node, that is, a leaf. This ensures that new shoots will grow and that the plant retains water.
A stem segment generally has two or three growth nodes. Then cut off part of the leaf on the segment, that is, cut off one-half to two-thirds of the leaf perpendicular to the midrib. This step is very important - do not fail at propagation because you cannot bear to part with the tender green leaves; however, do not cut them off completely either, because the leaf itself consumes nutrients but also produces the nutritional hormones the roots need. Without a leaf, propagation will absolutely not succeed.
2. Treating the cut end
When cutting the stem, try to keep the cut surface smooth; it is better to use relatively sharp scissors and cut vertically. Do not cut at an angle, to reduce the injured area of the stem - if the cut end is too large, it is very easily infected by microorganisms.
Wait until the cut end of the stem segment has dried before propagating; generally 1~2 days is enough.
3. Propagation
(1) Growing medium
The growing medium used for cuttings is best if it is new, to reduce bacterial infection. Sphagnum moss or peat will both do.
(2) Inserting the cutting
Insert the stem segment into the soil. When the segment has only one growth node, the node must be left above the soil surface when planting; if there are two or three growth nodes, the lowest node should be inserted into the soil. To help the plant grow better, apply a little rooting hormone to the cut end before planting, which both raises the survival rate and reduces the chance of infection.
(3) Care
After planting the cutting, place the container in a hot and humid environment; to increase humidity, you can cover it with a plastic bag.
Place the potted cutting in a spot with good light, but avoid direct sunlight hitting the stem segment, so that the temperature does not get too high and scorch the stem.
Cuttings are greatly affected by temperature; it is best to keep them at the same temperature as the mother plant, and if conditions allow, you can simply place them near the mother plant for care
If the pitchers of a pitcher plant wither, there are ways to deal with it, and pitcher plants can also be propagated by cuttings - isn't that amazing?
What to Do When Pitcher Plant Leaves Turn Black: 6 Treatments
Growers of pitcher plants all know that Nepenthes is not an easy variety to grow; a slight mistake in daily care will cause problems. Today's topic is the causes of pitcher plant leaves turning black and the treatments.
Causes of pitcher plant leaves turning blackThere are many reasons that cause pitcher plant leaves to turn black: it may be the wrong temperature, unsuitable humidity, insufficient light, or the pitcher plant simply ate too much! As long as there is a slight mistake in any one care item, the appearance of the pitcher plant will change, with some leaves turning yellow and so on.
How to treat pitcher plant leaves 1. Sufficient lightIf the winter sunlight is relatively weak, you still need to ensure the pitcher plant gets enough sun. Growers can simply put it in direct sun for 2 hours, and bright indirect light the rest of the time. Summer sunlight is relatively harsh, so try not to expose it to direct sun; give it bright indirect light all day.
2. Reasonable wateringIt is suggested that when watering pitcher plants, growers can use the soak method, that is, soak the whole pot in water to moisten the soil. This ensures the watering is fairly even and not prone to waterlogging, and also solves the problem of insufficient humidity. During watering, however, the water should not go over the rim of the pot. When you have time, mist the leaves often; in winter, to maintain humidity, you can put a plastic bag over the pot and plant.
As for the choice of water quality, use soft water if possible. If you are in the north, you can use rainwater, air-conditioner water or distilled water, which contain relatively few minerals; in the south, you can use tap water directly.
3. Reasonable temperature controlWhen the ambient temperature is relatively low, the pitcher plant needs to be moved indoors for care, and the temperature should be kept above 20°C as much as possible. When the temperature is too low, the pitcher plant will reduce its own leaves to keep warm, and may even let its pitchers wither.
4. Reasonable insect feedingTo reduce fertilizing, many growers actively feed their pitcher plants, putting insects into the pitchers. There is a major misconception here: pitcher plants do not eat meals the way people do, and insects cannot be fed as a staple food. If too many insects are fed, the pitchers will gradually wither and the leaves will turn black. So the amount of insects fed must be controlled; generally feed once every two or three days, 2~3 insects at a time. While feeding insects, reduce fertilizing.
Pitcher Plant Nepenthes sp. Pitcher Plant Gallery: How to Grow Pitcher Plants / How to Propagate Pitcher Plants
Pitcher Plant ProfilePitcher Plant Nepenthes sp.
Pitcher Plant Growing Methods and Precautions Introduction to Pitcher Plants
The pitcher plant is a famous tropical insectivorous plant. "Pitcher plant" is the general name for all species in the genus Nepenthes, and its place of origin is mainly the tropical regions of Asia. The pitcher plant has a unique organ for absorbing nutrients - the pitcher. The pitcher is cylindrical, slightly swollen in the lower part, with a lid on top of the pitcher mouth. Because its shape resembles a pig cage (zhu long), it is called "zhu long cao" (pig-cage plant) in Chinese. In Hainan, China, it is also called "Leigong hu" (Thunder God's pot), meaning it resembles a wine pot. Because the soil in its native habitat is poor, the pitcher plant supplements nutrients by capturing insects and other small animals, so it is one of the insectivorous plants. Apart from sundews, plants in the family Nepenthaceae are another group of climbing plants with the ability to prey on insects.
Origin of the scientific name of the pitcher plant
The scientific name of the genus Nepenthes first appeared in 1737 in Carolus Linnaeus's work "Hortus Cliffortianus". It comes from a passage in Homer's "Odyssey". In it, the Egyptian queen gave Helen a potion called "Nepenthes pharmakon". "Nepenthes" means "without sorrow" ("Ne" means without, "penthos" means sorrow). In Greek mythology, "Nepenthes" is a drug that makes people forget all sorrow. Linnaeus said:
"If this is not Helen's 'sorrow-quelling water', then it will be for all botanists. If one discovered this wonderful plant after a long journey, one would surely marvel at it, forget all displeasure, and exclaim at how nature could be so wondrous. (Translated from the Latin work of Harry Veitch)"
The pitcher plant Linnaeus described was N. distillatoria from Sri Lanka. In 1753, in Linnaeus's "Species Plantarum", the naming of the genus Nepenthes was formally published. From then on, "Nepenthes" became the official name of the genus. N. distillatoria also became the type species of the genus Nepenthes.
