dchasselblad74 Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 When I purchased baby Nepenthes, I noticed that pitchers are dry inside. Now I wonder, does the plant pump enzyme juices in their pitchers, or does the pitcher gather rain then airborne bacteria or yeast start to colonize the inner pitchers to aid in breakdown of bugs? Or do bugs come prepackaged with self-destruct bacteria? Any thoughts on this... DexFC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 When I purchased baby Nepenthes, I noticed that pitchers are dry inside. Now I wonder, does the plant pump enzyme juices in their pitchers, or does the pitcher gather rain then airborne bacteria or yeast start to colonize the inner pitchers to aid in breakdown of bugs? Or do bugs come prepackaged with self-destruct bacteria? Any thoughts on this...DexFC Nepenthes produce their own fluid within the pitcher before it opens, if the nepenthes has been posted to you then the pitcher fluid will have spilt in transit leaving you with dry pitchers I assume seedlings also produce their own fluids but not 100% sure on this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexa Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 New pitchers do have their own fluid in the pitcher, but if you have been sent one with empty pitchers, then the best thing you can do is part fill it with water. This will prolong the life of the pitcher by a long way. Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchasselblad74 Posted August 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 Ahhhh....and I did refill pitchers with water, but this is not the point I was trying to put out there. I want to know if CPs whether it be Sarrs or Neps produce fluids in pitchers with digestive enzymes? Or do they need a bit of water?, which in the wild comes from rain...Or do the insects themselves carry their own bacteria, that eventuall leads to their decay in the traps so the plant can readily absorb nutrients...? DexFC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted August 26, 2010 Report Share Posted August 26, 2010 Ahhhh....and I did refill pitchers with water, but this is not the point I was trying to put out there. I want to know if CPs whether it be Sarrs or Neps produce fluids in pitchers with digestive enzymes? Or do they need a bit of water?, which in the wild comes from rain...Or do the insects themselves carry their own bacteria, that eventuall leads to their decay in the traps so the plant can readily absorb nutrients...?DexFC Yes, the new pitchers open with fluid containing digestive enzymes, but beyond that there's quite a bit of variation among species. Neps don't need rain water to keep the pitchers topped up, but since the fluid retains its viscous properties even with a high level of dilution, there's no problem if rain does get in. Also, in the wild, some plants play host to insects and other organisms, especially mosquito larvae, that help break down the prey. I seem to remember reading that over time the PH of the fluid becomes less acidic, and invertebrates/bacteria become more important in breaking the prey down. I think there's still a lot of research going on into finding the exact mechanisms of prey capture and digestion in Neps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchasselblad74 Posted August 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2010 Thanks Numpty, that makes a lot of sense..... DexFC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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