The White-Topped Pitcher Plant
By: Dipsom T
Age: 16
Atlanta, Georgia USA
By: Dipsom T
Age: 16
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Pitcher plants look and act like things that would be in fantasy worlds, but they are not fictional. Many have seen or heard about the pitcher plants; however, not everyone knows much about them. Sarraceniaceae is a family of many unique pitcher plant species like the White-Topped Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia leucophylla, found in the southeastern United States (Atlanta Botanical Garden). It is a perennial resident of bogs, a wetland made of partially decayed plant matter called peat (Bog | National Geographic Society). However, places like the Atlanta Botanical Garden and other botanical institutions grow these plants to display their unique physical looks as well as for research and conservation. The plant consists of hollow pitcher-like leaves that stand from the foundation and grow 20 to 36 inches tall (Gardenia.Net,). The very upper parts of the leaves are white with reddish-purple veins. They bloom beautiful reddish flowers that resemble a darker-colored strawberry.
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The White-Topped Pitcher Plant Leaves
Photo Credit: Atlant Botanical Garden Conservation Department |
The White-Topped Pitcher Plant Flower
Photo Credit: Atlant Botanical Garden Conservation Department |
Sarracenia leucophylla and other pitcher plants are carnivorous because they eat insects and other invertebrates. The Sarracenia pitcher plant family has many different ways that the plants consume prey; however, one of the common misconceptions about these pitcher plants is that the lid of their hollow leaf shuts down to trap insects. This event never happens; the top of the pitcher does not close. Instead, the Sarracenia leucophylla attracts prey using its colorful pitcher and nectar. Once the insect is in the pitcher, it becomes harder to escape because of the downwards-facing hairs inside the pitcher. The plant produces enzymes that help it digest the insect and turn it into nutrients (Normandi). Over time, many insect carcasses are left inside the pitcher’s leaf until it becomes heavy, falls, and dies.
The Sarracenia leucophylla is listed as endangered. Initially the plant was over-collected from its natural habitats. The plants were poached for two main reason: money and appearance (Rae Marlo). The pitcher plants are unique-looking organisms that many people want as decorations , providing a lucrative business for money-thirsty poachers. Droughts caused by climate change have also negatively impacted the pitcher plant's populations. With the addition of habitat destruction caused by agricultural and human development it makes sense sy Sarracenia leucophylla is endangered.
The pitcher plants do a lot for the ecosystem they live in. Many pitcher plant species including the Sarracenia leucophylla provide habitats for insects, bacteria, and even frogs. They provide a source of nitrogen in soils that are nutrient-poor. The slipperiness of the downward-facing hairs has even inspired a team of researchers from Harvard to improve slipperiness on the surface of certain materials. (User, Super | Skyline University College). This technology has a wide range of applications from coating boats to coating medical devices to prevent infections. (“SLIPS Dolphin Marine Paint). Many bioinspired designs can be created with pitcher plants, but it will be hard to discover their applications if they go extinct.
Non-fiction is often more incredible than fiction; The Sarracenia leucophylla is a prime example of
that scenario. Plants are producers in the food web, but the leucophylla is a predator. Its unique method of trapping and digesting insects amazes many, so far as to poach and cause harm to their overall population. However, we cannot let them continue onto the path of extinction because of the plant’s benefits and undiscovered secrets. The Sarracenia leucophylla is an amazingly beautiful unique plant that deserves more attention and effort towards conservation.
The Sarracenia leucophylla is listed as endangered. Initially the plant was over-collected from its natural habitats. The plants were poached for two main reason: money and appearance (Rae Marlo). The pitcher plants are unique-looking organisms that many people want as decorations , providing a lucrative business for money-thirsty poachers. Droughts caused by climate change have also negatively impacted the pitcher plant's populations. With the addition of habitat destruction caused by agricultural and human development it makes sense sy Sarracenia leucophylla is endangered.
The pitcher plants do a lot for the ecosystem they live in. Many pitcher plant species including the Sarracenia leucophylla provide habitats for insects, bacteria, and even frogs. They provide a source of nitrogen in soils that are nutrient-poor. The slipperiness of the downward-facing hairs has even inspired a team of researchers from Harvard to improve slipperiness on the surface of certain materials. (User, Super | Skyline University College). This technology has a wide range of applications from coating boats to coating medical devices to prevent infections. (“SLIPS Dolphin Marine Paint). Many bioinspired designs can be created with pitcher plants, but it will be hard to discover their applications if they go extinct.