Ecological Habits of the Pitcher Plant
Living habitsMost pitcher plants live in environments with relatively high humidity and temperature and bright indirect light. They are generally found at the edges of forests or shrublands or in clearings. A few species, such as N. ampullaria (apple pitcher plant), prefer to grow in dense, shady forests. Most species have adapted to growing among grass populations similar to grassland species. Pitcher plants grow in acidic, nutrient-poor soil, usually peat, white sand, sandstone or volcanic soil. But there are exceptions, such as N. rajah (Malay king pitcher plant), which can grow healthily in soil with a relatively high metal content, and N. albomarginata (white-margined pitcher plant), which can grow near the high-tide line on sandy beaches. Some pitcher plants also become lithophytes growing on rock walls. Meanwhile, species such as N. inermis (spineless pitcher plant) can even grow without contact with soil, as epiphytes attached to trees.
Distribution range of the pitcher plant
The pitcher plant is a climbing plant that exists in the tropical regions of the Old World. Pitcher plants are native to tropical regions such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Australia in Southeast Asia; east to New Caledonia - N. vieillardii, west to Madagascar - N. madagascariensis and N. masoalensis, and the Seychelles - N. pervillei, south to northern Australia - N. rowanae and N. tenax, and north to southern China - N. mirabilis, India - N. khasiana, and Sri Lanka - N. distillatoria. On the Malay Archipelago's Borneo and Sumatra there are large numbers of pitcher plants with extremely high morphological diversity, especially in the montane rainforests of Borneo. But most pitcher plants are endemic to their localities, and some even appear in only a few mountain areas. Because of their narrow distribution ranges and the inconvenience of local transport, some pitcher plants are very difficult to observe in the wild again. For example, when N. deaniana was rediscovered in the wild, 100 years had already passed since its first discovery. About 10 species of pitcher plants have native ranges limited to a few isolated islands or small archipelagos. But N. mirabilis has an extremely wide distribution, occurring from Indochina to the Malay Archipelago and Australia.
Pitcher plants are classified by the elevation of their native habitat. Using 1200m elevation as the standard, they are divided into lowland pitcher plants and highland pitcher plants. The climate in lowland areas is hot and humid all year round, so lowland pitcher plants have no great demand for temperature differences; the climate in highland areas is warm during the day and cool at night all year round, so their healthy growth requires an environment with a relatively large temperature difference. N. lamii is the pitcher plant with the highest native elevation, growing in areas with an elevation of more than 3520m.
Morphological characteristics of the pitcher plant
The pitcher plant is a perennial climbing plant, with woody or semi-woody stems; some wild plants can reach 20 meters long, climbing on trees or growing along the ground. The leaves are generally long-elliptic, with a tendril at the end to facilitate climbing. At the end of the tendril, a bottle-shaped or funnel-shaped pitcher forms, with a pitcher lid. Pitcher plants only flower after growing for many years. The flowers are generally racemes, rarely panicles, dioecious, small and plain; during the day the scent is faint and slightly fragrant, at night the scent is strong and turns foul. Their ornamental value cannot compare with that of the pitchers. The fruit is a capsule, which splits open when ripe and releases seeds.The pitcherThe main purpose of growing pitcher plants is to admire their strange insect-catching organ - the pitcher. The pitcher of a pitcher plant develops from the end of the tendril. When a new leaf grows out, there is already a rudimentary pitcher at the end of the tendril. In the early stage, the surface of this rudiment is covered with a layer of hairs, which gradually fall off during growth. The rudimentary pitcher is initially yellow-brown and flat; when it grows to 1~2cm, it gradually turns green or red and begins to swell. Before the lid opens, the pitcher already shows its characteristic colors, patterns and spots. After the lid opens, the peristome at the pitcher mouth continues to develop, becoming wider and larger, and curls outward or inward. At the same time, the peristome begins to show color, and the peristomes of some pitchers carry stripes of different colors. At this point the pitcher is mature, and after about a few days insects can be observed falling into it. Each leaf of a pitcher plant can only produce one pitcher. If the pitcher ages and withers or is damaged for some reason, the original leaf will not grow a new pitcher; only new leaves will grow new pitchers.
The pitcher of a pitcher plant consists of the pitcher body and the pitcher lid. The pitcher body has structures such as the pitcher mouth, peristome, wings, digestive glands and waxy zone; the pitcher lid has structures such as nectaries and lid keel. In addition, the pitchers of some pitcher plants also have appendages. The tendril spur appears at the junction of the pitcher body and the pitcher lid. At the same time, the same species of pitcher plant will produce two different forms of pitchers. This often causes taxonomic trouble, making people mistakenly think they are two different pitcher plants.
In Southeast Asia, local people use the pitchers of N. ampullaria as containers to cook "pitcher plant rice". They stuff rice, meat and other ingredients into the pitchers and steam them in a pot. The method of making "pitcher plant rice" is similar to that of zongzi; it is a local specialty food with a very Southeast Asian flavor.
The two forms of pitchers
Except for N. campanulata (bell-shaped pitcher plant), most pitcher plants produce two forms of pitchers. This difference can sometimes be enormous, such as the upper and lower pitchers of N. rafflesiana. Stems near the ground surface whose internode spacing has not increased produce lower pitchers, while stems higher up whose internode spacing has increased produce upper pitchers. Lower pitchers are fatter, rounder and larger in shape. Upper pitchers are longer, thinner and tend toward a funnel shape. The upper pitchers of most pitcher plants are lighter in color than their lower pitchers and have fewer markings. The notable differences between lower and upper pitchers are prepared for attracting and capturing different types of insects. If the form of some pitchers falls between lower and upper pitchers, they are called "intermediate pitchers".
Pitcher body
The pitchers of some pitcher plants can reach up to 50 cm tall and 25 cm wide, equivalent in size to a 10L household bucket. The pitcher body can be green, orange, red and other colors, and some have block-like or band-like spots in colors such as brown, purple, black and white. These spots have a special function in certain pitcher plants. For example, the upper pitchers of N. aristolochioides and N. klossii have white spots that allow sunlight to shine into the pitcher. Seen from inside the pitcher, the peristome and lid then appear very dark, while the white spots on the pitcher body appear very bright, so flying insects inside the pitcher mistake the white spots for the exit and become trapped in the pitcher, finally exhausting themselves and falling into the digestive fluid.
Pitcher lidA pitcher lid grows on the upper part of the pitcher mouth. It can prevent rainwater from entering the pitcher and block light coming from above, so as to confuse insects that fall into the pitcher and make them unable to find the exit. A few pitcher plants have rather special lids. For example, N. ampullaria has a narrow, elongated lid that curls outward, enabling it to collect fallen leaves from above. Many people think that after an insect falls into the pitcher, the lid will close; in fact, pitcher plants do not do this. The connection between the pitcher lid and the pitcher body is fixed and cannot move. So after an insect falls into the pitcher, the pitcher plant will not show such a rapid stress response. This kind of response appears only in Venus flytraps, sundews and bladderworts.
