Abstract

Carnivory in pitcher plants: An enigmatic meat eating plant

Author(s): Niharika R.Patel, R.Krishnamurthy

Pitcher plants are chiefly carnivorous by nature, as per the name they are meat eater plants. They mainly feed on small insects, small animals and often some small birds which are attracted towards these mysterious meat eater plant. They have admirable colors property, sweet secretion, and production of secondary metabolite for digesting their prey. There habitat on which they grow in scantily developed soil and obtain main nutrient through entrapping their prey. They produce extra nitogen and it contains largest group of pitcher plant families. Nepenthaceae and Sarraceniaceae are the best-known and leading groups of pitcher plants and in India three families are known. Involvement of themechanismandDigestion are related to these two main leading families. For the medicinal purposes they are mostly used and often as ornamental plants they are mostly preferred. Future need of these plants could replace pesticides; these plants could be grown in between the other crops in order to entrap pest and other insects which are mainly responsible for annihilation of crops.