Sarracenias & Water

AMurphy@aol.com
Thu, 8 Jun 1995 14:24:13 -0400

Tracie wrote:
<<Actually, I DO add water to my Sarracenia purpurea traps. Thought perhaps
that I may be a little strange for doing so, but I thought perhaps that the
insects would climb/fall into the traps and drown or tire of swimming...I
noticed...the plant is actually designed to catch rain water... Look at yours
if you have one...Anyone care to comment..?

I attended a workshop on CP's at the Ohio State University and was instructed
to add H2O to all the pictures; and, make sure H2O remained in the pictures.
The traps do seem to be designed to catch H2O. My understanding is the
enzymes the plant use to digest prey is secreted into the H2O. The prey
does eventually drown; but, the enzymes begin to work on contact. Without
H2O, or at least an extremely moist environment, the plant has a difficult
time digesting prey.

Tony M.