How Nepenthes Absorb Nutrients from Prey

Question: If I feed crickets to Asian pitcher plants, they drown. Does the pitcher absorb nutrients from the stem attaching it to the vine, or through its walls? Some pitchers have low fluid not reaching the stem.

Answer

Hello Matt,

Nepenthes secrete benzoic acid and sugary fluid from glands in pitcher walls to snare and drown prey. Those same glands produce digestive enzymes when prey struggles. Proteins break into peptides; bacteria further digest into nitrogen. The pitcher reabsorbs fluid and nitrogen through its walls throughout its life. Nutrients travel via tendril to leaf, then throughout plant. Low-fluid pitchers are old, have fewer glands, or lack light for fluid production.

Christopher