Pitcher mouth
The pitcher mouth is the opening of the pitcher. Pitcher mouths can be divided into two kinds: parallel pitcher mouths and slanted pitcher mouths. In pitcher plants with a parallel pitcher mouth, when the pitcher is fully developed, its mouth is exactly level with the ground; in pitcher plants with a slanted pitcher mouth, when the pitcher is fully developed, its mouth is slanted. But the upper pitcher of N. aristolochioides is rather special: its pitcher mouth is almost perpendicular to the ground. In most pitcher plants, the peristome suddenly elongates and contracts upward at a certain distance near where the lid joins, forming a "⊥"-shaped structure called the peristome neck. At the peristome neck, the left and right peristomes run parallel upward and almost press together. At the same time, most peristome necks tilt slightly forward.
Peristome
The peristome is a specialized structure at the pitcher mouth, and it only gradually matures after the pitcher lid opens. The peristome is often the most brilliantly colored part of the entire pitcher, being red, purple, yellow and so on, and some carry yellow or red horizontal stripes. The peristome also secretes nectar, making it quite wet and slippery. Its shape and color resemble a flower, and it also has nectar, so it serves as one of the important structures for attracting insects.
The peristome of the pitcher curls outward or inward, and its outer edge is often wavy. On the peristome there are smooth, parallel transverse ridges called peristome ribs; at the end extending to the inner edge of the peristome they become pointed structures called peristome teeth. When an insect slips, the peristome can guide it into the pitcher.
In most pitcher plants, the peristome suddenly elongates and contracts upward at a certain distance near where the lid joins, forming a "⊥"-shaped structure called the peristome neck. At the peristome neck, the left and right peristomes run parallel upward and almost press together. At the same time, most peristome necks tilt slightly forward.Wings
On the front part of the pitcher there are often two parallel wings extending downward from the pitcher mouth and converging at the bottom of the pitcher; on the wings there are also many whisker-like structures called wing fringes. The function of the wings may be to make it easier for insects on the ground to climb to the pitcher mouth.[7] Therefore, for upper pitchers that mostly capture flying insects, their wings are usually reduced or absent, and some varieties are reduced to a pair of ridges.
Digestive glands and waxy zone
The inner surface of the pitcher usually has digestive glands and a waxy zone. The digestive glands exist on the lower part of the inner surface of the pitcher. The digestive glands secrete digestive fluid, so there is often liquid in the pitcher. The function of this digestive fluid is to drown insects that fall into the pitcher and digest them. In addition, the digestive fluid of N. inermis, N. dubia and N. flava is very special: it is extremely viscous and covers the inner surface of the pitcher. This makes the pitcher serve both as a cage-like trap for catching prey and, with its extremely sticky inner wall, as a way to stick to flying insects passing by. The waxy zone exists on the upper part of the inner surface of the pitcher. The smooth waxy zone prevents insects that fall into the pitcher from crawling out.
The digestive fluid in the pitcher of a pitcher plant often drains away because of repotting or is diluted by rainwater, but this does not affect the health of the plant. In a suitable environment, the pitcher plant will soon produce new digestive fluid. Therefore, adding water to a pitcher with no digestive fluid is pointless.
Nectaries
The lower surface of the pitcher lid of most pitcher plants has large numbers of nectaries, which secrete nectar to attract insects to forage. However, this nectar has a narcotic effect, causing insects to become paralyzed and fall into the pitcher. In addition, the lower surface of the lid of N. lowii also secretes white block-like substances to entice tree shrews to feed.
Appendages
Some pitcher plants have characteristic structures on the pitcher lid. For example, the base of the lower surface of the lid of N. bicalcarata has two tooth-like structures; N. lowii and N. ephippiata have fleshy long hairs under the lid; N. lingulata has a slender rod-like structure under the lid; N. fusca has a tiny protrusion under the lid, and so on.
Lid keel
In some pitcher plants such as N. burbidgeae, there is a protruding beam-like structure under the pitcher lid - the lid keel - which plays a supporting role.Tendril spur
The tendril spur (spur) is a soft rod-like structure behind the base of the lid of most pitcher plants, occasionally forked, about 1cm long. It is the end of the tendril left over after the rudimentary pitcher developed and swelled, and is morphologically the true end of the entire leaf.
Pitcher shoulder
The pitcher shoulder is a ring-shaped ridge in the middle of the pitcher body of some pitcher plants. Usually the pitcher shoulder of lower pitchers is positioned higher, while the pitcher shoulder of upper pitchers is positioned lower.Leaf blade
The leaf of a pitcher plant is morphologically actually the petiole; its morphologically true leaf blade is the bottle-shaped pitcher formed at its end. Therefore, the leaf of a pitcher plant is a typical modified leaf. The leaf usually referred to as a pitcher plant leaf all refers to its morphological petiole.
The leaf shape of pitcher plants is usually elliptic to lanceolate, sometimes peltate, 10~25cm long and 4~8cm wide. On both sides of the midrib there are several longitudinal veins, and some pitcher plants also have obvious pinnate veins. In the plant's juvenile stage, its leaves are arranged in a way close to whorled, forming a rosette overall; after maturity its leaves become alternate. Its leaves are usually bright green or yellow-green. The texture of the leaves can also be divided into papery and waxy; papery petioles are sometimes covered with a layer of hairs, while waxy petioles do not have hairs.
Petiole
The petiole of a pitcher plant usually referred to is the tubular narrowed part where its morphological petiole joins the stem.
Tendril
A thick main vein runs through the middle of the leaf, and after the midrib finally emerges from the leaf it becomes the tendril. The tendrils of upper pitchers are relatively long and will twine around and attach to other objects, so that the stem can be supported and grow upward. It is a kind of modified leaf that plays a climbing and supporting role, similar to those of grapes and mung beans. If it does not attach to any object, it will still coil by itself one or several times, with a diameter of 1~2cm; this is called a tendril loop. At the end of the tendril, a bottle-shaped pitcher forms.
Guide nectaries
Guide nectaries are evenly distributed on both sides of the leaf. As the name suggests, the nectar secreted by these nectaries serves to guide insects, especially ants. Following the guidance of these nectaries, insects unknowingly arrive at the pitcher mouth and finally fall into the pitcher. They are distributed on the leaves and pitchers of the plant.Stem
The pitcher plant is a perennial climbing plant, and its stem is relatively thick, usually 1cm in diameter. Some species are thicker, such as N. bicalcarata, whose stem can reach 10~30m long when mature. Pitcher plants can climb on nearby shrubs or trees, can also creep along the ground, or grow as epiphytes attached to tree trunks.Growth nodes
On the stem of a pitcher plant, there is a growth node in the axil of every petiole, appearing as a small, undeveloped protrusion. This is because the plant's apical bud has apical dominance, which suppresses the development of the lateral buds below it. If the pitcher plant loses its apical bud because of accidental damage or artificial pruning, the lateral bud closest to the apical bud will begin to develop and grow. If the upper lateral bud grows large enough, the undeveloped lower lateral buds will again be suppressed and stop developing. This whole process is regulated by auxin concentration.
