Over 700 species of carnivorous plants exist all over the world. The plants, also known as carnivores, love it bright and moist. But representatives of this interesting plant genus can also be found in the rather dark rainforest. Pitcher plants from the rainforest are popular houseplants for us.
What carnivorous plants can you find in the rainforest?
Carnivorous plants such as the pitcher plant (Nepenthes), which is mainly found in Southeast Asia and Borneo, grow in the rainforest. With over 100 different species, these plants feed primarily on insects and sometimes even small mammals.
Which carnivorous plants grow in the rainforest?
It is very humid in the rainforest, but there is not much sun in the lower regions. Nevertheless, some carnivorous plants also grow here. The most famous carnivore from the rainforest is the pitcher plant (Nepenthes).
It occurs primarily in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, but some species have also been discovered in Borneo.
Obviously the pitcher plant needs less sun in the wild than other carnivorous plants.
Pitcher plants come in over 100 species
Over 100 different species of pitcher plant have now been found. Since the rainforests are far from being fully explored, there are likely to be a few more.
The pitcher plants twine their long shoots with their leaves up the trees. They develop bulbous pitchers that actually look like pitchers. They give off an aromatic and sometimes foul scent that attracts prey. The top of the cans is mirror-smooth so that no insect can hold on to it but instead slips into the trap.
In the lower part of the jug there is a liquid that ensures the digestion of the caught prey.
Some pitcher plants even eat mammals
Pitcher plants mainly feed on insects such as mosquitoes, flies and everything that occurs in the rainforest.
There is even a huge type of pitcher plant that forms pitchers so large that it can also catch rats and squirrels. This variety is called “Nepenthes Rajah”. Their fishing gear can be up to 80 centimeters long. Of course, it takes a long time for such large animals to be digested.
Pitcher plants that you care for as ornamental plants naturally don't grow that big. There is therefore no danger to pets from carnivorous plants.
Tip
There is only one small species of animal in the rainforest that does not become prey for a pitcher plant: a special species of ant. The ants can even walk through the digestive secretions. They keep the edges of the jugs nice and smooth.