Non-fiction is often more incredible than fiction; The Sarracenia leucophylla is a prime example of
that scenario. Plants are producers in the food web, but the leucophylla is a predator. Its unique method of trapping and digesting insects amazes many, so far as to poach and cause harm to their overall population. However, we cannot let them continue onto the path of extinction because of the plant’s benefits and undiscovered secrets. The Sarracenia leucophylla is an amazingly beautiful unique plant that deserves more attention and effort towards conservation.
Bibliography
Plant database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SALE4
“Atlanta Botanical Garden | White Pitcher Plant.” Atlanta Botanical Garden, 12 Jan. 2022, atlantabg.org/plant-profile/white-pitcher-plant.
“Sarracenia Leucophylla (White-Topped Pitcher Plant).” Gardenia.Net,
www.gardenia.net/plant/sarracenia-leucophylla#:%7E:text=Grows%20up%20to%2020-36,moist%20to%20 wet%2C%20acid%20soil. Accessed 15 July 2022.
Normandi. “How Do Pitcher Plants Eat? – Necps.” Necps, 15 June 2022,
www.necps.org/how-do-pitcher-plants-eat.
“Pitcher Plant | Description, Carnivory, Families, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/plant/pitcher-plant. Accessed 15 July 2022.
Rae, Marlo. “Poached Pitchers: The Need to Protect Our Most Predacious Plants.” Particle, 30 Oct. 2020, particle.scitech.org.au/earth/poached-pitchers-the-need-to-protect-our-most-predacious-plants.
“Bog | National Geographic Society.” Bog, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/bog. Accessed 15 July 2022.
User, Super.
"Nature-Inspired System to Pull Water from Thin Air.” Skyline University College, 27 Feb. 2016,
www.skylineuniversity.ac.ae/knowledge-update/lifestyle-and-trends/nature-inspired-system-to-pull-water-fr om-thin-air.
“SLIPS Dolphin Marine Paint from AST.” SLIPS, www.slipsdolphin.com. Accessed 20 July 2022.
Plant database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SALE4
“Atlanta Botanical Garden | White Pitcher Plant.” Atlanta Botanical Garden, 12 Jan. 2022, atlantabg.org/plant-profile/white-pitcher-plant.
“Sarracenia Leucophylla (White-Topped Pitcher Plant).” Gardenia.Net,
www.gardenia.net/plant/sarracenia-leucophylla#:%7E:text=Grows%20up%20to%2020-36,moist%20to%20 wet%2C%20acid%20soil. Accessed 15 July 2022.
Normandi. “How Do Pitcher Plants Eat? – Necps.” Necps, 15 June 2022,
www.necps.org/how-do-pitcher-plants-eat.
“Pitcher Plant | Description, Carnivory, Families, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/plant/pitcher-plant. Accessed 15 July 2022.
Rae, Marlo. “Poached Pitchers: The Need to Protect Our Most Predacious Plants.” Particle, 30 Oct. 2020, particle.scitech.org.au/earth/poached-pitchers-the-need-to-protect-our-most-predacious-plants.
“Bog | National Geographic Society.” Bog, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/bog. Accessed 15 July 2022.
User, Super.
"Nature-Inspired System to Pull Water from Thin Air.” Skyline University College, 27 Feb. 2016,
www.skylineuniversity.ac.ae/knowledge-update/lifestyle-and-trends/nature-inspired-system-to-pull-water-fr om-thin-air.
“SLIPS Dolphin Marine Paint from AST.” SLIPS, www.slipsdolphin.com. Accessed 20 July 2022.
Editor's note
Wildlife In Spotlight collaborated with ten students who attended the Summer High School Leadership Summit at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. As part of Dipsom's seven-week program he had to research, write and present on a plant of his choice. He met with horticulturists, conservationists and other experts to explore the Garden's collections and gather information to write his article. Students were encouraged to select plants that not only interested them, but also had ecological, ethnobotanical, or economic value.
Many thanks to Lorin Boren, School Program Assistant Manager, Atlanta Botanical Garden for coordinating and facilitating this partnership!
Wildlife In Spotlight collaborated with ten students who attended the Summer High School Leadership Summit at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. As part of Dipsom's seven-week program he had to research, write and present on a plant of his choice. He met with horticulturists, conservationists and other experts to explore the Garden's collections and gather information to write his article. Students were encouraged to select plants that not only interested them, but also had ecological, ethnobotanical, or economic value.
Many thanks to Lorin Boren, School Program Assistant Manager, Atlanta Botanical Garden for coordinating and facilitating this partnership!