Question

You have heard about several insectivorous plants that feed on insects. Nepenthes or the pitcher plant is one such example, which usually grows in shallow water or in marsh lands. What part of the plant is modified into a ‘pitcher’? How does this modification help the plant for food even though it can photosynthesize like any other green plant?

Answer 1

The leaves of the pitcher plant are shaped like a pitcher. With the pitcher, you'll get a cover produced from the lamina's apex. The front part of the petiole resembles a tendon. It maintains the vertical position of the pitcher.

Nitrogen deficiency exists in marshlands' soil. These plants need nitrogenous materials to synthesise protein, despite photosynthesis. Insects are a good source of protein, therefore eating them gives the nitrogenous nutrients that these plants need.