Internode spacing
The stem of a pitcher plant shows different forms depending on the stage it is in. During the juvenile rosette stage of the pitcher plant, the stem can only produce lower pitchers, and its internode spacing is very short, with the upper and lower leaves almost pressed together. After a period of time, the stem that previously produced only lower pitchers will switch to growing upper pitchers. This change from lower pitchers to upper pitchers is shown on the stem: its internode spacing suddenly increases. The increase in internode spacing is sudden and rapid, causing the plant's height to increase greatly within a very short period. This enables the stem to reach farther, helping the plant grow upward and pass through the dense vegetation above. At this point it also marks the maturity of the pitcher plant, which now has the ability to grow an inflorescence. Such a sudden increase in internode spacing allows the plant to keep climbing and growing upward; its purpose is to allow the pitcher plant's inflorescence to open high up, which benefits pollination and seed dispersal. After the flowers fade, the stem can continue to grow upward; a stem that has flowered can continue to flower for the next few years.
Some growers have found from experience that the morphological change from lower pitchers to upper pitchers produced by the stem of a pitcher plant is irreversible, that is, a stem that has already switched to growing upper pitchers cannot produce lower pitchers again. Even after propagation by cutting, a stem that grew upper pitchers can only grow upper pitchers, but lateral branches of a stem growing upper pitchers can grow lower pitchers.
Lateral branches
The base of a mature pitcher plant produces lateral branches. Because the pitcher plant is already very tall at this time and has accumulated many nutrients, the lateral branches grown from the base will quickly produce huge leaves and lower pitchers. After a few more years, this lateral branch that produces lower pitchers also begins to grow upper pitchers, and so the cycle repeats endlessly. In the end, one pitcher plant grows into a large clump. A pitcher plant grown for many years has a fairly thick main stem, and on the main stem near the soil surface it produces more than a dozen lateral branches, so the whole pitcher plant can grow very large, producing hundreds of leaves and over a hundred pitchers.
In horticulture, artificial pruning may prevent the pitcher plant from growing huge, and because the cultivation time is not long enough, it only produces lower pitchers and cannot flower either.RootsThe roots of a pitcher plant are fibrous roots, black, brittle and easily broken, and few in number. Compared with other plants, the root system of a pitcher plant is quite underdeveloped.InflorescencePitcher plants are dioecious plants, so pollination and seed set must occur between two plants of different sexes. In the wild, male pitcher plants make up about 70% of the total, and females 30%. Because pitcher plants grow in low-latitude regions, there are no obvious four seasons here. But there is a distinction between dry and wet seasons. Pitcher plants generally flower near the end of the dry season, and when the seeds mature, the rainy season has just arrived, which helps the seeds germinate.
The inflorescence of a pitcher plant belongs to the raceme or panicle type among indeterminate inflorescences. A flower axis about 20~40 meters long is sent out from the top of the stem, bearing many small pedicels of nearly equal length, each pedicel carrying one to many small flowers. The number of flowers may range from a dozen or so to over a hundred. The order of flowering starts from the bottom and ends with the topmost flower.
These small flowers do not have petals; the structures that look like petals are actually the calyx; each small flower contains 4 sepals. Male flowers contain one stamen, whose anther is covered with a layer of yellow pollen; female flowers contain one pistil, whose stigma is green and sticky, used to catch pollen. Pitcher plants usually rely on wind to carry pollen, but the calyx of their small flowers also secretes nectar to attract insects to help with pollination. After a female flower is pollinated, its ovary begins to swell and turns brown; when the fruit matures, it splits open and releases hundreds of tiny seeds. The flowers of pitcher plants have little ornamental value; the flowers are small and plain, and only a few varieties have relatively
brightly colored flowers. In addition, the flowers of pitcher plants give off an unpleasant smell at night, and are slightly fragrant during the day.SeedsThe fruit of a pitcher plant is a capsule. The seeds inside are very small and slender, spindle-shaped to thread-like. They are about 1cm long and about 1mm wide, woody. In the middle there is a tiny raised embryo. The seeds of pitcher plants are very light and easily carried away by wind, so pitcher plant seeds are dispersed by wind. And their seeds have no nutrient-rich flesh, so they are not attractive to animals. The viability of pitcher plant seeds is also not long; after one or two months their germination rate drops greatly. So pitcher plant seeds are generally not stored.
Propagation methods of the pitcher plant
The propagation methods of pitcher plants include two types: sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction. The commonly used propagation methods for pitcher plants are cuttings, layering and sowing.When propagating pitcher plants (Nepenthes) by asexual reproduction through cuttings, several key points must be noted:
First, the cut stem section must have a growth node, meaning the cut section of stem must include a leaf. This is because new shoots will develop from the growth node. If you only cut the section of stem between two growth nodes, then this node-less stem section will not be able to produce new shoots. Second, because the cutting has no roots and cannot effectively provide the plant with enough water, the stem cutting should not carry too many leaves, to avoid dehydrating the plant. The most suitable length for a cutting is a stem section with two or three growth nodes. To reduce water loss, part of the leaves on the stem must be trimmed off. The method is to cut off one-half to two-thirds of the leaf perpendicular to the leaf veins. Trimming off part of the leaves is very important for cuttings; do not let reluctance to part with the leaves cause the cutting to fail. However, do not cut off all the leaves completely, because leaves can produce the nutrients and growth hormones needed to grow new shoots and roots; a stem without leaves is harder to root successfully.
When cutting a stem section, the cut surface should be flat, so use gardening-specific scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stem perpendicular to the stem. Do not cut the stem at an angle, to reduce the wounded area of the stem, and never use a blunt tool to cut the stem, otherwise the crushed cut surface will make the plant more susceptible to microbial infection.
Then, insert the prepared stem section into the growing medium. If the stem section has only one growth node, the depth of insertion into the soil should be such that the growth node is left above the soil surface; if the stem section has two or three growth nodes, the lowest growth node should be inserted into the soil. The growing medium used for cuttings is best if it is fresh, to reduce the chance of infection by fungi or bacteria in the soil. Sphagnum moss is a commonly used cutting medium, and peat can also be used. Before inserting the stem into the growing medium, you can dip the cut end of the stem in a little rooting hormone, which can increase the success rate of the cutting. Using a fungicide can reduce the probability of the stem section becoming infected.
