Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 16:29:00 -0400 From: "Mellard, David" <dam7@cdc.gov> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1994$foo@default> Subject: RE: Introduction + Sarracenia question
Hi all,
>When i bought it, about 2 weeks ago, it had a brilliant pitcher or
>wonderful green and brick red veins, however the pitcher had no water
in
>it. I thought it was just coz they hadn't watered it much and for
=A33.99 it
>was a bargain. I have watered it plentifully in the hope it will fill
up
>(it hasn't even changed) and i wondered if it were possible to fill it
up
>myself. This isn't just an impatient cry it's also a general enquiry.
Hi Duncan,
On the surface, this seems like an easy question but if the hybrid is S.
purpurea (a cp that likes its pitcher full of water) and S. flava (a cp
that doesn't need water in the pitcher), then the question becomes more
difficult.
My guess is not to fill the pitchers with water. In all probably, the
hybrid has the ability to secret enzymes to digest prey, which would
mean that it should not be filled with water. You might need to give
the pitchers some support so that they are more upright and have the
ability to catch prey. S. purpurea, which lacks enzymes to digest prey,
likes being filled with water because microorganisms in the water break
down the insects that drown in the water, thus providing nutrients to
the plant.
David
Atlanta
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