I've been waiting for years for an article about CPs to
appear in favorite mag., Discover. However, the article is
more about the mosquitoes and midges living in pitcher juice
than it is about the plants. As always, as far as I can tell,
they (Discover) have their facts straight. They point out that
the Purple Pitcher Plant (not a single scientific name for any
of the creatures) doesn't have disgestive enzymes. But the
author mentions the plant PRODUCES acid (protons, H+) to break
down stuff it catches and wonders how the mosquitoe larva can
in the plants. Now if a plant is growing in a bog, pH 5.5-4.5,
what is so amazing about it having low pH, wouldn't the protons
just get through by osmosis? Correspondingly, what is so amazing
about the mosquitoes and midges living in this acid environment
when all the water around is acid anyway? They were probably
adapted to living in bogs before there were Purple Pitchers
(A.K.A. S.purpurea) to tenement them in. It is a good article
though it seemed to me to be one of weakest in the issue.
Dave Evans