Finally, place the stem section inserted in the growing medium in a high-humidity environment. A transparent plastic bag can be used to cover the plant to raise humidity. The cultivation temperature should refer to the characteristics of each variety; stem cuttings of highland pitcher plants and lowland pitcher plants should be kept at the most suitable cultivation temperatures for each. Therefore, the cutting can be placed near the original mother plant. The cutting needs bright light, but sunlight must never shine directly on the stem section, to avoid overheating. Usually shade netting can be used for shading, or it can be placed in the shade of other taller plants.
The regeneration of new shoots and roots is a slow process, usually requiring several months. Because the development of roots cannot be observed, the formation of new shoots can be regarded as the indicator of whether the stem cutting has succeeded. Basically, if the cutting succeeds, a small protrusion will appear at the topmost growth node, gradually swelling over time to form a new shoot; after the new shoot has produced two to three leaves, it can be transplanted as needed, and the environmental humidity can also be gradually reduced.
Air layering method
Some varieties of pitcher plants have a low success rate with cuttings, so air layering can be used instead for propagation. Select a stem section near the tip, and perform girdling about two or three internodes below its terminal bud; the thickness of the girdled ring should be about one-quarter of the stem diameter; alternatively, a cut can be made to a depth of one-half the stem diameter, which can achieve the same effect as girdling. Apply some rooting hormone and fungicide to the cut on the stem, then wrap it with a thick layer of moist sphagnum moss, at least 5 cm thick, and wrap the outermost layer with plastic wrap to prevent water evaporation. Because roots only grow in darkness, an additional layer of aluminum foil is needed to block light. The cut area takes about two to four months to grow roots; be sure not to open it frequently to inspect, to avoid damaging the new roots. During this period, the sphagnum moss must be kept moist. After the roots have grown, this stem section can be cut from the mother plant and cultivated separately.
Tissue culture
For the establishment of explants, liquid culture with 1/2MS + 6-BA 1 + NAA 0.06 medium is best carried out in spring (March to June); for callus (or adventitious bud) proliferation, MS + 6-BA 1 + Ad 10 + NAA 0.1 + 100 ml/L coconut water is best; for subcultured shoot proliferation, MS + 6-BA 1.5 + Ad 1-5 + NAA 0.1 + 100-200 ml/L coconut water is best; for rooting culture, use 1/2MS + 6-BA 0.1 + NAA 1.0, and after 20 days 2-4 roots grow.Sexual reproductionPropagating pitcher plants from seeds is not easy. Because pitcher plants are dioecious plants, for pitcher plants to set seed, plants of both sexes must be available. However, female pitcher plants are relatively few, so growers with only a small collection find it hard to get pitcher plants to set seed.
Pitcher plant seeds do not store well. Some people have used a refrigerator to refrigerate (4°C) pitcher plant seeds and stored them for one year (Pietropaolo, J and P. Pietropaolo. 1986), but there are also claims that they can be stored for only a few weeks at most, and that even low temperatures accelerate the death of lowland pitcher plant seeds (Amato, P. D. 1998). Therefore, pitcher plant seeds should be sown immediately after they are obtained.
Because pitcher plant seeds are very tiny, it is best to use a growing medium with relatively fine particles, such as peat, when sowing, to prevent the seeds from falling into narrow crevices. When sowing, to allow the seeds to be spread evenly over the medium, the seeds can be mixed evenly with a small amount of sand and then sprinkled onto the medium. The growing medium must be kept moist. At the same time, relatively high air humidity is also needed; the rim of the pot can be sealed with plastic wrap and a few holes poked in it. The germination of pitcher plant seeds requires light, so placing them in a bright place helps germination; but sunlight must not shine directly on them, otherwise the high heat caused by strong light will kill the seedlings. Because pitcher plants are divided into highland pitcher plants and lowland pitcher plants, the appropriate temperature should also be provided according to the variety when sowing.
Pitcher plants take a relatively long time to germinate, about one month. After germination, the air humidity can be gradually reduced, simply by gradually enlarging the holes in the plastic wrap. After about half a year to a year, the seedlings can be transplanted, to avoid them becoming too crowded.
How to grow pitcher plants
Pitcher plants can be cultivated in a greenhouse. Lowland pitcher plants that are relatively easy to grow include N. khasiana, N. thorelii, and N. mirabilis; highland pitcher plants include N. truncata, N. alata, and N. veitchii.
Pitcher plants have diverse requirements for their growing environment and conditions. Because hybrids have stronger adaptability, it is difficult to summarize in a few sentences all the growth habits of all pure species and hybrids. When growing them, the environment can be improved according to the needs of the pitcher plant. Improve the parts of the growing environment that are unsuitable for pitcher plant growth. The basic requirements for pitcher plant growth are: light, water, humidity, temperature, nutrients and growing medium.
The pitcher of a pitcher plant is a modified leaf, so like the leaves of other plants it will also age and wither. Generally speaking, under suitable conditions each pitcher can survive for several months. When it has already withered, it can be cut off to make the whole plant look more attractive, but this is purely for appearance and has nothing to do with the health of the plant.
Pitcher plants have no dormancy period.LightLight is one of the most important factors in producing huge and vividly colored pitchers. Providing sufficient air humidity, moderate soil moisture and ample light can make the leaves take on a red like red wine. Plants can be acclimated to accept some direct sunlight, preferably morning sunlight. On the contrary, full sun will make the plant's color become dull and hinder the plant's growth. The signs of strong-light scorching appear very quickly; at first only the old pitchers are scorched or dehydrated, and finally the whole plant is damaged. When the plant produces new pitchers, it shows that the plant has adapted to the new environment. Generally speaking, the more ample the light, the larger and more vividly colored the pitchers the plant produces. While providing ample light, a relatively high air humidity must also be maintained at all times, especially in windy and dry, hot weather. Therefore, bright diffused light is more suitable for pitcher plants. When using shade netting, a shading rate of 50-80% is more suitable. If growing them in a plastic greenhouse, it is best to use transparent polyethylene greenhouse film. In addition, the length of daylight also affects how much light energy the plant absorbs. Most pitcher plants can tolerate a low-light environment, but their growth rate will be limited as a result, and the amount of watering also needs to be reduced. When a pitcher plant receives enough light, it will reflect this in the size and color of its pitchers. If a pitcher plant is troubled by insufficient light, then if conditions permit, a few hours of artificial supplementary light can be provided, which is beneficial.WaterPitcher plants do not have high requirements for the moisture content of the growing medium; pitcher plants generally dislike growing media that are overly wet and not breathable. Unlike other carnivorous plants that only need the soil kept moist during the growing season, when growing pitcher plants the soil needs to be kept moist at all times. The medium should preferably be loose and not squeeze out water. Therefore, watering is a more suitable method for pitcher plants. However, the immersion method can still be used to supply water, but the air permeability of the growing medium needs to be improved by increasing the proportion of large-particle growing medium, to prevent the growing medium from becoming too wet.
