Jure Posted June 6, 2018 Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 We all know they are deadly for insects that fall inside the pitcher. But I wander what is the situation in natural habitats. Does any animal (vertebrate) eat whole plants or part of plant, maybe flowers or fruits? Is there any known poisoning of human? Are pitcherplants useful for any medicine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-Rah Posted June 6, 2018 Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 I have a dim memory of reading somewhere that some Nepenthes pitchers are stuffed and cooked in some areas...... (??) And Pinguicula is used to produce a cultured dairy product in Scandinavia. I know nothing about Sarracenia in that respect though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carambola Posted June 6, 2018 Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 Drosera rotundifolia (and therefore most likely a lot of other Drosera, too) apparently contains some beneficial substance for something, although I'm not entirely sure if this is real or quack medicine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.m Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 I think some Drosera have antibacterial properties, and are good for putting on wounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleon Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 As far as I know, sarracenias do not possess any kind of poison. However, I do not know if there is any possible medical use for them, maybe that has not been studied yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danl82 Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 Sarracenia flava at least has been shown to produce coniine, one of the toxic compounds which is found hemlock. Not sure if other sarra's produce it but I wouldn't be surprised with the extensive gene flow between them. Coniine is toxic to humans but I believe you'd have to eat a LOT of pitchers or lick the nectar of a lot of them to get a sufficient dose to notice. Given how many rotting bugs are in the pitchers on mine, I don't think I'd fancy eating any 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isaiah Posted August 30, 2020 Report Share Posted August 30, 2020 i wonder if there toxic to have in your bedroom and breathe it in all the time! does anyone know cause i want one in my bedroom please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantfreak Posted October 12, 2020 Report Share Posted October 12, 2020 The only thing YOU should worry about is if your bedroom is bright enough 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantfreak Posted October 23, 2020 Report Share Posted October 23, 2020 Might stink though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChasterWill Posted August 23, 2023 Report Share Posted August 23, 2023 While pitcher plants are carnivorous and have adapted to capture and digest insects, they're not considered poisonous to humans. It's always best not to consume any plant unless you're certain of its edibility, but just handling or having pitcher plants around your home poses no threat. They're fascinating to observe and can be a great conversation starter! Just remember, they're hungry for bugs, not people! 😉🌱 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tropfrog Posted August 23, 2023 Report Share Posted August 23, 2023 Mass produced pitcher plants bought from garden centers may be treated with poisonous pesticides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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