Description
Sarracenia are more commonly referred to as Pitcher Plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps-a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be true pitcher plants are formed by specialized leaves. The plants attract and drown their prey with nectar. All Sarracenia trap insects and other prey without the use of moving parts. Their traps are static and are based on a combination of lures (including color, scent, and nectar) and inescapability – typically the entrances to the traps are 1-way by virtue of the highly adapted features listed above. Most species use a combination of scent, waxy deposits (to clog insect feet) and gravity to topple insect prey into their pitcher. Once inside, the insect finds the footing very slippery with a waxy surface covering the walls of the pitcher. Further down the tube, downward-pointing hairs make retreat impossible, and in the lowest region of the tube, a pool of liquid containing digestive enzymes and wetting agents quickly drowns the prey and begins digestion. The exoskeletons are usually not digested, and over the course of the summer fill up the pitcher tube.
