Photography

Flickr group: pic of the day – pitcher plant May 28 2008

Pitcher plants, also known as monkey cups, are carnivorous plants. They use their unusual, deep cup-shaped leaves to trap insects. The insides of the leaves are often slippery or sticky, preventing the insects’ escape.

The insects are initially attracted by the foliage colours and/or the smell of the plants’ sap. Once inside and exhausted by their attempts to escape, the insect often drowns in liquid in the bottom of the cup.

This photo of a lowland type of Nepenthes was taken by our Earth-Touch Flickr group member Arpita Basu, using a Nikon D80.

It is our Earth-Touch Flickr group “picture of the day”.

Arpita said: “This is an insectivorous plant. As incredible as it sounds, this plant actually does eat bugs. They grow in soil which is not so rich in minerals, so they make up for this by eating insects.”

Image © Arpita Basu 2008