A carnivorous plant in Southeast Asia offers its leftovers to local fauna, and gets fertilized by those animals’ feces in exchange. Across the tropical lowlands of Borneo and the nearby Malay Peninsula, tiny cups colored green, red, purple, and black sprout from the forest floor, each filled with deadly liquid. These vessels are actually the specialized leaves of Nepenthes ampullaria, a carnivorous pitcher plant that catches small insects and dead leaves in its maw and digests them with enzymes. N. ampullaria lacks the sweet nectar that most pitcher plants rely on to lure their prey. Instead, this unique detritivore has evolved a more passive method of acquiring food: an open, funnel-like mouth that simply catches whatever detritus falls in. And because the plants spread by runners to form vast carpets, they catch a lot of debris, playing a vital role in keeping the jungle clean and recycling its nutrients. Potty Plant - bioGraphic
Thanks I have been aware of these Nepenthes for quite some time. Amazing how plants - whether epiphytes or bog plants or floating fresh water species - have adapted to get nutrients!
Thank you for your interest. Have you ever worked with this genus in a horticultural context with projects you have done for zoos etc. Or not yet? When I post botany related threads, I often think "Has Zooplantman worked with the taxa discussed in this article?"
I have worked with the genus but not these species. Few zoos have the level of commitment to botanical dispalys that is required to feature (and interpret) such plants.
@Zooplantman and @Ituri being a Zoology Nerd and Botany Nerd as well as a Paleontology Nerd and a Mycology (Fungi) Nerd, I am certainly in your same boat... Regardless, keep up your good work guys.
