Functional surfaces in the pitcher of the carnivorous plant nepenthes alata: A cryo-sem approach

Abstract

Since carnivorous plants grow in habitats deprived of such nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorus, they use insects and other arthropods as an important nutrient source (Thum, 1988; Juniper et al., 1989; Schulze and Schulze, 1990; Schulze et al., 1997; Ellison and Gotelli, 2001). Carnivorous plants from the genus Nepenthes have evolved specialized trapping organs called pitchers, adapted to prey attracting, capturing and digestion (Juniper, 1986; Juniper et al., 1989). These passive pitfall traps originated from modified leaves (Troll, 1932; Goebel, 1923; Lloyd, 1942; Pant and Bhatnagar, 1977; Juniper et al., 1989) and have a rather complex structure (Fig. 8.1A). They are composed of several distinct zones, which differ in macro-morphology, surface microsculpture and chemistry, and serve different functions (Hooker, 1859; Lloyd, 1942; Juniper et al., 1989). © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.