Pitcher plants
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Pitcher plants generally live in nutrient difficient soils. They use the nutrients they gain from the insects to suppliment growth. Their pitchers are like pitfall traps for the prey that fall into them. The pitchers are thought to have evolved from specialised leaves.
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The mouth of the pitcher is slippery so insects crawling here lose their balance and fall in. A sugary solution produced at the rim is attractive to insects. The bright colour also serves to attract.
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The fallen insect drowns in the water contained in the flask of the pitcher. Enzymes may be produced by the plant to digest the animals or bacteria in the water break them down to release the nutrients which are then absorbed by the plant.
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The simplest pitchers are where the trap is derived from a rolled leaf.
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