Although all carnivorous plants need soft water with relatively few minerals to grow, pitcher plants are relatively more tolerant of water quality, but this does not mean that pitcher plants do not need good-quality water. Because pitcher plants have a very long cultivation period, a potential problem with the immersion method is the accumulation of salts. Many yellow-white scale deposits will appear on the surface of the growing medium; this is formed by salts in the water precipitating out, and it has an adverse effect on pitcher plant growth. The surface layer of growing medium can be removed and a new layer of growing medium spread on top, and the situation can then be improved.Air humidityThe level of air humidity is the key to whether pitcher plants can produce pitchers normally.
Under natural conditions, pitcher plants usually grow in relatively humid regions, with humidity of at least 60%. Therefore, in cultivation, many people always encounter the problem that pitcher plants cannot grow new pitchers; the pitchers often wither as if scorched before they have even grown large. The main reason pitcher plants do not grow pitchers is that the environment is too dry. But this does not mean the watering is insufficient; rather, the air humidity is too low. To raise the air humidity, a transparent plastic bag can be used to cover the entire pitcher plant, and in this way a high-humidity environment can easily be obtained. Placing the pitcher plant in an aquarium, or in a corner, will raise the humidity as long as ventilation is reduced. However, pitcher plants also have the ability to adapt to their environment; once new pitchers have grown, you can try gradually reducing the air humidity, to let the pitcher plant adapt to a relatively dry environment.TemperaturePitcher plants are distributed across a very wide range of elevations, from flat ground to high mountains above 3,000 m in elevation. In horticulture, they are divided into two major categories according to their elevation distribution: highland species (high land) and lowland species (low land). Pitcher plants growing in high mountains above 1,200 m in elevation are highland species, and their cultivation temperature is 21°C during the day and 10°C at night; pitcher plants growing on flat ground or in regions below 1,200 m in elevation are lowland species, and their cultivation temperature is 29°C during the day and 21°C at night. The day-night temperature difference is very helpful for pitcher plant growth, while seasonal changes are not important. Lowland pitcher plants grow in low-latitude regions, where the changes between the four seasons are not obvious and the temperature throughout the year does not differ much. However, highland pitcher plants grow in high mountains, and their characteristic is a very large day-night temperature difference, which can reach more than 10°C.
Lowland pitcher plants
Lowland pitcher plants are not afraid of heat, and they do not have strict requirements for the day-night temperature difference. However, some lowland pitcher plants are very intolerant of cold. After the temperature falls below 15°C, growth slows or stops; when the temperature falls below 10°C, the plant is at risk of frost damage or even death. Therefore, necessary heating measures should be taken when it is relatively cold in winter.
Highland pitcher plants
Highland pitcher plants have stricter temperature requirements; temperature control is often the key to successful cultivation. To grow highland pitcher plants, the necessary temperature difference must be provided. When the number grown is small, a refrigerator used for selling beverages, that is, the kind of refrigerator with a glass door, can be bought, so that light can shine in from outside. The temperature of the refrigerator can be set in advance at purchase to the temperature required for cultivation. If temperature control is not achieved, then only a few heat-tolerant highland pitcher plant species can be grown in lowland conditions, but in summer they will grow poorly because of the high temperature, and only in winter will they grow normally. Many highland pitcher plants always fail to grow healthily, which is closely related to the day-night temperature difference not being large enough; some hobbyists who grow highland pitcher plants at a constant refrigerator temperature also often mention that the pitcher plants grow slowly. Creating an artificial day-night temperature difference can accelerate the growth of highland pitcher plants.
Medium
Most growers have their own preferred growing media, and these media are suited to different environments. The most basic point is that the medium should be loose enough and drain well, but also be able to retain enough water to provide the plant with sufficient moisture. Some media mixed with bark, formulated for Cymbidium and Dendrobium, can also be used for pitcher plants. A mixed medium based on coconut husk, mixed with wood shavings and perlite, or pure sphagnum moss, is also very suitable for pitcher plant growth. Sphagnum moss is not only a medium suitable for pitcher plant growth, but also an indicator of whether the growing environment is suitable for pitcher plant growth. In the native habitats of highland pitcher plants, in most cases they grow on sphagnum moss. When the sphagnum moss begins to grow, it shows that the growing environment is also suitable for pitcher plant growth. Both lowland pitcher plants and highland pitcher plants can grow well in a mixed medium of peat and sphagnum moss. The only problem is that a mixed medium of peat and sphagnum moss easily adsorbs minerals from water.Nutrients
What should be noted about nutrients is that pitcher plants are a kind of carnivorous plant, and they already have the ability to obtain nutrients by catching insects or small animals. These carnivorous plants are all very efficient insect catchers. Growing pitcher plants does not require specially feeding them insects; pitcher plants grown outdoors can usually catch insects on their own. However, whether regularly providing them with some insects will make them healthier, make their pitchers larger, or make them more cold-tolerant has not yet been sufficiently proven by evidence.
There is no harm in feeding them by hand if you want to, and there is no particular restriction on which kind of insect to feed, but it is not recommended to feed too many or too large insects, such as cockroaches. This is because a large insect like a cockroach takes several weeks to be completely digested, and the putrid smell given off during this period is unbearable. In addition, it is not recommended to feed insects to young or newly transplanted pitcher plants, because they do not yet have complete digestive capacity, and blind feeding will cause the dead insects to rot inside the pitcher, causing the pitcher to necrose.
If the pitcher plant has insects to prey on, then there is no need to fertilize it. However, when grown indoors, there are usually not enough insects for the pitcher plant to catch. Moreover, to take indoor hygiene into account, you can instead fertilize the pitcher plant to supplement nutrients. For pitcher plants, quick-dissolving foliar fertilizer can be used; non-slow-release fertilizer must never be applied directly to the soil. Because carnivorous plants are relatively intolerant of high-concentration fertilizer, to be safe, it should be diluted several more times according to its usage amount. For example, if the fertilizer instructions state that its usage amount is a 1000-fold dilution, then for pitcher plants it can be diluted to 4000-fold. Spray the diluted fertilizer evenly over the entire pitcher plant with a sprayer. In addition to spraying foliar fertilizer, slow-release fertilizer can also be used. It can be placed directly into the pitcher of the pitcher plant or mixed into the medium to supply nutrients to the pitcher plant.
