Sarracenia psittacina
Encyclopedia
Sarracenia psittacina, also known as the parrot pitcher plant, is a carnivorous plant
in the genus
Sarracenia
. Like all the Sarracenia, it is native to North America
, in the Southeastern United States
.
Sarracenia psittacina employs the same trapping mechanism as Darlingtonia californica
, using a small entrance in the pitcher mouth, which prey goes through in search of more nectar that was produced by the plant on the rim of the pitcher mouth. The prey is then confused by light shining through what appear to be false exits (or "windows") and crawls toward the brighter area down into the pitcher. Criss-crossed downward-facing hairs densely line the interior of the pitcher, forcing the prey further into the pitcher to an area where digestive enzymes such as protease
s are prevalent in the liquid.
This species is frequently submerged in its native habitat and will capture water arthropods and tadpoles, for example, while submerged.
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Sarracenia
Sarracenia
Sarracenia is a genus comprising 8 to 11 species of North American pitcher plants. The genus belongs to the family Sarraceniaceae, which also contain the closely allied genera Darlingtonia and Heliamphora....
. Like all the Sarracenia, it is native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
Sarracenia psittacina employs the same trapping mechanism as Darlingtonia californica
Darlingtonia californica
Darlingtonia californica , also called the California Pitcher plant, Cobra Lily, or Cobra Plant, is a carnivorous plant, the sole member of the genus Darlingtonia in the family Sarraceniaceae. It is native to Northern California and Oregon, growing in bogs and seeps with cold running water...
, using a small entrance in the pitcher mouth, which prey goes through in search of more nectar that was produced by the plant on the rim of the pitcher mouth. The prey is then confused by light shining through what appear to be false exits (or "windows") and crawls toward the brighter area down into the pitcher. Criss-crossed downward-facing hairs densely line the interior of the pitcher, forcing the prey further into the pitcher to an area where digestive enzymes such as protease
Protease
A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
s are prevalent in the liquid.
This species is frequently submerged in its native habitat and will capture water arthropods and tadpoles, for example, while submerged.
Infraspecific taxa
- Sarracenia psittacina f. heterophylla J. & J.Ainsworth (1996) nom.nud.Nomen nudumThe phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
- Sarracenia psittacina var. minor Hook. (1834)