Wikipedia:POTD column/July 17, 2006



An image of an ant drinking nectar from the peristome of an upper pitcher of a Nepenthes rafflesiana, a species of carnivorous pitcher plant found in Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. It produces two distinct types of pitchers, which are used to capture and kill insect prey for nutrients. The lower pitchers are generally round, squat and 'winged', while the upper pitchers are more narrow at their base. N. rafflesiana is very popular in cultivation and is commonly recommended as a "first plant" to new Nepenthes growers. Most N. rafflesiana plants on the market today are propagated by tissue culture or other forms of vegetative propagation.

credit: NepGrower Archive - More featured pictures...