Other
Pitcher plants are perennial plants, and they grow very large. If you want the pitcher plant to grow huge pitchers, you must consider giving the pitcher plant a stable growing environment. Pitcher plants are vine plants and must have something to cling to in order to stand, so a support frame needs to be set up for the pitcher plant. To set up the support frame, a larger flowerpot is needed. At the same time, using a larger flowerpot can hold more growing medium to provide more space for the root system to spread, and also makes the flowerpot more stable, able to support a large pitcher plant without being blown over by wind.
Pest and disease control for pitcher plants
Pitcher plants are prone to leaf spot disease, root rot, sunscald, and so on. Leaf spot disease and root rot are the more serious.Leaf spot diseaseSymptom characteristics: water-soaked spots and small dots appear on the leaves, gradually expanding to form oval spots, brown in color. The diseased parts produce a black mold layer, and later split open. This seriously affects plant growth and ornamental effect.
Control method: strengthen management, promote robust plant growth, and enhance disease resistance. Spray with a 10% fungicide 1000-fold solution. It is required to spray evenly and thoroughly over the whole plant.Root rotSymptom characteristics: when growth is weak and resistance to pests and diseases declines, the disease is easily induced, making the pitcher plant grow listlessly, with the roots turning brown, having no new roots, and rotting, and the above-ground parts wilting. It is caused by invasion by Fusarium; some have strong pathogenicity and produce toxins that harm the plant; some have weak pathogenicity and infect only when there is a wound or the plant is weak. Low temperature and excessive watering are the main triggers.
Control method: in the early stage of the disease, spray with a 50% Likujing wettable powder 900-fold solution, a 50% Genfuling wettable powder 800-fold solution, or an 80% Duofuxin wettable powder 800-fold solution.Root mealybugsControl method: use a 2.5% Kaisuling suspension concentrate 100 to 200-fold solution, a 40% Supusha emulsifiable concentrate 1000 to 1500-fold solution, or a 25% Aikashi emulsifiable concentrate 700 to 800-fold solution to spray or root
The dietary or medicinal value of pitcher plants
The medical information and health dietary information on Huhua Wang are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel, and for the treatment of any disease, please follow the doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting mission: love yourself, start from reality, and strictly follow the doctor's advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, use love to warm the silent world, and use your heart to care for the flower field within.
Traditional Chinese medicine materialThe original plant of the traditional Chinese medicine material Leigong Hu is N. mirabilis in the genus Nepenthes.
Medicinal material form:Dried stems and leaves, mainly the pitcher-like structure at the leaf tip. Leaves papery, mostly broken; oblong or lanceolate; the upper surface grayish brown tinged with purple, with clear veins, the lower surface dark brown: the main vein protrudes and extends into a tendril, about as long as the leaf, with a pitcher-like structure attached at the end of the tendril. The pitcher-like structures are mostly flattened, with a lid attached at the top; the outer surface is brown to brownish yellow, rather shrunken, the inner surface red-brown to yellow-brown, smooth, densely covered with glandular dots; fragments of insect corpses often remain at the bottom of the pitcher.
Collection:Harvested in autumn, cut into sections and sun-dried.
Place of origin:Mostly grows in sunny, moist areas. Distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan.
Chemical composition:The whole plant contains flavonoids, phenols, amino acids, sugars, and anthraquinone glycosides.
Nature and flavor:Sweet, cool.
① "Luchuan Materia Medica": "Cold in nature, astringent in taste."
② "Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine" II: "Bland, neutral."
③ Guangzhou Military Region "Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines": "Sweet and bland, cool."
Functions and indications:Clears the lungs and moistens dryness, promotes water metabolism, and detoxifies. Treats dry cough due to lung dryness, whooping cough, jaundice, stomach pain, dysentery, edema, carbuncle swelling, and insect bites.
① "Luchuan Materia Medica": "Anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, promotes water metabolism. Treats edema, dysentery, red and swollen sores and ulcers, insect bites, and also treats traumatic injuries."
② "Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine": "Clears dry fire in the lungs, treats coughing blood."
③ Guangzhou Military Region "Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines": "Clears heat and promotes diuresis, resolves phlegm and stops cough. Treats icteric hepatitis, pain from gastric and duodenal ulcers, urinary tract stones, hypertension, cold cough, and whooping cough."
Usage and dosage: Oral administration: decocted in water, 0.5-1 liang (1-2 liang if fresh). External use: mash and apply.
The cultural background of pitcher plants
Plant historyThe earliest record of pitcher plants can be traced back to the 17th century. In 1658, the French colonial governor Etienne de Flacourt, in his pioneering work "Histoire de la Grande Isle de Madagascar", gave the first description of a pitcher plant, writing:
"This plant is about 3 feet tall, with leaves about 7 inches long, and at the end of the leaf there is a lidded, vase-like structure resembling a fruit or flower. These pitchers are either yellow or red, and the yellow ones are larger. The people of this country will not pick these pitchers. Because they believe that if someone picks them, then it will not rain for several days. And after I and other Frenchmen picked these pitchers, their claim also came true, and indeed it did not rain. After the rain, these pitchers would all be filled with rainwater (translated from the French book "Pitcher-Plants of Borneo")."
Flacourt then named it "Amramatico" after the local common name. A century later, this species was formally named N. madagascariensis.
Afterwards, a second species of pitcher plant was discovered in Sri Lanka - N. distillatoria. In 1677, Bartholinus briefly described a plant named "Miranda herba (meaning 'wondrous herb' in Latin)". Three years later, the Dutch merchant Jacob Breyne named it "Bandura zingalensium" after the local common name. Subsequently, "Bandura" became the most commonly used name for pitcher plants thereafter, until 1737, when Linnaeus created the genus Nepenthes.
In 1683, the Swedish physician H. N. Grimm described N. distillatoria again. Grimm called it "wondrous water drops" or "the marvelous distillation plant". This was the first time someone clearly described a pitcher plant. Three years later, in 1686, the English naturalist John Ray, citing Grimm, said:
"Because of the sunlight, water vapor from the ground rises and condenses on the plant, and the water droplets flow down the stem and leaves into the pitcher. (Translated from the French book "Pitcher-Plants of Borneo")." (This view is not correct; it was an early scholar's speculation about the source of the liquid in the pitcher of a pitcher plant.)
