Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 11:24:08 -0400 From: "kamikaze" <011114@hillstrath.on.ca> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2081$foo@default> Subject: digestion in s. purpurea
Dear list,
I have noticed peculiar things with my s. purpurea. I grow my plants
indoors so I have to keep the pitchers partially filled with
distilled water. I have noticed that ants that fall into the trap
just after I have filled the pitchers with water easily escape, but
after two days, the little critters are doomed. They can't even
stuggle for more than 5-10 seconds before curling up and dying. Even
larger insects are doomed. Adrian Slack says that this is because of
the effects of a wetting agent, but I doubt this since the insects
seem to retain their buoyancy and remain afloat in the water even
after dying. What else could be added to the water, there might be a
wetting agent, but I suspect there is more, and I have found s.
purpurea to be quite an efficient insect catcher. The other thing I
can't explain is the attraction of ants to the pitchers. I can't see
any nectar as is sometimes clearly visible in S. rubra and some other
Sarrs, and yet lots of the insects are attracted and snared by the
plant.
The other problem I have is with smell. Sometimes, my plants catch
some larger insects. In a couple of weeks, the entire terrarium
stinks of bacterial decay....YUMMY. In fact, I have had to
cut off beautiful pitchers because of the smell :-( . Any
suggestions? I have similar problems with my H. minor. Since I keep
my S. purpurea and heliamphora together, to maintain a high humidity
(for the helis) I have sealed the terrarium with plastic wrap...this
just makes the smell worse since there is no air circulation.
One final question, I have a H. minor. I read that Helis love bright
light. Unfrotunately, I burnt the only pitcher when I kept the plant
too close to an incadescent light. I checked the rhizome and roots.
There is one long root about an inch long, and the rhizome is fine.
Will my plant live? I haven't seen any pitcher development since I
got the plant, then agian my heterodoxa isn't putting out pitchers
either...probably adjusting to the new enviornment.
Thanks all,
Adwait Kulkarni
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