The earliest illustration of a pitcher plant appeared in Leonard Plukenet's "Almagestum Botanicum", published in 1696.[22] In it, N. distillatoria was named "Utricaria vegetabilis zeylanensium".
At about the same time, the German botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius discovered two new species of pitcher plants in the Malay Archipelago. Rumphius named one of them "great beer-mug plant" and the other "white great beer-mug plant". These two pitcher plants are N. mirabilis and N. maxima in the genus Nepenthes. Rumphius's greatest contribution in his life was that he compiled a plant catalog of Ambon Island and collected a total of 6 volumes of the Ambon plant herbarium. But these documents were only published after his death.
Rumphius had a ill-fated life, and many times came close to publishing a description of the genus Nepenthes only to miss the chance. In 1670 Rumphius completed only part of the manuscript. With the help of his staff and artists, by 1687 his paper was nearly complete. But a great fire burned most of the illustrations. In 1690, he and his assistants completed the paper again. But unfortunately, two years later, the Dutch ship carrying his manuscript was attacked by a French ship and sunk. Fortunately, a copy had been kept with the governor Johannes Camphuijs, allowing their work to start again. In 1696, Rumphius finally brought his work to the Netherlands. But even so, for various reasons his work was still not published. It was not until the 39th year after his death - 1741 - that his work was published. But by this time, Linnaeus had long since published his work and named the genus Nepenthes. In Johannes Burmann's 1737 work there is an illustration of N. distillatoria. Burmann called it "Bandura zeylanica".
The next description of a pitcher plant was by the Portuguese priest Joao de Loureiro in 1790, who described a plant from Vietnam named "Phyllamphora mirabilis", meaning "wondrous urn-shaped plant". Although Loureiro lived in Vietnam for 35 years, judging from his description, he had not seen a living pitcher plant with his own eyes. In his work he wrote:
"...At the end of the leaf is a very long tendril, with several coils in the middle, and the pitcher hanging below is oval or pot-bellied in shape. The rim of the pitcher mouth is a smooth ring of lip, and above the lip is a lid of equal size. The lid can open and close freely to receive and store rainwater... (Translated from the French book "Pitcher-Plants of Borneo")."
From this it seems that the incorrect claim that the lid of a pitcher plant can open and close freely may have originated from this.
This plant was finally placed in the genus Nepenthes in 1916 by George Claridge Druce.
In 1797, Loureiro's incorrect description that the lid of a pitcher plant can open and close freely was repeated by Jean Louis Marie Poiret. Two of the four pitcher plants described by Poiret were the then-known N. madagascariensis and N. distillatoria. The other two pitcher plants do not actually occur in India, but were still called "Indian pitcher plants". In Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's "Encyclopedie Methodique Botanique", Poiret wrote:
"...The pitcher is hollow and often filled with a smooth, clear liquid. During the day the lid is often open, and it loses more than half of its liquid. At night the lid closes, and the liquid is restored as before. The next day the lid opens again. (Translated from the French book "Pitcher-Plants of Borneo")."
With the continuous discovery of new species of pitcher plants and Sir Joseph Banks's first introduction of pitcher plants to Europe in 1789, interest in pitcher plants among scholars around the world continued to increase during the 19th century and reached a climax in the 1880s, known as the "golden age of pitcher plants". However, people's interest in pitcher plants began to shrink in the early 20th century, and after World War II almost no one paid attention to them. This also led to no new species of pitcher plants being discovered between 1940 and 1966. The worldwide revival of pitcher plant cultivation and research is owed to the Japanese botanist Shigeo Kurata. He did a great deal of research on pitcher plants in the 1960s and 1970s, making people notice this special plant again.
In 1789, pitcher plants were first introduced to the United Kingdom, and then cultivated for ornamental display in major European botanical gardens. In 1882, the first artificial hybrid pitcher plant was bred - N. coccinea. In 1911, N. courtii was also selected and bred. By the middle of the 20th century, the breeding, propagation and production of pitcher plants began to be industrialized, and they entered home ornamental cultivation. Since the 1990s, international carnivorous plant associations have been established in countries such as the United States, Japan, France, Germany and Australia.
Pitcher plants have wild distribution in Sanling Mountain, Leizhou and other places in Zhanjiang, and are used in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. After the 1990s, various excellent varieties of pitcher plants were continuously introduced from abroad. Those visible in ordinary flower markets include Nepenthes x Ventrata, Nepenthes x Miranda, Nepenthes x Dyeriana, and so on. More unusual forms such as Nepenthes ampullaria, Nepenthes x Hookeriana, and Nepenthes bicalcarata also began to appear one after another. Species overviewAccording to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora signed by the contracting parties, pitcher plants belong to the protected listed species in Appendix II. Although pitcher plants are not endangered species, trade in them may still accelerate their extinction. Therefore, the convention stipulates that trade in pitcher plants must first obtain a convention permit. Apart from Drosera, plants of the family Nepenthaceae are another kind of vine plant with the ability to prey on insects. There are about 67 species of Nepenthes plants worldwide, and only one species is produced in the Guangdong region of China. In nature it often grows prostrate. The structure of the leaf is complex, divided into petiole, leaf blade and tendril. The end of the tendril expands and curls back to form a pitcher shape, which can prey on insects. Pitcher plants have racemose inflorescences, bearing small green or purple flowers. The pitcher-like structure at the leaf tip of a pitcher plant is a tool for catching insects. The inner surface of the lid of the pitcher-like structure can secrete a fragrance to lure insects. The pitcher mouth is smooth, and insects will slip into the pitcher, be drowned by the liquid secreted at the bottom of the pitcher, and the insect bodies are decomposed into nutrients and gradually digested and absorbed. Pitcher plant is the collective name for plants of the genus Nepenthes. It is a perennial herbaceous plant capable of preying on insects, mainly produced in tropical Asian regions. Pitcher plants are terrestrial plants and are climbing subshrubs. Pitcher plants have a unique organ for absorbing nutrients - the insect-catching pitcher; the insect-catching pitcher is cylindrical, slightly swollen in the lower half, and because its shape resembles a pig cage, it is called pitcher plant. In its place of origin in China, Hainan, it is also called Leigong Hu, meaning it resembles a wine pot. This kind of plant, which does not directly take in and manufacture the nutrients needed to sustain life from the inorganic world such as soil, but instead relies on catching insects and other small animals to make a living, is called a carnivorous plant. Although pitcher plants have wild distribution in Sanling Mountain, Leizhou and other places, they are rarely used. It was not until after the 1990s that excellent varieties of pitcher plants were introduced from abroad, mainly for flower exhibitions.
Pitcher plant pictures